Page 1 Faculty of Arts, Business and Law School of Social Sciences Teaching Session: Semester 1 Year: 2018 Course Coordinator: Dr Kay Pozzebon Room: T2.10 Phone: (07) 5459 4604 Email: kpozzebo@usc.edu.au Course Outline Code: PSY100 Title: Introduction to Psychology A 1. What is this course about? 1.1 Course description This course provides an introduction to the social and cultural dimensions of human behaviour and mental processes, and their development. These are examined in relation to cognitive development, social development, social behaviour, personality, motivation, emotion, health and wellness, and intercultural and Indigenous cultural influences. The course also presents an introduction to methods of psychological research outside of the laboratory. 1.2 Course content Social and cultural contexts of behaviour and mental processes Research methods in psychology Motivation and emotion Personality Children s development Adult development Health, stress, and coping Attitudes Social cognition Interpersonal processes Intercultural and Indigenous contexts 2. Unit value 12 units
Page 2 3. How does this course contribute to my learning? Specific Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course you should be able to: Understand concepts, theories, and research relating to the study of psychology. Comprehend and evaluate the scientific method and methodological issues. Critically evaluate concepts, theories, and research conducted in psychology. Communicate knowledge appropriately for the psychology discipline. Assessment Tasks You will be assessed on the learning outcome in task/s: 1, 2, 3 and 4 Knowledgeable. Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming: 1, 2 and 4 Knowledgeable. Creative and critical thinkers. 1, 2 and 4 Creative and critical thinkers. 1 and 2 Knowledgeable. 4. Am I eligible to enrol in this course? Refer to the Coursework Programs and Awards - Academic Policy for definitions of pre-requisites, corequisites and anti-requisites 4.1 Enrolment restrictions 4.2 Pre-requisites 4.3 Co-requisites 4.4 Anti-requisites 4.5 Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills N/A 5. How am I going to be assessed? 5.1 Grading scale Standard High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL)
Page 3 5.2 Assessment tasks Task No. Assessment Tasks Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? 1 Article Summary Individual 20% 200 words Monday, 5pm, Week 5 2 Essay Individual 35% 1500 words Monday, 5pm, Week 10 3 Research Individual 5% Approximately Friday, Participation 2.5 hours Week 13 4 Examination Individual 40% 2 hours Central examination period 100% Where should I submit it? Blackboard Blackboard TakePart instructions given on Blackboard In exam venue *Work of submissions 10% over the word count will not be read and will not contribute to the final grade for the task. This does not include Reference lists. Assessment Task 1: Article Summary Goal: Product: Format: The goal of this assessment task is to develop your reading, comprehension, critical thinking, and writing skills. You will produce a summary of one of the set journal articles. This assessment requires you to choose one journal article of those provided on Blackboard in Week 1. The journal articles that will be provided on Blackboard will reflect the possible topics of the essay (i.e., the second assessment task). You will be required to provide a summary of the journal article chosen. The following information is required in the summary: what the study investigated key details of the participants in the study key details of the study design main findings of the study one limitation of the study and what the limitation means a possible argument based on the findings of the study (structure the argument as per the guidelines provided for the essay in PSY100) In addition, you will be required to provide a title page, use in-text citations, submit a reference list, and follow format requirements of APA style (6 th edition). Criteria A more detailed outline of the requirements of this assessment will be provided on Blackboard in Week 1. This task will be assessed according to levels of achievement in the following criteria. Requirement: Ability to write to set word limit. Summary provided on one of the set journal articles.
