GRA 2203 Psychological Measurement and Individual Differences
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017 |
GRA 2203 Psychological Measurement and Individual Differences
Responsible for the course
Christina G.L. Nerstad, Ole I Iversen
Department
Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Term
According to study plan
ECTS Credits
6
Language of instruction
English
Introduction
The study of the individual is the cornerstone of psychology. Despite an increasing focus on the dynamics of groups, teams and organizations in research, the emphasis on the individual remains. In order to understand individual differences or the individual as part of a system, it is necessary to have extensive knowledge of individual characteristics as reflected in theories of personality, intelligence, creativity, styles and other attributes. Such theories may explain important work behavior, e.g., achievement, collaboration efforts, competition, and productivity; and generally represent the foundation for recruitment, personal development programs, and team composition. Characteristics of measurement and statistical analyses are also of central importance in this field.
Learning outcome
-' should acquire research based concepts and knowledge of psychological tests.
- ' should acquire statistical concepts necessary to evaluate tests.
- ' should acquire research based knowledge of individual difference theories.
- ' should gain knowledge on their own scores on a selection of psychological tests.
- ' should become capable of developing tests and questionnaires.
- ' should become capable of interpreting test scores.
Prerequisites
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Compulsory reading
Books:
Cooper, Colin. 2010. Individual differences and personality. 3rd ed. Hodder Education. (Selected chapters)
Collection of articles:
A selection of research articles will be made available before the course starts
Other:
During the course there may be hand-outs and other material on additional topics relevant for the course and the examination.
Recommended reading
Books:
Cervone, Daniel, Lawrence A. Pervin. 2014. Personality psychology. 12th ed. Wiley
Sternberg, Robert J. 1990. Metaphors of mind : conceptions of the nature of intelligence. Cambridge University Press
Course outline
- Measurement and analyses of individual differences
- Questionnaire development
- Theories of personality
- Motivational dispositions
- Theories of mental abilities
- Creativity
- Leadership styles and 360 degree feedback
Computer-based tools
Not applicable
Learning process and workload
The course is structured as a combination of lectures, discussions,and in-class activities. It requires substantial amount of preparation by the students and active involvement during class. A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours.
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/It's learning or text book
Examination
| Form of assessment | Weight | Group size |
| Written examination 3 hours | 100% | Individual |
Specific information regarding student assessment will be provided in class. This information may be relevant to requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several components of the overall assessment. Candidates may be called in for an oral hearing as a verification/control of written assignments.
Examination code(s)
GRA 22032 written examination accounts for 100 % of the final grade in the course GRA 2203.
Examination support materials
Bilingual dictionary
Permitted examination support materials for written examinations are detailed under examination information in the student portal @bi. The section on support materials and the use of calculators and dictionaries should be paid special attention to.
Re-sit examination
It is only possible to retake an examination when the course is next taught. The assessment in some courses is based on more than one exam code. Where this is the case, you may retake only the assessed components of one of these exam codes. All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee. Please note that you need to retake the latest version of the course with updated course literature and assessment. Please make sure that you have familiarised yourself with the latest course description.
Additional information
Honour code. Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and are values that are integral to BI's honour code system. Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the honour code system, to which the faculty is deeply committed. Any violation of the honour code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for academic misconduct. Issues of academic integrity are taken seriously by everyone associated with the programmes at BI and are at the heart of the honour code. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honour code, please ask. The learning platform itslearning is used in the teaching of all courses at BI. All students are expected to make use of itslearning.