Temperament and personality psychology over the life course

Course objectives

General aims This course aims to promote students’ theoretical and practical competences to get knowledge of the main theoretical models in the study of temperament and personality-related characteristics across the life-span, with particular attention to the role of individual differences in those interventions which goal is promoting well-being and preventing maladjustment across the life-span. Expected learning goals are: competences in critical comprehension of theoretical models in Psychology of temperament and personality across the life-span, competences in the identification and analysis of in-dividual differences in temperament and personality across the life-span, competences in preparation and management of universal intervention promoting well-being and preventing maladjustment. Frontal lessons will promote students’ knowledge of basic principles that guide them in identifying indica-tors connected with individual differences’ examination aimed to promote well-being and prevent malad-justment across the life-span. In addition, students will have the opportunity to examine in depth recent studies about temperamental factors and personality development, as well as about the most effective universal evidence-based interventions. Specific aims. Knowledge and comprehension: passing the exam guarantee to be able to comprehend and to handle scientific tools to evaluate temperament and personality dimensions, as well as evidence-based intervention programs. Skills to apply knowledge and comprehension: passing the exam guarantee to be able to identify the indicators to evaluate personality across the life-span, and to be able to plan intervention programs directed to children, adolescents, and adults. Independent judgment: passing the exam imply getting the capacity to critically evaluate theoretical models and evaluation tools, being able to recognize correspondent advantages and disadvantages. In addition, passing the exam promotes capabilities related to planning promotion and prevention intervention programs. Those skills are acquired during the lessons through students’ exposure to scientific reports and case-studies on personality profiles during frontal lessons and during in-class group activities. Communicative skills: passing the exams imply the capacity to effectively use communicative tools to present profiles and scientific reports focusing on temperament and personality factors. Learning skills: passing the exam imply acquisition of transverse learning skills that will allow students to examine theoretical and practical models, and related intervention programs, in depth across the course of their professional and academic career. Such learning skills are acquired during this course, with particular emphasis – especially during frontal lessons – to the discussion on theoretical models and profile analysis, and the presentation of alternative methods to prepare and to write promotion and prevention intervention programs.

Channel 1
CONCETTA PASTORELLI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Teaching content This course is articulated in three modules, it aims to introduce the most relevant theoretical models in the study of temperament and personality across the life-span and different models to promote individual well-being and prevent maladjustment. Particular attention will be devoted also to intervention methods. The first module focuses on the topic of individual differences according to the theory of personality traits and socio-cognitive theory (16 hours of frontal lessons/flipped lessons). In addition, it focuses on the examination in depth of the evaluation of personality traits and of self-efficacy beliefs, as well as of those indicators associated with individual differences in promoting well-being and preventing maladjustment across the life-span. The second module focuses on the topic of temperament in the course of development (16 hours of frontal lessons/flipped lessons) and it focuses on the in depth examination of the associations between temperament and personality, their assessment and the most recent scientific studies. The third module focuses on the interventions aiming to promote well-being and prevent maladjustment across the life-span (16 hours of frontal lessons/flipped lessons). Furthermore, special attention will be devoted to the examination of the most effective evidence-based universal intervention programs.
Prerequisites
Knowledege of Italian Language Theoretical Knowledge of Personality Psychology Recommended books. • Caprara, G.V., Cervone, D. (2003). Personalità. Determinanti, Dinamiche e Potenzialità, Milano Raffaello Cortina (Capitoli 1-8). Primo nucleo tematico: Personalità. . Cervone D. & Pervin L. (2017). La scienza della Personalità. Raffaello Cortina Milano
Books
Students will have to study all materials reported below: • Caprara, G.V., Cervone, D. (2003). Personalità. Determinanti, Dinamiche e Potenzialità, Milano Raffaello Cortina (Capitoli 1-8). • Chapter , M. K., & Bates, J. E. (2006). Temperament. In W. Damon(Editor-in-Chief) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, personality development (pp. 99–166). New York: Wiley. (Il capitolo sara' disponibile sulla piattaforma elearning). • Book Caprara G.V., Gerbino M., Luengo Kanacri B.P e Vecchio G.M. (2014). Educare alla prosocialità. Teoria e buone prassi. Pearson. • 1 paper to examine in depth a topic decided in agreement with the teacher. • Slides with the summary of the frontal lessons available on e-learning.
Teaching mode
Teaching methods The topics of the course will be presented through frontal lessons and practical activities (group activities, flipped lessons, in-class assignments). Frontal lessons aim to promote students’ knowledge and compre-hension of theoretical models and methods associated with the study of individual differences in personality and temperament across the life-span, and to promote students’ skills in critically evaluating alternative pre-vention and promotion interventions, being able to recognize correspondent advantages and disadvantages. Group activities and in-class assignments aim: 1) to develop capacity to read and inter-pret scientific questionnaires to evaluate temperament and personality; 2) to acquire capacities to plan and implement evidence-based intervention programs, through practical activities in which students will have to produce project proposals. Group activities promote active participation of all students in the learning pro-cess through multiple specific activities aimed to facilitate the acquisition of the skills related to the learning goals of this course. All information about this course will be reported on the correspondent site on e-learning. https://elearning2.uniroma1.it/login/index.php
Frequency
Attending the class is strongly recommended
Exam mode
4 Grading 4.1 Exam goal Those students who will attend the course will have to pass three intermediate exams. Specifically: The first intermediate exam consists of 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-ended questions. The goal of the first intermediate exam is to evaluate students’ knowledge of the topics included in the first module (Module 1 = Personality) The second intermediate exam consists of a group presentation about a scientific article in English. The goal of the second intermediate exam is to evaluate: 1) students’ capacities to read and critically evaluate theoretical models and results of a scientific study; 2) students’ capacities to effectively and profession-ally talk about the results of a scientific research; 3) students’ transverse capacities to work in group. The third intermediate exam consists of two open-ended questions. The goal of the third intermediate exam is to evaluate students’ comprehension and knowledge of the topics reported in the second and third modules of this course (i.e., Module 2 = Personality and temperament; Module 3 = Promotion and prevention).
Lesson mode
Teaching methods The topics of the course will be presented through frontal lessons and practical activities (group activities, flipped lessons, in-class assignments). Frontal lessons aim to promote students’ knowledge and compre-hension of theoretical models and methods associated with the study of individual differences in personality and temperament across the life-span, and to promote students’ skills in critically evaluating alternative pre-vention and promotion interventions, being able to recognize correspondent advantages and disadvantages. Group activities and in-class assignments aim: 1) to develop capacity to read and inter-pret scientific questionnaires to evaluate temperament and personality; 2) to acquire capacities to plan and implement evidence-based intervention programs, through practical activities in which students will have to produce project proposals. Group activities promote active participation of all students in the learning pro-cess through multiple specific activities aimed to facilitate the acquisition of the skills related to the learning goals of this course. All information about this course will be reported on the correspondent site on e-learning. https://elearning2.uniroma1.it/login/index.php
  • Lesson code1044817
  • Academic year2024/2025
  • CoursePsychology of typical and atypical development
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDM-PSI/01
  • CFU6
  • Subject areaAttività formative affini o integrative