Clinical Topics & Methods Category

Making Sense of People 2011 Ed: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality

7 CE Hours
82 members have taken this course

This course has been retired. We regularly update our course catalog to ensure relevance.

Try these categories:

About the Course

In Making Sense of People, leading neuroscientist and psychiatrist Samuel Barondes, M.D. provides a scientific framework and specific tools to understand and assess personality characteristics such as extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. This course explores the psychological research and neuroscience of personality; how genetics and environment affect personality; how to assess both problematic and positive personality traits in others; and how much of a child's personality predicts future adult personality.

The book for this course has a newer (2018) edition. We strongly recommend taking the course using the latest material. "Go to New Edition":/courses/102367

This course is based on the book, Making Sense of People 2011 Ed: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality created by Samuel Barondes, M.D.

Publication Details

Journal/Publisher: Pearson Education: FT Press
Publication Date: July 2011/First Edition

Course Material Author

Samuel Barondes, M.D.

Samuel Barondes, M.D. is a leading psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has published over 200 original research articles and several books. He is the Jeanne and Sanford Robertson Professor and Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

Samuel Barondes, M.D. authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Target Audience

This course is recommended for health care professionals; especially psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about personality psychology and the neuroscience of personality. It is appropriate for all levels of participants' knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Describe basic personality characteristics and differences, including all aspects of the identified "Big Five" personality traits.
  2. 2 Recognize and describe the potentially troublesome "Top Ten" personality characteristics and explain how these relate to the "Big Five" personality categories.
  3. 3 Discuss the roles of genetics and environment in personality development.
  4. 4 Describe the process of personality development, including neurological factors, and discuss the relationship between childhood behaviors and adult personality.
  5. 5 Discuss the personality traits related to moral development and character strength.
  6. 6 Describe the process and importance of creating a personal story of identity and how to use personal stories to better understand self and others.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

Ryan Gibson, CADC #123456 – There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

Use our CE Approvals tool to look up your state requirements and how can help you meet them, or log in to your member account to show approvals relevant to your licensure.

Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (FL CSW, MFT, MHC)

7 CE credit hours
Eligible until Mar 27th, 2027
Impact CE, a service of CE Learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (Provider # 50-315).
More Info

Florida Board of Psychology

7 CE credit hours
Eligible until Mar 31st, 2031
Impact CE, a service of CE Learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Board of Psychology (Provider # 50-315).
More Info

Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality [Hardcover]

Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality [Hardcover]

Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality [Kindle Edition]

Access Course Material

Viewing External Material

This course material is hosted by , a web site separate from Impact CE. When you're done, just close the tab/window to return to this course page.

Exam Questions

All exam questions for the course are visible on this page for members of Impact CE.

Membership is free, and you can register today! You'll only pay when you're ready to purchase a course, or if you take advantage of the Unlimited Package.

If you're already a member, please sign in to see the exam questions for this and all other courses.

Discuss this course

You can share your thoughts about this course after you pass the exam.

Sign In or Register to get started.
$63

Course Details

7 CE Hours
Book
Course 102167

Profession Group

  • Behavioral Health

Availability

This course is retired. It is no longer available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, most likely. Look Up Your State Board for more detailed information. Logged-in site members will see the relevant approval information displayed in the Approvals tab for every course.

If you are having trouble using Impact CE, please contact us! We would be happy to accommodate your needs right away, and your input will help us make Impact CE more accessible for future users too.

Use the Enroll In This Course button and just follow the instructions! You don't pay anything until you're ready to take an exam.

To complete the course, review the course objectives, then review the material, and then pass the exam with a score of 75% or greater and lastly complete an evaluation.

Most of our self-paced courses are based on online articles available for free to the public. Some courses, such as those based on books, require that you purchase the material. Use the Materials tab for more info. Live courses simply require that you attend.

Your certificate(s) will be available to download or email immediately when you pass the course exam and complete the evaluation.

Yes! Use the Help widget at the bottom-right of the screen anywhere on Impact CE to search our help docs, or to ask our support team for help. Unlike most of our competitors, Impact CE has live US-based support reps to help you by email, chat, or phone.

Start your CE Journey now - complete your first course today, on us.

Try for free - no commitment required.

Copyright © 2026 CE Learning Systems LLC

Please Confirm