Short Assignment for
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology 111
David Buck
Psychology Department
Introduction for Faculty Colleagues
This assignment is for the Personality theory unit of an Introduction to Psychology
course; however, it could also be used in a Personality Theory course. This
assignment would be homework that the students complete after an introductory
discussion of the Big 5 trait theory of personality. The purpose of this assignment
is for students to apply conceptual knowledge about traits from a personality theory
to a specific example of their choosing.
The final paragraph of the paper (the reflection on their assessment) can be used
as a jumping off point for in class discussion after the assignment is turned in.
Students might have difficulty with some of the traits, which can lead to a
discussion of what makes for good definitions of traits. Students might also reflect
on how the character’s behavior varies from situation to situation, leading to a
discussion of the interaction between the environment and individual, social
identities, and the debate between personality and social psychology. This can also
be used as a point to discuss reliability and validity as it applies to observational
data and the use of specific anecdotes compared to aggregates of behaviors in
assessing an individual’s personality.
The Assignment I Distribute to Students
PSY 111 – Introduction to Psychology
Personality Assessment and the Big 5
Assignment
Pick a fictional character from a TV show, movie, or book and create a 1-2 page
personality assessment of that character using the five traits of the Big 5
Personality Index.
Process
Begin by providing me with a brief character sketch. This should be about a
paragraph-long description of the character. Assume that I haven’t read the book
or seen the show that this character is from. This doesn’t need to be very long. It
should just provide me with a little context.
After describing the character, evaluate him or her on the Big Five personality
traits. For each trait, write a paragraph in which you indicate whether the
character is high or low in that trait, and provide evidence for why you believe this.
Your evidence should be observations of specific behaviors or patterns of behavior
that lead you to come up with your assessment. These observations should make it
clear to me that you understand the characteristics of each trait and should
convince me that your assessment of that character is correct.
After you have completed the above, I want you to write a final paragraph
reflecting on your assessment. Were any of the traits more difficult to evaluate
than the others? What might have made some traits easier or more challenging to
observe? In general, was it easy or difficult to come up with your evaluations of
the character? What made it easy or difficult?
Learning Objectives
Be able to apply knowledge about specific personality traits, use observations of
behavior as evidence to support claims, and evaluate the possible limitations that
you might have faced in your assessments.
Grading
You will receive 0, 1, or 2 points for each of the criteria below based on how successfully you meet the expectations
laid out.
Criteria
0
The character sketch provides a general description of the person being assessed
The reflection is thoughtful and considers the challenges of personality assessment
The paper is clearly written, with no grammatical or spelling errors.
The assessment of the character’s level of Conscientiousness appears accurate and is
supported by specific observations of the character’s behavior.
The assessment of the character’s level of Agreeableness appears accurate and is
supported by specific observations of the character’s behavior
The assessment of the character’s level of Neuroticism appears accurate and is
supported by specific observations of the character’s behavior
The assessment of the character’s level of Openness appears accurate and is
supported by specific observations of the character’s behavior
The assessment of the character’s level of Extraversion appears accurate and is
supported by specific observations of the character’s behavior
Total Score:
1
2