1. Using the "rolling ball" analogy, discuss the influence of heredity and environment on personality development. What evidence supports the notion that heredity influences personality? (summarize and give a specific example) What evidence supports the "nurture" view? (summarize and give a specific example)

2. Discuss the findings on human mating reported by David Buss and colleagues. Distinguish between ultimate and proximate causes and identify the explanation provided by Buss for these findings.

3. The h² concept is central in research that attempts to determine whether personality is influenced by genes. What does h² represent, on what data is it based, how is it interpreted, and how is it often misinterpreted?

4. Compare the personality theories of Freud and Erikson, noting major similarities and differences.

5. Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of cross-sectional vs. longitudinal research as a means of understanding personality change over time. Distinguish between absolute and relative change, and between qualitative and quantitative change, providing examples to illustrate the distinction.

6. What have researchers discovered regarding whether personality is basically stable or basically changing? Cite specific research findings to illustrate your discussion.

7. Discuss at least five different phenomena that demonstrate the presence of unconscious or automatic processes. Be sure to explain how each phenomenon demonstrates an unconscious process. What do these phenomena suggest about our control over our behavior?

8. Discuss Silverman et al.’s (1978) “beating dad is bad” study and how psychodynamic theory accounts for such findings. How did Freud study the unconscious? How did he view conscious vs. unconscious processes?

9. What are implicit attitudes and what is the evidence that they exist? What is subliminal messaging, and what is the evidence regarding its effectiveness? (This essay requires you to examine the relevant web sites carefully)

10. Why do psychologists study the self-concept? What is the evidence on the development of self-awareness and self-consciousness in infants and non-human species? Distinguish between private and public self-consciousness, and discuss at least three things that each of them is related to (and why).

11. How do the concepts of self-discrepancy, ideal self, collective self-esteem, and family of selves depict our understanding of self, and how do they help us understand human behavior?