Aims

- psychological study of the human being as an individual :
a) what singles and differentiates him from other individuals
b) how is organised the structuration of his personality
c) how is he situated inside the natural and social universe

Main themes

- psychological study of the human being as an individual :
a) what singles and differentiates him from other individuals
b) how is organised the structuration of his personality
c) how is he situated inside the natural and social universe

Content and teaching methods

Introduction to the methods to study individual differences and personality. Observation of the differences between individuals at the level of intelligence and personality, the differences between groups according to variables such as age or sex, and differences between the social groups. Questions about the origin of these differences: heredity, constitutional factors, environment factors… Question of the structuration of the individual personality, basing on current theories and models of personality. Critical thinking on the origin and consequences of the western notion of individual, seeing him as a being distancing from elements such as the body, the animality, the nature, the society, and the universe.
Methods: two approaches will be proposed. In the first one, the students will proceed by auto-learning, from books on some aspects of the matter. They can choose the particular practice of some themes. The other approach will start from a lecture with projections and course outline.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Preferably the first year in psychological sciences. At least one course of general psychology.
Written exam by standardised questionnaire.
Personal work from proposed readings.

Other credits in programs