Pre-requisites

PS511.306 Introduction to Psychology
PS626.306 Human Lifespan Development

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Unit Description

Students will come to this unit having completed several units and thus already have a rudimentary understanding of personality, normality/abnormality and the biological basis of behaviour. As such substantial time can be given to the critique of multiple theorists with respect to how each conceptualised personality structure and development noting both internal and external forces which assist in shaping an individual’s personality. Relationship to motivation and emotion will be noted. Recent advances in molecular science will also inform the discussion by providing perspectives on the contributions of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ to personality. Personality testing has developed alongside various theoretical models and will form an important component of this unit. Students will critique the value of a variety of common objective and projective personality tests including the NEO-PI-R, MMPI-2-RF, TAT and Rorschach test. Research methods used in the development of such tests (eg factor analysis) will be discussed and issues of reliability, validity and sensitivity noted. Students will then be taught how to administer, score and interpret the NEO-PI-R as a relatively simple and highly effective personality test, based on the Five Factor Model, for use in non-forensic settings. At this point students should be able to utilise different models of personality, and appropriate testing, given a variety of non-clinical and clinical contexts. Clinical contexts relate to those personality disorders recognised under clusters A, B and C of Axis 2 of the DSM-IV-TR. The aetiology, presentation, diagnosis and treatment of these disorders will be covered in some depth with emphasis placed on understanding cluster B disorders. In particular students will be required to understand the complexities of treating people with various personality disorders noting current clinical best-practice.


Unit offerings

Face to face: (Every Year, Semester 1)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.