Personality and Social Psychology: Readings at the Leading Edge

Catalog description

This course will examine the most recent important empirical research in personality and social psychology. In short, this class is about what psychology has learned about the aspects of life that are not pathological but are part of everyday human functioning. During the semester a number of different topics will be addressed, including: (1) identifying the goals and subject matter of the most recent personality and social psychology; (2) reviewing and critically examining theoretical perspectives and (most importantly) empirical findings in specific areas including happiness, loneliness, social psychological contagion, self-determination, and others; (3) examining how these theories and findings can be applied to everyday life.