Aims
At the end of the course, students are expected to:
- Knowing the characteristics of personality as an evolutionary process;
- Knowing how biology and the environment interact, on which personality and individual differences are based;
- Knowing the different models of personality development;
- Knowledge of evolutionary systems theories;
- Knowing the role of emotional reactivity and regulation in personality development;
- Knowledge of dialectical theories of personality development;
- Knowing the relationship between personality evolution and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology;
- Knowing the factors that determine maladaptive personality development.
Programme
The course proposes to present the topics of personality and individual differences on the assumption that ‘personality’ is not a static object, but that under this term are gathered a multiplicity of variables and processes that, in the course of time, make each individual be himself on the one hand, and on the other be different from every other individuals. In turn, being oneself should not be understood as the achievement of a static, unchanging situation, but as a continuous process of change. In other words, everyone is himself and is constantly changing. An evolutionary conception of personality must therefore be based on a dynamic perspective, understanding by this term the importance and role of time: it is in fact in time that changes and evolutions take place. This perspective requires complex explanatory models, which are based on the continuous interaction of different variables: two important models are the one referring to evolutionary systems and the dialectical one. On the basis of the above, the course also aims to identify the reasons why personality evolution can be adaptive or maladaptive. This term covers two areas: the first concerns the interaction between personality and internalizing and externalizing psychopathologies. The second concerns the development of personality psychopathology in the proper sense.
Exam
The assessment will consist of an oral examination.
Bibliography
- Maffei, C. (2021). Oltre la personalità, Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.
- McAdams, D.P., Shiner, R.L and Tackett, J.L. (Eds.) (2019). Handbook of Personality Development, New York: The Guilford Press.
Any other material will be indicated by the lecturer during the course.
