According to the American Psychological Association:

Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. The study of personality focuses on two broad areas: One is understanding individual differences in particular personality characteristics, such as sociability or irritability. The other is understanding how the various parts of a person come together as a whole. (para 1)

In this course, you will explore seven well-known models that explain the development of personality. However, you probably already have some ideas and opinions about how personalities develop based on your prior learning and life experiences. This first assignment is meant to provide you with a baseline of your thinking about personality that you can compare and contrast to the theories we will be studying. This paper will also be integrated into a section of your final assignment.

This is not a research paper; that will come later. In this assignment, you will reflect on your current assumptions defining personality as they relate to your understanding of your own behaviors. Describe your personality, including your typical style, your main traits, the way you interact with others, and how you handle stress. Explain what it is that makes you uniquely “you,” and how you think you became the person you are today. Describe the social and/or psychological factors you can point to that help support your explanation as well as any genetic factors you believe affect your unique personality.

The assignment:

• Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including the title page and references page) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must document any sources used in this assignment in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center if sources are used.