PS416-5-SP-CO:
Personality and Individual Differences
2026/27
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 18 January 2027
Thursday 25 March 2027
15
07 May 2026
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA C801 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA C802 Psychology,
BA C807 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BA C810 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C800 Psychology,
BSC C803 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C811 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C812 Psychology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C806 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C808 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
BSC C809 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
BSC C813 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Foundation Year),
MSCIC999 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
MSCICA98 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
MSCICA99 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C814 Psychology with Economics,
BSC C815 Psychology with Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C816 Psychology with Economics (Including Placement Year),
MSCIC998 Psychology with Advanced Research Methods,
BSC C680 Psychology with Sport and Exercise,
BSC C681 Psychology with Sport and Exercise (including Year Abroad),
BSC C682 Psychology with Sport and Exercise (including Placement Year)
Why do people differ in personality, ability, motivation, and behaviour? This module introduces the main theories and methods used to explain individual differences, including cognitive, trait, and biological approaches. You will examine key findings and learn how psychologists evaluate evidence, measure individual differences, and draw conclusions from research.
Alongside foundational theory, the module explores contemporary and emerging topics in the field. Students will finish with a solid, research-based understanding of the sources of individual differences in behaviour and the ways these differences are studied and interpreted.
The aims of this module are:
- To understand key theories of personality and temperament, and how these individual differences shape behaviour.
- To understand theories of intelligence and cognitive ability, including why people differ in reasoning, problem-solving, and learning.
- To evaluate contemporary debates and applications in Differential Psychology, using research evidence to explain individual differences in thinking, feeling, and behaviour.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major theories in personality and individual differences.
- Apply key concepts to examples and research findings.
- Compare major theoretical approaches and identify strengths and limitations.
- Describe how ideas in the field have changed over time.
No additional information available.
This module will be delivered via two-hour weekly teaching sessions. Sessions will combine live lectures alongside opportunities for questions and discussion. The module uses blended learning, integrating online resources with face-to-face teaching to support preparation, consolidation, and revision.
Lectures are designed to be active rather than passive. Students are encouraged to engage with key questions and debates in personality and individual differences research during sessions, through short prompts, discussion, and guided problem-solving. Students will have regular opportunities to ask questions, test their understanding, and connect theoretical ideas to research evidence.
In addition, the module includes short online self-test activities to help students explore individual differences and to reinforce core concepts and methods.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Class Test |
|
100% |
| Exam |
Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Tracy Robinson, email: tracy@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Tracy Robinson, Dr Max Roberts, Dr Gijsbert Stoet
tracy@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 7 hours, 7 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Psychology
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