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PSY 255 Discussion Questions Week 1

1. Choose two public figures whose character and personality appear to be in conflict. Explain what you perceive to be their character and personality and how that perception is in conflict.
2. How does personality differ from: a) character, and b) temperament?

PSY 255 Discussion Questions Week 2

1. Identify and explain research on effective coping mechanisms for stress. How do you believe these would help you in your everyday life?
2. Select a neopsychoanalytic theorist you agree with, and one that you disagree with. Give your reasons for each.

PSY255 Discussion Questions Week 3

1. What jobs should require personality tests prior to hiring a candidate? What traits are important for these jobs?
2. Discuss Allport’s concept of functional autonomy. Identify two instances in your life where functional autonomy was present.

PSY 255 Discussion Questions Week 4

1. Discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages in using twins to analyze genetic heritability. Why might it be useful for future twin studies to separate out monozygotic (identical) from dizygotic (fraternal) twins?
2. Explain why the trait of introversion-extraversion keeps surfacing in some of these theories (first seen in Jung’s theory, then in the Big Five theory, and now in Eysenck’s theory).

PSY255 Discussion Questions Week 5

1. Discuss how the humanistic theorists (Rogers, Maslow, and Frankl) might respond to this question from a potential client: “I have been a patient of Dr. Steve Smith, who is a psychoanalyst. He feels that I need three years of therapy to explore my id-ego conflicts (He saidI need to regress back to my childhood repressions, whatever that means). I am feeling somewhat depressed, and feel that no one likes me. I think I’m too much of a loner, although I value my privacy a lot. Can you help me, or should I stay with Dr. Smith?”
2. Carl Rogers assumed the position that people are innately good. Given your experience in world events, do you agree with Rogers’s position? Give three examples of why or why not. Justifying your responses with research directly from Rogers.Is self-actualization a destination or journey? Discuss Maslow’s and Rogers’ positions on this statement.

PSY255 Discussion Questions Week 6

1. Give two examples of classical conditioning you have witnessed. Identify the neutral stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response, the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response. Develop a plan on how you can classically condition a specific behavior. Can you think of anything you do that is not motivated by either the hope of reinforcement or the avoidance of punishment?
2.  Give two examples of operant conditioning you have witnessed. What types of reinforcement or punishment was used? Develop your own plan for changing a specific behavior. Critique others’ plans and offer advice on how they may better achieve their goal.

PSY-255 Discussion Questions Week 7

1. Discuss how the cognitive theorists (Kelly, Beck, and Ellis) might respond to this question from a potential client: “I have been a patient of Dr. Steve Smith, who is a psychoanalyst. He feels that I need three years of therapy to explore my defense mechanisms (he saidI need to regress back to my childhood repressions, whatever that means). I am feeling depressed, and have even thought of committing suicide. I feel that no matter what I do, I’m just a complete failure. Can you help me, or should I stay with Dr. Smith?”