Psychology 4590F-001

Special Topics in Personality: Personality Research in Action

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON CANADA

Department of Psychology

2021 - 2022

 

PSYCHOLOGY 4590F  001 

SPECIAL TOPICS IN PERSONALITY

 

  • CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

This senior undergraduate class is designed to provide psychology students with an in-depth examination of foundational topics in personality psychology AND a ‘hands-on’ opportunity to conduct a research study on a contemporary area of personality psychology. Each week, assigned readings, student presentations and in-class discussions on key areas of personality research will be followed by the direct involvement in a personality research study. Drawing from the wide range of research programs currently being carried out in our lab, 4-5 research studies will be selected and students in groups of 5-6 will then work closely with our research lab teams to develop, implement, and report the results of their study in a journal article format.  This will include a review of the research literature, the determination of the key research questions, the formulation of the research methodology required to provide relevant data to address the questions, preparing an ethics proposal, implementing the study and collecting/ analysing the data, and presenting the results in a journal article and poster format as well as in-class presentation.   

 

Antirequisite: Not Applicable.

 

Prerequisite:  Psychology 2820E, or both of Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, plus registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 75% in the prerequisite courses may enroll in this course

 

Number of lecture hours: 3; Course weight: 0.5

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2.0  COURSE INFORMATION

 

       Instructor: Dr. Don Saklofske                                

       Office Hours: By appointment                                                                   

       Email: dsaklofs@uwo.ca                                                   

       

       E-learning Admin Assistant: Sarah Prezeau

       Email: sbabcoc5@uwo.ca

 

       Time and Location of Classes: Mondays | 1:30-4:30PM (EDT)

 

Delivery Method: Weekly Virtual/Synchronous class meetings.
Possible that some direct meetings with graduate student researchers will take place.

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

 

 

 

3.0  TEXTBOOK

 

Specific reading lists for each study will be assigned to students according to their group. During the course, other articles, books, chapters, etc. will be recommended, as needed, related to the specific studies. Materials will be posted in OWL as required.

 

PRIMARY TEXT: Ashton, M. (2017; 3rd Ed). Individual Differences and Personality. San Diego: Academic Press.

 

This book is available through the UWO bookstore, but also as an eBook (e.g Vitalsource) or the publisher (Academic Press/Elsevier)

 

Relevant Journals:  European Journal of Personality; Journal of Personality; Journal of Personality a Social Psychology; Journal of Personality Assessment; Journal of Research in Personality; Personality and Individual Differences; Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin; Personality and Social Psychology Review; Social Psychological and Personality Science

 

4.0  COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

LEARNING OUTCOME

LEARNING ACTIVITY

ASSESSMENT

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

·         Familiarity with the research literature related to study topic

·         Plan study and define research questions

Assigned readings; class presentations and leading group discussion; independent and group planning in consultation with lab researchers

                                           

Check lists for completion of assigned tasks

Group discussion

Group written and oral presentations (including PowerPoint content and final written study report)

Knowledge of Methodologies.

·          Review of methods to address research questions

·          Develop the research plan/design

Assigned reading and class presentations. Individual and group discussion and planning; submit study design, present to larger class for feedback

Application of Knowledge.

·          Draw meaning from data, recognize limitations

·          Assess fit of study results with the extant literature

Collect data using systems such as SONA; apply appropriate data analyses methods (quantitative and qualitative)

Communication Skills.

·          Prepare journal article and poster

·          Oral presentation to class

In-class presentations of chapters/papers. Write an article following journal guidelines and standard format (i.e.g APA); summarize study in a poster format; in-class group presentation

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.

·          Evaluate own group and other group studies

·          Make recommendations for improving and expanding the study

Review own and other studies using standard research criteria for evaluating studies, prepare a ‘review’ akin to serving as a journal reviewer

Autonomy and Professional Capacity

·          Work both independently and collectively as a research team

·          Acknowledge & adhere to research ethics & professional codes of ethics (e.g., CPA.)

Listing of common and specific tasks for each group and group member.

Groups discussions re. research ethics, professional responsibilities, methods of science

5.0  EVALUATION

 

The course requirements, along with relative weightings in the determination of final grades, are:

 

In-class Oral Presentation (10%). An executive summary of research papers (~3-4) related to text chapters via PowerPoint presentation.

