The following course in Theory of Personality II is provided in its entirety by Atlantic International University's "Open Access Initiative" which strives to make knowledge and education readily available to those seeking advancement regardless of their socio-economic situation, location or other previously limiting factors. The University's Open Courses are free and do not require any purchase or registration, they are open to the public.

The course in Theory of Personality II contains the following:

• Lessons in video format with explaination of theoratical content.
• Complementary activities that will make research more about the topic , as well as put into practice what you studied in the lesson. These activities are not part of their final evaluation.
• Texts supporting explained in the video.

The Administrative Staff may be part of a degree program paying up to three college credits. The lessons of the course can be taken on line Through distance learning. The content and access are open to the public according to the "Open Access" and " Open Access " Atlantic International University initiative. Participants who wish to receive credit and / or term certificate , must register as students.

Lesson 1: What is Personality

Everybody's heard the term personality, and most of us can describe our own or our friend's personality. What most don't know, however, is that personality is one of the most theorized and most researched aspects of psychology. So what is personality? To understand this concept, you first need to understand the difference between a trait and a state. A trait is a relatively permanent individual characteristic. For example, most of know people who are outgoing, friendly, confident, or shy. When we describe these people, we use these traits to better understand their personality; to better understand who they are. A state, on the other hand, is a temporary change in one's personality.

Examples of states might be angry, depressed, fearful, or anxious. We typically use states to describe a person's reaction to something.

Lesson 2: Influence of Research on Psychology

Psychology is not an absolute science and is often referred to as a 'Social Science' or a 'Soft Science.' This is because it deals with human thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and as we are all aware, humans are not always predictable and reliable. Instead, we interact with our environment in ways that alter how we behave, how we think, and how we feel. Change one thing and the domino effect can change everything else.

Lesson 3: Biological Theory: An Introduction

We start with biological theory for two reasons. First, the theory that our genetic makeup determines, at least in part, our personality has been a strong belief among theorists for thousands of years. Secondly, one of the first questions Personality students often ask is what percentage biology plays in our development as a person.
In its simplest form, biological components strongly determine our physical characteristics such as eye color, height, hair color, body type, and general looks. Even if biology plays no direct role in our personality, the way we look certainly affects how we see ourselves and how others interact with us.

Lesson 4: Sigmund Freud's View of Personality

Sigmund Freud's life may be a classic example of psychoanalytic theory. Or, perhaps, psychoanalytic theory is a classic metaphor for Sigmund Freud's life. Growing up in Vienna, he was trained as a physician, completed medical school and hoped to make a name for himself in the medical profession. His attempts to do this were not forthcoming and after receiving a grant to study hypnosis in Paris, Freud changed his focus from the medical model of diagnosis and treatment to that of a psychological nature.

Lesson 5: Dissention in the Ranks

While Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis, and by many, the father of modern personality theory, he was also very strict and stubborn about his beliefs. As a respected scholar, he developed a following of well known theorists and psychologists in his psychoanalytic society. But as theories were discussed, questioned, and revamped, many found themselves at odds with the father in their views for the society and the theories.

Lesson 6: Psychodynamic Assessment

Assessing the specific aspects of personality can be as controversial and complex as the theories themselves. Because the majority of our actions are dictated by the unconscious, a bigger struggle was faced by psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theorists: How to find out what even the patient himself doesn't know.
The following two sections describe the theory behind psychodynamic assessment as well as specific techniques used. Keep in mind as you read this chapter that many other types of assessment exist.

Lesson 7: Introduction to Trait Theory

Practically all personality theorists are concerned with traits. After all, traits are what make us who we are; they are the relatively permanent aspects of each of us evidenced by the consistency in our interactions. Knowing this, what makes the trait approach to understanding personality different from the other theories? First of all, while most theories represent attempts at better understanding the development of personality, trait theorists typically talk very little about development. Second, predicting a person's behavior in a given situation is also not a concern for trait theorists. Third, unlike many other theoretical orientations, trait theorists are interested in the comparison of people through based on not just aspects, but also degrees.

Lesson 8: Introduction to Learning Theory and Behavioral Psychology

Learning can be defined as the process leading to relatively permanent behavioral change or potential behavioral change. In other words, as we learn, we alter the way we perceive our environment, the way we interpret the incoming stimuli, and therefore the way we interact or behave. John B. Watson (1878-1958) was the first to study how the process of learning affects our behavior, and he formed the school of thought known as Behaviorism, now considered a sub-camps of learning theory. The central idea behind behaviorism is that only observable behaviors are worthy of research since other abstraction such as a person’s mood or thoughts are too subjective. This belief was dominant in psychological research in the United Stated for a good 50 years.

Lesson 9: Behaviorism at Work

Perhaps the biggest strength of behaviorism and the resulting social learning and social cognitive theories are their ease of application to real world examples. Information gathered for learning theories such as these are often represented by statistics and facts, rather than theoretical concepts and ideas. Therefore, applying them and measuring the outcome is much simpler. We have also found that the treatment approaches developed from these theories is relatively simple and quick to administer. Curing mental illnesses that would have taken months or even years with traditional psychoanalysis can now be completed in weeks, or even days.

Lesson 10: I Think therefore I have a Personality

If you believe the saying 'Perception is everything,' then you may well be a cognitivist. Cognitive theory is focused on the individual's thoughts as the determinate of his or her emotions and behaviors and therefore personality. Many cognitive theorists believe that without these thought processes, we could have no emotions and no behavior and would therefore not function. In other words, thoughts always come before any feeling and before any action.

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