The Self and Identity.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: PSYC 630 and 680 or permission of instructor. Our sense of self provides meaning and coherence to our lives; it is the lens through which we interpret the world. This seminar will take a research-based approach, and almost all readings will be psychology journal articles. Class will focus on key topics in recent self research (e.g., self-regulation, self-esteem, the self and relationships, different cultural conceptions of self) as well as debate controversial issues in the literature (e.g., the cultural universality of self-enhancement, whether positive illusions are healthy). Students may choose some of the topics covered in the latter part of the semester. Evaluation will be based primarily on class discussion, student-led debates and discussions, and a research proposal and presentation at the end of the semester.