Personnel, Work and Organizational Psychology

The course aims to offer an introduction to the theoretical bases and methodological principles underlying the assessment of personality and its potential. The following topics will be covered: The assessment of individual differences in relation to personality traits; The assessment of personality using a social-cognitive perspective (e.g., self-efficacy beliefs in several spheres of psychosocial functioning); The assessment of personality in relation to maladaptive functioning; The multi-method, multi-informant approach: Challenges and benefits; Recent perspectives and emerging themes in personality psychology and assessment. Students will learn how to use some of the main tools used in personality assessment during the course. Moreover, a special emphasis will be given to the interpretation of a personality report and how to write it.

This course implies full knowledge of Italian, adequate knowledge of the theoretical basis of personality psychology, and an adequate knowledge of written English. For those students who did not have Personality Psychology in their background during Bachelor degree, it is useful to integrate their knowledge in such direction.

The following books and materials are mandatory for the exam: [1] Sanavio E., Sica C. (1999). I test di valutazione della personalità, Inventari e questionari. Il Mulino, Bologna. [2] Caprara G.V. (a cura di), La valutazione dell’autoefficacia.(2001), Erickson, Trento. [3] Further mandatory materials (e.g., power points, articles) will be uploaded on the e-learning platform. Those students who did not attend a personality course are encouraged to read Text: Caprara, G.V., Cervone, D. (2003). Personalità. Determinanti, Dinamiche e Potenzialità, Milano Raffaello Cortina (from chapter 1 to 8).

The topics of the course will be presented through frontal lessons and practical activities (group activities, flipped lessons, in-class assignments, single case). Non-mandatory activities will be also described during the course.

Although attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended.

The exam is written and consists of three parts: • 15 multiple-choice questions; • 1 open-ended question; • 1 personality report.

Lectures