I began to teach Personality Psychology using a systems approach in 1992. In the Fall of 1992, I first used only course handouts (as opposed to a textbook), and those handouts followed (what I then imagined would be) a systems approach.
Before 1992, I mostly had followed a theoretical-perspectives approach to the personality course. I had used various books, including Hall and Lindzey (ten years before that) and had a number of lectures I regularly used on personality theories and personality research. From 1992 forward, I made the transition to a systems approach gradually, often rearranging my theories lectures to fit the new approach I was envisioning.
I found that, as I made the transition, there were some convenient ways to fill in the new outline I was developing, using some of my old lectures.
I think such an approach may also be of help to instructors making a transition to this new textbook. That is, one good way to make the transition to the new book might possibly be to rearrange the lectures you presently have (usually, from a course taught in the theories fashion) to fit the new outline.
A number of lectures that are commonly employed with a theories course will transfer readily to the new system. To see how lectures can be reshuffled from a theories approach to the systems approach, you can see a side-by-side comparison of the two organizations by clicking here.
For a more detailed approach to reorganizing lectures -- outlined on a chapter-by-chapter basis, click here.
A second way to make the transition to the new book easier, is to borrow freely from the generic powerpoint lectures created to go along with the book. To select lectures for the appropriate edition of the book, see the Overview of Lecture Material.