Page 4 Content: Appropriate summary of the journal article as per the bullet points in the Format section. Accuracy and correctness of response. Clarity and Expression: Clear quality of expression. Use of correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Referencing: Correct use of APA style (6 th edition) for citations, quotations, secondary citations, reference list, and format. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Communication Information literacy Assessment Task 2: Essay Goal: Product: Format: In this assessment task, you will need to find relevant research and critically review the research in a manner that is appropriate for the psychology discipline. You will produce an essay that has an argument, evidence to support the argument, and a balanced argument. An essay on one of the set topics. You will be required to address one of the three the topics given by the course coordinator in Week 1. You will need to devise an argument on the topic, be able to outline research to support the argument, and provide a balanced argument. The balanced argument is a critique of the alternative views. You will need to evaluate the literature (i.e., limitations of the studies) in order to provide a balanced argument. The essay must be critical and not simply descriptive. APA style (6 th edition) is required for in-text citations, reference list, and format. While the Burton (2010) text has information on essay writing in psychology, be sure to follow the guidelines for the structure of this assessment as provided on Blackboard and in class. Criteria A more detailed outline of the requirements of this assessment will be provided on Blackboard in Week 1. This task will be assessed according to levels of achievement in the following criteria. Requirements: Essay addresses a topic stipulated by course coordinator. Ability to write to set word limit. Essay: The argument is appropriate and logically consistent. Evidence to support the argument is relevant and clearly outlined. A balanced argument is provided by critiquing the alternative views. The essay is organised and structured as taught in this course. Clarity and Expression: English grammar, punctuation, and spelling are used correctly. The writing style is appropriate for psychology. Referencing:
Page 5 Correct use of APA style (6 th edition) for citations, quotations, secondary citations, reference list, and format. Generic skill assessed Communication Information literacy Skill assessment level Assessment Task 3: Research Participation Goal: Product: Format: The goal of this task is for you to gain experience in psychological research by participating in real and/or mock research projects, as advertised on Take Part. Completion of selected psychological research projects. You are invited to participate in selected research projects on offer by the psychology team (including research conducted by Honours, Masters, and PhD students). This task gives you the opportunity to familiarise yourself, and receive hands on experience with the conduct of psychological research. In particular, it will provide insight into how research is conducted in order to prepare you for further study or a career as a researcher. A total of 5% credit can be gained. Most projects will be worth 1% but some projects which involve a greater time commitment may be worth more. The % associated with each project will be clearly indicated. Research projects are advertised through the online research participation platform, TakePart (www.usc.edu.au/takepart) and more information will be provided on Blackboard to show how to register and select appropriate projects. Please note that only selected projects as shown are eligible for credit. A variety of mock projects will also be available for completion, in case you have any objections to the use of your data in the research projects. Criteria Participation in research. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Information literacy Assessment Task 4: Examination Goal: The goal of the end of semester examination is to revise and understand the content covered in the course. Product: You will need to complete the examination during the Exam Period. Format: The end of semester examination will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions. Criteria Accuracy and correctness of responses. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Information literacy 5.3 Additional assessment requirements Plagiarism In order to minimise incidents of plagiarism and collusion, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Blackboard, are electronically checked through SafeAssign. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work that SafeAssign has access to.
Page 6 Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale c) You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct 5.4 Submission penalties Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate: 5% (of the assessment task s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 10% (of the assessment task s identified value) for the third day 20% (of the assessment task s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome. 6. How is the course offered? 6.1 Directed study hours Lecture: 2 hours per week Tutorial: 1 hour per week 6.2 Teaching semester/session(s) offered Semester 1 Sippy Downs, Fraser Coast and Gympie 6.3 Course activities The following key concepts are presented and addressed during lectures and tutorials. Lectures begin in week 1. Tutorials begin in week 1. Individual and class activities relating to the key concepts are stated in the course Blackboard. Module # What key concepts/content will I learn? Module 1 Introduction to psychology Module 2 Research methods and data analysis Module 3 Motivation and emotion Module 4 Personality Module 5 Developmental psychology Module 6 Health psychology Module 7 Social psychology Module 8 Cultural and cross-cultural psychology
Page 7 7. What resources do I need to undertake this course? 7.1 Prescribed text(s) Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below: Author Year Title Publisher Burton, L., Westen, D., & Kowalski, R. 2015 Psychology: Australian and New Zealand edition (4 th ed.) Burton, L. J. 2010 An interactive approach to writing essays and research reports in psychology (3 rd ed.) Milton, Australia: John Wiley and Sons. Milton, Australia: John Wiley and Sons. 7.2 Required and recommended readings Lists of required and recommended readings may be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further information regarding particular aspects of your course. 7.3 Specific requirements 7.4 Risk management There is minimal health and safety risk in this course. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas. 8. How can I obtain help with my studies? In the first instance you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Additional assistance is provided to all students through Peer Advisors and Academic Skills Advisors. You can drop in or book an appointment. To book: Tel: +61 7 5430 2890 or Email: studentcentral@usc.edu.au 9. Links to relevant University policies and procedures For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including: Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs Review of Assessment and Final Grades Supplementary Assessment Administration of Central Examinations Deferred Examinations Student Academic Misconduct Students with a Disability http://www.usc.edu.au/university/governance-and-executive/policies-and-procedures#academic-learningand-teaching 10. General enquiries In person: Sippy Downs - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C USC SouthBank - Student Central, Building B, Ground floor (level 1) USC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie USC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Building A Tel: +61 7 5430 2890 Email: studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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