[WLO: 2] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 5]
This week we will begin work on the Week 6 Illustrative Biography by selecting and describing aspects of the life of the subject you will profile. The final paper/presentation is the primary assignment in this course and it is a modified version of the Illustrative Biographies you have seen in the text book. The primary difference is that you are free and even encouraged to use theoretical concepts from any and all of the theories covered in the book. (Note—you are encouraged not to use the Buddhist chapter as it is more of a philosophy than a personality theory and will therefore be more difficult to apply to this assignment.).
For the final assignment, you will be identifying a famous person and creating an illustrative biography using concepts from the theories presented in this course. This week we begin by researching the person’s biographical information. Search specifically for environmental factors and experiences that have played a role in the subject’s personality development. Use a scholarly/academic source for each of the following aspects of the subject’s personality.
- Adjustment and Adaptation
- Cognition
- Culture
- Biology
These four areas are outlined in section 1.3 of your text book. This also loosely reflects the organization of the Illustrative Biographies provided in the text. Take care to choose a person of substance who has had an impact on many, whether for good or evil. It could be a celebrity such as Aretha Franklin, a sports figure such as Magic Johnson, or a political figure such as Lincoln or Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). These are examples; select someone you really want to learn more about. Other suggestions include:
- Vladimir Putin
- Elon Musk
- Steve Jobs
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Tom Brady
- Cult leader Jim Jones
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg
- Madeline Albright
- Kamala Harris
- Jeffrey Dahmer
- Michael J. Fox
You may choose to write a paper or create a presentation.
Need an example of a webinar? Growing Up OnlineLinks to an external site. and Enhancing Online Schooling Experience Through Intentional Connections And ParticipationLinks to an external site. are student UAGC Psych Club symposium presentations and are examples of how to present recorded information. (There are many ways to do this. Consider looking at other examples online to assist you.) If you have questions, please ask your instructor.
Prior to beginning this assignment, please read the 14 illustrative biographies provided at the beginning of each chapter in your textbook. These subjects cannot be used in your paper:
- Chapter 2: Freud: Illustrative Biography: Adolf Hitler
- Chapter 3: Jung: Illustrative Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Chapter 4: Adler: Illustrative Biography: Malala Yousafzai
- Chapter 5: Erikson: Illustrative Biography: Mahatma Gandhi
- Chapter 6: Horney and Relational Theory: Illustrative Biography: Marilyn Monroe
- Chapter 7: Allport: Illustrative Biography: Mother Teresa
- Chapter 8: Two Factor Analytic Trait Theories: Illustrative Biography: Sonia Sotomayor
- Chapter 9: Biological Theories: Serena Williams
- Chapter 10: The Challenge of Behaviorism: Tiger Woods
- Chapter 11: Kelly: Richard Nixon
- Chapter 12: Mischel: Frida Kahlo
- Chapter 13: Bandura: Barack Obama
- Chapter 14: Rogers: Illustrative Biography: Maya Angelou
- Chapter 15: Maslow and His Legacy: George Harrison
This week you will begin to craft your final assignment by writing about the life and personality of your selected subject. The paper must address the following sections. Please use the following section headers.
Introduction
- Identify the famous person you have chosen to feature in your illustrative biography. Provide a brief overview of their life.
- Identify at least three credible sources that you will use to develop your biography.
Adjustment and Adaptation
- Describe how your chosen subject has adapted to their life circumstances. Do you see a healthy or an unhealthy adjustment in personality? Note that this will be totally dependent on the subject that you have chosen. For example, if you choose Jeffrey Dahmer, then the adjustment and adaptation will clearly fall into the unhealthy category.
Cognition
- Describe the role of cognition in the subject’s life. From your research, how did this person think? Were they emotional or cerebral? How did clear or faulty thinking factor into their personality?
Culture
- Describe the cultural context of your subject’s life. What role did culture play in the development of their personality?
Biology
- Describe the biological factors were at play in your subject’s life. For example, if you choose Michael J. Fox, his Parkinson’s disease would be a major biological factor in his adult personality.
The Subject of the Illustrative Biography paper
0 comments