Elective course - Psychology of Self - SUMMER 2025
Course content
The self-concept (or simply „the self“) subsumes peoples thoughts and feelings towards their own person. One classic test to measure the self simply asks people to provide 20 answers to the question “Who am I?”. Typical answers include “I am nice,” “I am competent,” “I am proud of myself,” and sometimes “I am the greatest!” To conduct research on the self it is necessary to divide the global self into more manageable parts (i.e., to sort the answer to the Who-am-I? test into categories and research each of those categories). A popular division distinguishes three parts: (1) the content of the self (e.g., “I am nice,” “I am competent”), (2) the valence of the self (e.g., “I am proud of myself,” “I dislike myself”), and (3) biases of the self (e.g., “I have a very high IQ” even though the person actually has an average IQ). This summer course will provide a detailed introduction into quantitative social and personality psychology on the self and, in particular, its three parts. We will spend much of our time in the course with comparing and discussing different, rival theories of self-content, self-valance, and self-bias (all from the quantitative tradition in social and personality psychology). The summer course will take place in two weeks in August (weeks 33-34). We will meet three times per week (Mo., Wed., Fr.) each time from 10:00 to 16:00, room CSS 2.0.30. Meetings 1-2 will concern the content of the self (i.e., self-concept semantics), meetings 3-4 will concern the valence of the self (i.e., self-esteem), and meetings 5-6 will concern the biases of the self (i.e., self-enhancement). Each course attendee will prepare a presentation before our meetings and we will listen to those presentations, hear additional presentations from myself, and—most of all—discuss each presentation in detail. The language of the course is English.
The course is open to:
- Bachelor Programme in Psychology
Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH
- Bachelor and Master Programmes in Psychology
- Master Programme in Social Data Science
- Master programme in Political Science
The course is open to:
- Exchange and Guest students from abroad
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
- describe and account for relevant concepts and themes covered by the elective course
- describe and account for relevant methodological approaches in relation to the subject matter for the elective course
- explain contexts, analyse and conduct procedures relevant to the elective course under supervision
- discuss themes/problems relevant to the elective course or interpret cases/data related to the elective course.
Classes
Syllabus cf. curriculum: The syllabus can be compulsory or
combined compulsory/self-selected.
Elective (BA) (7.5 ECTS): approx. 600 standard pages
Elective (MA) (7.5 ECTS credits): approx. 800 standard pages
An up-to-date syllabus list will be available in the course room on Absalon just before the start of the semester.
If the course has previously been offered, syllabus lists can be found here: Absalon
Registration period May 15 - June 1
- Full-degree students – sign up at Selfservice on KUnet
- Exchange and guest students from abroad – sign up through Mobility Online and Selfservice
The dates for the exams are found here Exams – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Please note that it is your own responsibility to check for overlapping exam dates.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Home assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Set assignment with options - prepared at beginning of the
course and submitted in Digital Eksamen 6 weeks after the course
have ended.
Exact date will be published in Digital Eksamen at the beginning of the course.
The exam paper can be written in groups of maximum 3 students.
1 student max 8 pages, 2 students max 12 pages and 3 students max 14 pages. - Examination prerequisites
-
For all elective subjects, a minimum of 75% of alle classes must be attended as a prerequisite for submitting the final exam. However, the teaching is based on full participation.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
Unless otherwise specified, the Department of Psychology prohibits the use of generative AI software and large language models (AI/LLMs), such as ChatGPT, for generating novel and creative content in written exams. However, students may use AI/LLMs to enhance the presentation of their own original work, such as text editing, argument validation, or improving statistical programming code. Students must disclose in an appendix if and how AI/LLMs were used; this appendix will not count toward the page limit of the exam. This policy is in place to ensure that students’ written exams accurately reflect their own knowledge and understanding of the material.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
-
Exam information:
The examination date can be found in the exam schedule here
The exact time and place will be available in Digital Exam from the middle of the semester.
- Re-exam
-
Reexam information:
The reexamination date/period can be found in the reexam schedule here
Criteria for exam assessment
Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.
To obtain the top grade “12”, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.
To obtain the passing grade “02”, the student must in a satisfactory way be able to demonstrate a minimal acceptable level of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 36
- English
- 36
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- APSB21727U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Bachelor
Full Degree MasterMaster’s minor subject
- Duration
-
1 semester
2 weeks in August - Placement
- Autumn
- Schedulegroup
-
Monday, Wednesday and Friday in week 33 and 34.
10am to 4pm all days. - Capacity
- About 30 students per class
- Studyboard
- Department of Psychology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Political Science
- Social Data Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Jochen Eberhard Gebauer (9-6d316a6865647868754373767c316e7831676e)
Are you BA- or KA-student?
Courseinformation of students