Goldsmiths, University of London (GUL)

These notes summarise Week 16 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, introducing the foundations of group behaviour with a focus on social facilitation and social loafing. The lecture explains key theories, factors influencing performance in groups, and strategies for increasing individual effort. Topics covered: • What defines a group (e.g. entitativity, interdependence) • Social facilitation vs. social inhibition • Zajonc’s Drive Theory • Cottrell’s Evaluation Apprehens...

These notes summarise Week 15 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, exploring the complexity of self-concept, self-knowledge, and self-regulation. This lecture introduces major theories of the self and how identity is shaped by traits, roles, culture, and cognitive processes. Topics covered: • Multiple selves and self-complexity • Private and public self-awareness • Self-knowledge vs self-esteem • Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins) – actual vs ideal vs ought self • Regu...

These notes summarise Week 14 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on the Social Learning and Humanistic approaches to personality. The lecture explores learning-based theories (Bandura, Skinner) and humanistic models (Maslow, Rogers), offering key comparisons and applications. Topics covered: • Classical and operant conditioning (Pavlov, Skinner, Watson) • Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and concept of self-efficacy • Types of reinforcement: direct, vicarious, self...

These notes summarise Week 13 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality. This lecture introduces the structure of the mind, psychosexual development, and defence mechanisms, with critical evaluation of Freud’s legacy in psychology. Topics covered: • Freud’s tripartite structure: id, ego, superego • Psychic determinism and levels of consciousness • Psychosexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital • Complexes...

These notes summarise Week 12 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on the Trait Approach to Personality. This lecture covers key models, including the Big Five (OCEAN) and Eysenck’s super-traits, while also exploring personality measurement, reliability, and validity. Topics covered: • Definitions of personality: types, traits, and factors • Historical models (e.g., Hippocrates’ humours) vs. modern approaches • Eysenck’s 3-factor model: Extraversion, Neuroticism,...

These notes summarise Week 11 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on key debates and unresolved issues in intelligence research. Topics include group differences, heritability, cultural testing, ageing, and the Flynn Effect — making this lecture essential for critical evaluation and exam prep. Topics covered: • Aptitude vs. attainment testing • Cross-cultural intelligence and Sternberg’s successful intelligence • Twin and adoption studies on heritability • Env...

These notes summarise Week 10 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, providing a comprehensive overview of how intelligence is defined, measured, and theorised in psychology. This lecture is essential for students preparing for exams, essays, or research involving cognitive ability. Topics covered: • Definitions of intelligence (Wechsler, Gardner, Sternberg, Burt) • Historical development (Binet, Galton, Terman, Spearman) • Key theories: ‘g’, fluid/crystallised intelligence, ...

These notes summarise Week 9 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on how culture shapes human development. Includes key theories, cross-cultural research, and real-world examples of how cognition, language, attachment, and perception vary across societies. Topics covered: • Definition of culture and developmental norms • Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory • Gene–culture co-evolution (e.g. heritability, educational context) • Cross-cultural differences i...

These notes cover Week 8 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, focusing on research methods used in social psychology. Includes key distinctions between experimental and non-experimental methods, variables, ethical issues, and multiple-choice revision questions. Topics covered: • Experimental designs: lab vs field, between- vs within-participants • IVs, DVs, extraneous and confounding variables • Non-experimental methods: surveys, case studies, field studies, archival research ...

These notes summarise Week 7 of PS51005B: Psychology of the Person, introducing the field of social psychology. This lecture explores what social psychology is, how it developed, and how it differs from common sense. Includes coverage of both scientific and critical perspectives, plus references to key thinkers and models. Topics covered: • Definitions of social psychology (Aronson, Hogg & Vaughan, Sutton & Douglas) • Levels of explanation: intrapersonal, interpersonal, positional, i...