Differential Psychology, 15 credits

Passed results of the first and second semester (30 credits and at least 15 credits, respectively) of the Study Programme in Psychology.

Part 1
On completion of this part, the student should be able to:
- describe and account for basic concepts within both classical and modern psychometric theory
- describe and account for statistical methods within the differential psychology
- make own basic psychometric analyses and be able to carry out correlation based statistical calculations
- reflect around own experiences around design and evaluation of psychological tests

Part 2
On completion of this part, the student should be able to:
- define and account for central theoretical models within the differential psychology regarding the concepts of intelligence and personality and discuss these with a critical and reflecting attitudes
- reflect around cultural influences and gender perspectives in relation to intelligence and personality
- understand and reflect around practical usability (and difficulties) with psychological tests of intelligence and personality when they constitute a part of the psychologist's instruments

Part 3
On completion of this part, the student should be able to:
- describe and account for basic concepts within behavioural genetics theory and method.
- give examples of research designs that is used to study the importance for human personality, intelligence and vulnerability of genetic effects for psychopathology.
- account for and reflect critically around the relative importance of genes and Environment influencing individual differences, personality, intelligence and vulnerability for psychopathology
- from a behavioural genetics perspective account for cognitive abnormalities.

The contents of the course include design of psychological instruments and basic psychometric concepts within psychometrics, an overview of statistical methods used within differential psychology and questions about the importance of the heredity and environment for individual differences.

The course is divided in the following three parts:

The teaching consists of teacher-supervised lectures and seminars where the students are encouraged to active participation by discussing and reflect around the themes of the lectures. Further, the teaching consists of laboratory sessions that intend to let the students exercise on statistical analyses and use statistical calculation exercises and analyses to evaluate these and established tests. These exercises are meant to illustrate the practical importance of knowledge of differential psychology and statistics in the psychologist's everyday work.

Seminars and exercise sessions are compulsory. The course director assesses if, absence from a compulsory education element can be replaced. If this is possible, the course director decides how the learning objectives should be achieved. Until the student has participated in the compulsory parts (or compensated any absence with assigned tasks in accordance with instructions from the course director) the final study results can not be reported. Absence from a mandatory education element could mean that the student can not do the part until the next time the course is offered. Compulsory seminars and laboratory sessions are according to the following:

• Part 1: compulsory laboratory sessions and calculation exercises
• Part 2: compulsory seminars
• Part 3: compulsory seminars

The course is examined both independent and in groups through oral and written examination assignments.

Part 1
The part of the course on psychometrics and statistics is examined through

1) written assignment (laboratory report) with oral examination in groups
2) Individual written examination

In the compulsory laboratory sessions (examination assignment 1) and the oral examination (examination assignment 2), one of the grades Pass/Fail is given. At the written examination one of the grades Passed with distinction, Passed or Failed is given. To obtain Pass on this part of the course the student must obtain Pass on all examination parts. For Pass with distinction on this part the student has to pass with distinction on the written examination and pass on the other examination assignments

Part 2
The student's knowledge of intelligence and personality are examined through

1) discussion seminars and lecture in groups
2) in writing minor essay and oral presentation of scientific article

At the examination assignments under part 2 the grade Pass or Fail is given. To obtain Pass on this part of the course the student must obtain Pass on all examination parts.

Part 3
The student's knowledge if behavioural genetics is examined through

1) Written examination

In the written examination (examination assignment 1) the grade Pass with distinction, Pass or Fail is given.

In order to pass the course, the student is required to have passed on all Three parts. For Passed with destinction on the course the student is required to have passed with destinction on both part 1 and part 3 and have passed on part 2.

Student who do not pass the regular examination are entitled to re-sit the examination at five more occasions. If the student has carried out six failed examinations/tests be given not any additional examination. As examination, the times are counted when the student has participated in the same test. Submission of blank exam is counted as examination. Examination to which the student registered but not participated be counted not as examination.

The transition rules follow KI's local guidelines for examination.

Course evaluation takes place according to KI's local guidelines. Results and possible measures are returned to the students on course web.