In this paper, which should be ~3 pages (1,000-1,400 words), 1-inch margins, 1.5 spaced, you are going to analyze the first Self Concept assignment you submitted the first week of class and reflect on how you chose to describe yourself in relation to the concepts we covered in this course by following the instructions below.

1) First, reflect GENERALLY on was included in your original submission (1-2 paragraphs). Do not re- state what you expressed initially. Instead, address the following points:

a) Was it completely accurate?

b) Was the information that you included necessary for describing who you are or was there material in your original paper that maybe wasn’t so important to understanding your personality?

c) Was it from a certain point of view (how you feel you are, how others observe you, etc.)?

2) Second, in the remaining part of your paper describe THREE course concepts that you either touched upon in your original submission or that you didn’t include but would like to include them and discuss how these concepts relate to your personality. You must refer to the course concept and explicitly connect aspects of your personality to that course concept or how you think of your personality with each of the three course concepts you choose (note: the BIG FIVE is one concept not five). A sample “Self Concept 2” paper is available on learn and you can review the textbook table of contents and lecture slides for ideas. To help you along, here are some ideas but you do not have to use these:

  • Did you talk about personality tests you had taken? If not, what have you learned about yourself from any personality tests, friends, or family during this semester and connect that to assessment (I data, B data, L data, S data)
  • Did you talk about your family history of psychological functioning or your personality relative to your biological family members and connect that to nature vs. nurture? (Genetics)
  • Consider how physiologically reactive you are to events and connect that to what you learned about in the biochem lecture (Biology)
  • Did you include information about race or ethnicity or cultural aspects of your identity or what would you include now in this longer self-concept paper (Culture)
  • How does your personality shift across different situations (Person-Situation Debate)3) Third, what did you realize or remember about yourself this semester or how will any of the course concepts you learned about this semester impact your life moving forward (and if not, why not)?