The course aims to provide the basic elements for defining and understanding personality in its many expressions, from healthy to pathological. Given the complexity of the subject, the course will adopt a basic psychodynamic perspective with extensive references to other disciplines such as neuroscience, biological psychiatry, transcultural psychology, cognitivism, and relational approaches.

The program is divided into three parts (2h+3h/week):

Part I. Definitions and theoretical models of personality:

• History, definition, and early theories of personality (lectures 1-2)
• Theories of personality traits, factors, and dimensions (with special attention to the Big Five model) (lecture 3)
• Attachment theory + cognitive and behavioral theories of personality (Sessions 4-5) 
• Psychodynamic theories + focus on Kernberg's conceptualization of personality (lectures 6-7)
• DSM, PDM, and the levels of personality from healthy to pathological (lecture 8)

Part II. Major personality styles and related pathological drifts (with special attention to the narcissistic dimension):

• Schizoid Personality and Cluster A of Personality Disorders (lectures 9-10)
• Borderline Personality and Cluster B of Personality Disorders (lectures 11-12)
• Narcissism and narcissistic personality (culture of narcissism + theories of narcissism + clinical phenomenology of narcissism) (lectures 13-14-15)
• Dependent Personality (intertwined with Masochism and Relational Perversion) and Cluster C of Personality Disorders (lectures 16-17)

Part III. A general overview of the most effective treatments for personality disorders: 

• Overview of different therapeutic approaches to personality disorders according to international guidelines (lecture 18)
• Specification of treatments for personality disorders with the most scientific evidence to date (treatments for BPD): DBT, MBT, TFP, and GPM (lecture 19)

None.

In relation to the discipline, the student must demonstrate the acquisition of:

• Knowledge and understanding: Mastery of basic knowledge of personality and its psychopathology;
• Applying knowledge and understanding: The ability to recognize and distinguish the elements that characterize different styles and personality disorders, useful for assessment in different psychological contexts;
• Making judgment: the ability to use knowledge and concepts to initiate complex reasoning about personality as seen in the health-pathology continuum;
• Communication skills: The ability to use a specific language to describe the phenomena of personality in both the healthy and pathological senses;
• Learning skills: At the end of the course, students will have acquired good autonomy in reading scientific material on the subject and in a critical understanding of the complexity of personological phenomena in a contemporary interdisciplinary perspective, to be applied in different application contexts where necessary.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

There are no teaching support activities.

Teaching

• Frontal lectures
• Discussion of clinical cases

Innovative teaching methods

• Use of the University's Moodle platform to upload in-depth material (text, audio, or video); 
• Use of the Wooclap interactive platform to encourage active participation and to measure understanding of course topics;
• Use of "debate" practice to discuss some relevant course topics and facilitate the development of critical thinking.

Attendance

The frequency of the course is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended.

Course books

• Lingiardi, V. & Gazzillo, F. (2014). La personalità e i suoi disturbi. Valutazione clinica e diagnosi al servizio del trattamento. Milano: Cortina (only the following chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, 23). pp. 362
• Madeddu, F. (2020). I mille volti di Narciso. Fragilità e arroganza tra normalità e patologia. Milano: Cortina (Only the following chapters: I, II, III, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII). pp. 250
• Le Breton, D. (2016). Fuggire da sé. Una tentazione contemporanea. Milano: Cortina. pp. 176

Assessment

Oral exam. 

The evaluation criteria are 1) the relevance and effectiveness of the responses to the content of the program; 2) the degree of articulation of the response; 3) the appropriateness of the language used.

The final score is expressed in thirtieths (range of scores from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

• Frontal lectures
• Discussion of clinical cases

Attendance

The frequency of the course is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended.

Course books

• Lingiardi, V. & Gazzillo, F. (2014). La personalità e i suoi disturbi. Valutazione clinica e diagnosi al servizio del trattamento. Milano: Cortina (only the following chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, 23). pp. 362
• Madeddu, F. (2020). I mille volti di Narciso. Fragilità e arroganza tra normalità e patologia. Milano: Cortina (Only the following chapters: I, II, III, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII). pp. 250
• Le Breton, D. (2016). Fuggire da sé. Una tentazione contemporanea. Milano: Cortina. pp. 176

Assessment

Oral exam. 

The evaluation criteria are 1) the relevance and effectiveness of the responses to the content of the program; 2) the degree of articulation of the response; 3) the appropriateness of the language used.

The final score is expressed in thirtieths (range of scores from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 30 cum laude).

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

• Students who have not completed all the exams within the prescribed period may take the exam according to the program of the academic year of attendance, but they must notify the Professor by e-mail before the exam.
• ERASMUS students can arrange personalized programs with the Professor and take the exam in Italian and/or English.