• Level 7
  • 20 Credits
  • 0.1667 EFTS
  • Course duration: 16 weeks
  • Workload - Approximately 13 hours per week
  • Prerequisites
    • 20 Credits or more at Level 6 and Above in Psychology.
    Contact us to check your prerequisites
  • Availability
    Monthly course availability for upcoming periods
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    2027 Not available
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    Apr

This course examines the concept of personality, and compares different theoretical approaches (ranging from Freud to Eysenck) that attempt to explain differences in personality and abilities.

Personality has often been defined as the collection of attitudes, emotions, feelings, and behaviours that distinguishes one individual from another over time and different situations. The behaviours, abilities, and attitudes of our friends and families are not only similar to ours but also different. 

This course will allow you to gain insight into how personality may be subjectively and objectively measured. It will provide both theoretical and practical insights into personality and individual differences.

Topics covered include:

  • definitions of personality
  • major theories of personality, such as the psychoanalytic, cognitive and humanistic approaches
  • objective and projective tests of personality and their use in, for example, therapeutic and organisational settings
  • interviewing; and
  • issues in measurement, such as reliability and validity.

Assessment

100% internal assessment.

Textbooks

There is a textbook required for this course. Visit our textbook page for more information.

If you study this course, 73326 Personality and Individual Differences, and 73325 Psychological Assessment, and purchase tests as part of your employment, you can be considered for test user registration with the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). This may give you access to mental health and behavioural tests used in specialised fields.

How to enrol

Before enrolling in this course you need to:

  • choose the qualification you will study the course under
  • check the order that courses in the qualification should be studied in the Qualification Structure table. This is in the Choose courses and apply tab on the qualification page.

How to apply

Work towards

Apply to study this course

If you would like to study just this course and not enrol in a certificate, diploma or degree you can apply here.

Learn more about course only study