Karen J. Prager, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

Professor of Psychology and  Program Head for Gender Studies

Diplomate in Family Psychology

The University of Texas at Dallas

More Information About Dr. Prager's work

Home

Research on Intimacy

Processes in Couple Relationships 

Teaching and Professional Practice

Selected Papers and Publications

 

For Students:

 

 

Welcome to the Study of Personality & Individual Differences

Instructor: Karen Prager

Teaching Assistant: Cherie Perroncel

GOALS OF THE COURSE

GOALS OF THE COURSE

 

Understand the basic concepts of psychodynamic, trait, biological, phenomenological, behavioral, and cognitive theories of personality

 

Gain familiarity with research that the theories have generated and been built upon

 

Gain familiarity with the clinical applications that these theories have generated (e.g., behavior therapy, existential analysis)

 

(Optional) Apply one of the theories to help understand one person’s behavior, thinking patterns, or emotional reactions.
  • What is the role of situations in determining behavior?
  • When do individual differences emerge?
  • How is personality affected by culture?
  • What dimensions of culture are likely to influence personality?
    •

    a. hereditary vs. learned

    b. consciously determined versus unconscious determined

    c. free versus constrained by internal or external forces

    d. proactive (e.g., goal-oriented) vs. reactive (e.g., anxiety-avoidant)

    unique configurations for each individual or broad classes that apply to many people?

    f. wonderful possibilities for everyone (the theory is optimistic) or realistic constraints for everyone (the theory is more pessimistic)?

    g. here & now focus vs. focus on past development, learning, experience