Assignment 1: retrospective analysis of personality

Assignment 1: Retrospective Analysis of Personality
Due Week 9 and worth 220 points

In this assignment, begin by taking a retrospective look at your life history, to discuss which aspects of your personality have remained consistent and which aspects of your personality have changed over time. Then, analyze the roles of nature and nurture in shaping your personality. Subsequently, discuss possible sources of inaccuracy and bias in any retrospective analysis. Finally, discuss the reasons why systematic scientific studies are considered more valuable than individual accounts. 

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

Section 1 (1-2 paragraphs):

• Choose one of the following areas of your brain and explain what it does: 
  • Thalamus
  • Reticular formation
  • Brain stem (pons and medulla)
  • Cerebellum
  • Limbic system
  • One of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
• Explain how the area you described contributes to a specific activity from your everyday life.  (Example: During horseback riding, the cerebellum integrates information from the motor systems and balance system.)

Section 2 (1-2 paragraphs):

All of us have been shaped by both nature (biology) and nurture (environment), making us the persons we are today.  In most cases, it is difficult to completely disentangle the separate effects of nature vs. nurture with much certainty.  However, we can make some educated guesses based on our knowledge of familial tendencies that we may have inherited, as well as knowledge of our environment and experiences.  In this section, we ask for you to make some educated guesses about the roles of nature and nurture in your life.

• Describe the role of nature (biology) in shaping what kind of person you are today. Provide a specific example of the role of nature.
• Describe the role of nurture (environment) in shaping what kind of person you are today.  Provide a specific example of the role of nurture.

Section 3 (1-2 paragraphs):

• Describe the influences of culture, your environment, and biology on your gender role behavior. 
• Use specific examples from your own life to explain your answers.

Section 4 (1-2 paragraphs):

• Discuss the fallibility of memory in terms of bias and inaccuracy when you reflect on your past. 
• Identify specific memory biases that could affect how you remember your past.  Include factors related to cognition. 
• Use specific examples from your own life.

Section 5 (1 paragraph):

• Describe why the science of psychology places more emphasis on results based on scientific studies than it does on personal experiences and anecdotes.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format.  Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• To keep this essay short and manageable, your only sources for your paper should be your own experience and the Webtext. For this reason, APA citations and references are not required for this assignment.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.  The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Relate psychological concepts to real-world situations.
• Describe the major theories of personality development, learning, memory, cognition, consciousness, development and social psychology.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in psychology.
• Write clearly and concisely about psychology using proper writing mechanics.