This assignment essentially is a study guide with no grading. Consider it a break.

For the exam, you will need to pay attention to this next section regarding personality. After the personality section below, there are 2 more (linked) sections relating to later stages of the Life Span field. There are no assignments associated with these latter sections.

Making the transition in studying adolescence to adulthood wouldn’t be complete without at least a nod to theories of personality.

There are hundreds of theories, and all essentially try to answer the question why we do what we do.  So far in the course, we’ve been emphasizing (quite heavily, I might add) Piagetian cognitive explanation of why we do what we do.  And despite the myriad of personality theories, you can get a good feel for many if you master a few basics.  So, I would like for you to do some online searches and find an example and identify the assumptions of three of the following theories of personality.  I’ll do the last one for an example. A good place to begin is wikipedia: Personality Theories.

You do not need to post or submit anything. 

Behavioral Theories

Trait Theories

Humanistic Theories (This section on Carl Rogers is required--be familar with Self concepts and conditions of worth)

Cognitive Theories

Psychoanalytic Theories

Existential Theories

We do what we do because we try to avoid thinking about how difficult it is to be alive.  Irvin Yalom, for example, argues that there are 4 ‘givens’ about our existence:  1) that we are all going to die, 2) that we are fundamentally alone, 3) that life has no inherent meaning, 4) and that we have the freedom (and burden) of choice.  At first blush, these assumptions seem depressing, but by accepting them you are motivated to make your time on Earth meaningful by being active and making choices about how you want to live.  This creates meaning and connections with other people, which assuages feelings of isolation and purposelessness.

 

Here are the links regarding the later stages of life:

This link is an introduction to Theories on Social Aging, with some tidbits on the health (psychological and physical) benefits of having social contact. You won't find too much of this in your text, with the occassional reference or short description.

This link offers some practical considerations when talking to children about death. These are in notational form for my lectures, but I think they are clear enough to be read and used to prepare for the exam.