 

Review Paper (30%). A critical research literature review (~5000-8000 words) of a topic approved by the instructor related to the study of personality. Must be formatted in APA style, similar to the kind of review that would be published in a top tier journal).

 

Group Research Project (60%). Students will be assigned to groups (5-6 students) to conduct a research project that will be carried out during the term of this class. This project will include: a review of literature, design of study, ethics proposal & submission, data collection, data analyses & interpretation; APA written report. Mark breakdown is as follows: Group Participation (10%) | Article Writeup (30%) | In-Class Poster Presentation (20%)

 

5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

Since this class revolves around group research projects, students will be expected to take a lead role for specific components of the project, as well as participate on all aspects of the study and the presentation of results. Issues that might impact an individual student’s specific and general contribution and participation in their assigned research project will be addressed on an individual, as-needed basis, through appropriate modifications (e.g., switching or reassigning of tasks, etc.)

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
  • This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%      1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%      2100-2999-level courses

75%      3000-level courses

80%      4000-level courses

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

A+        90-100              One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A          80-89                Superior work that is clearly above average

B          70-79                Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C          60-69                Competent work, meeting requirements

D          50-59                Fair work, minimally acceptable

F          below 50           Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

 

6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

There are no scheduled exams for this class. See 5.0 above.

 

7.0  CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Discussion Topics: The following readings will be undertaken by students and form the basis of weekly in-class discussions and presentations by both the instructor and students:

  • Sept 13 Introduction
  • Sept 20 History; Research Methods and Measurement (Chpt 1)
  • Sept 27  Personality Assessment: (Chpt. 2)
  • Oct 4   Models of Personality:  Trait perspectives (chpts. 3-4)
  • Oct 11   Thanksgiving; no class     
  • Oct 18 Models of Personality:  Biology, Brain, Genetics, Evolutionary  (chpts  5,6, 7)
  • Oct 25    Models of Personality: Oct. 18 topics Con’t + Social factors & Emotional                    
  • Nov 1 Personality applications: (chpts 9-13)
  • Nov 8    New Areas of personality research
  • Nov 15 Poster Presentations of major papers
  • Nov 22  Poster Presentations of major papers
  • Nov 29  Research study presentations
  • Dec 6  Research study presentations

 

Weekly meetings will include an examination of the theoretical foundations, methods of research, and measurement of personality. Theoretical models that describe the foundations and structure as well as the causes and correlates of personality will be reviewed from a historical and contemporary perspective.  Research used to advance hypotheses and theories that in turn underlie the measurement and assessment of personality will be emphasized.  The course will consist of lectures, discussions, student presentations drawing from a reading list of book chapters and selected journal articles. 

 

This is also an active/participation research class in which each student group will conduct their assigned study from ‘start to finish’. Specific readings will be assigned to students and each group will develop a project timeline that will vary according to study demands.  Weekly meetings will involve group collaboration related to planning and reviewing progress/results which will also be shared with the larger class. While the general process/procedures will be somewhat similar for all groups (becoming familiar with the study objectives and related literature, planning the study including ethics, data collection procedures, implementing the study, data collection and analyses, and writing a journal article, creating a poster, and class presentation.   

 

 

8.0  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

 

9.0  STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

10.0 POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

 

When examinations and tests cannot be given in person (e.g., in courses coded as Distance Studies; in the event of a lockdown order), they may be conducted using either a monitoring platform such as Zoom or a remote proctoring service, such as Proctorio. If Zoom is used for exam invigilation, you will be required to keep your camera on for the entire session, hold up your student card for identification purposes, and share your screen with the invigilator if asked to do so at any time during the exam. The exam session using Zoom will not be recorded.*

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. The instructor will alert you to the use of this software as close as possible to the start of the term, however, in the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  • For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

 

12.0 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

 

 

13.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
  •  

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0 OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct

- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations

- Policy on Attendance

- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines

- Policy for Assignments

- Short Absences

- Extended Absences

- Documentation

- Academic Concerns

- 2021-2022 Calendar References

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.