Defining Personality
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Prickles & Goo: Alan Watts, South Park
The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, created a cartoon to a voice-over of the philosopher Alan Watts. Watts discusses his categorization of people into two personality distinctions: prickly and gooey. Prickly people are rational thinkers whereas gooey types are illogical romanticists. What are some benefits and difficulties of categorizing people this way?
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Richard Branson Jumps Off Palms
Richard Branson jumped off the Palms tower to celebrate the new Virgin Airlines flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. The wind caused Branson to twist around on the cable and scrape against the side of the building. Even though he was injured, Branson has since performed many more stunts, including jumping from buildings. Why do you think Richard Branson…
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He is The Most Interesting Man in the World
This is a commercial for Dos Equis beer. The Most Interesting Man in the World campaign utilizes the distinctive accomplishments and personality of a mysterious man. How does this advertising campaign make use of personality? If you were to describe your own idea of the most interesting man in the world, what personality traits would you give him?
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MTV Cribs Personality Project
Annabel brings a classmate to her dorm room in a satire of the MTV Cribs television show. She describes her personality through her possessions and their organization, as well the activities that take place in her room. What do peoples rooms say about their personality traits? How would you describe Annabel based on her dorm room?
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Culturally Speaking: Individualism-Collectivism
In this clip featuring photographs from the creators travels to various countries, the video creator defines individualistic and collectivistic cultures. She explains basic components of each culture type. Based on her definitions, explain whether the U.S. is an individualistic or collectivistic culture and why. How does the U.S. cultural standpoint affect your personality?
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Personality: A Biological Basis
A philosophy instructor considers personality, in addition to reasoning, a determinant of behavior. He gives a brief overview of personality assessment research (e.g., Allport, Cattell, Eysenck). Research on the physiological or biological bases of personality is also covered. Why did Eysenck argue against computer approaches to personality? What is the relationship between introversion/extroversion and sensory stimulation?
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The Sims 3 New Video: Unique Personality Traits
This video shows what new options are included in The Sims 3, namely variations in personality. The Sims 3 allows its players to create alter-egos who can have almost any career, lifestyle, and personality traits. How do these new possibilities attract users? How could The Sims 3 be used to discover how a person perceives their own personality?
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