PSY1020 Foundation Psychology B

PSY	1020	78286	2, 2008	EXT	Foundation Psychology B	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOSCI
Academic org:	FOS005
Student contribution band:	1
ASCED code:	090701

Staffing
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Liam Hendry
Moderator: Lorelle Burton

RATIONALE

Psychology represents the study of human behaviour. This course represents the second of two courses designed to introduce students to the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and techniques involved in the discipline. Students will also learn about writing practical reports in a standard style.

SYNOPSIS

This course, in combination with PSY1010 (Foundation Psychology A), is designed to provide students with an overall perspective of the scope, nature and methods involved in psychology. The major concepts examined in this course (End of semester Exam) include research methods, biological perspectives, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning, memory, thought and language, motivation and emotion, and intelligence. Students will also be introduced to writing a practical report introduction (Assignment 1) in the style specified by the American Psychological Association (APA). Students will also participate in psychological research for course credit (Assignment 2).

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.: demonstrate an understanding of the scope of psychology and the relationship between its fields (Final examination);
2.: demonstrate an understanding of what is meant by being scientific (Practical Report);
3.: demonstrate an understanding of research methods in Psychology, and the place of methodology in the behavioural sciences (Practical Report & Final Examination);
4.: demonstrate knowledge of: research methods; biological aspects of behaviour; sensation and perception; motivation and emotion; learning and memory; thought and language; intelligence; and consciousness (Final examination);
5.: summarise and evaluate research findings related to the above topics (Practical Report);
6.: follow specific writing, organisation, and style guidelines as set out in the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the APA (Practical Report);
7.: participate in psychological research (Experimental Log).

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Practical Report Introduction - introduction to report writing skills - writing a practical report introduction - research methods	45.00
2.	Participating in Experiments, and Reporting on Experimental Experiences	5.00
3.	Biology and Behaviour - neurons - the nervous system - the brain - the cerebral cortex - the endocrine system - evolution and evolutionary psychology - heredity	6.00
4.	Sensation and Perception - thresholds, signal detection, feature detectors, and sensory adaptation - vision - visual perception - hearing - smell and taste - skin and vestibular senses - virtual reality and ESP	6.00
5.	Motivation and Emotion - perspectives - drives - goal setting - self determination - intrinsic motivation - implicit motives - hierarchy of needs	6.00
6.	Learning - classical conditioning - operant conditioning - latent and observational learning	7.00
7.	Memory - approaches to memory - sensory memory - short-term memory - long-term memory - forgetting - memory improvement - biology of memory	6.00
8.	Thought and Language - concept formation - problem solving - creativity - reasoning - decision making - language	6.00
9.	Intelligence - theories of intelligence - measurement of intelligence - extremes of intelligence - testing controversies - determinants of intelligence	7.00
10.	Consciousness - sleep and dreams - hypnosis and meditation - meditation and biofeedback - depressant, stimulants, and hallucinogenics	6.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Burton, L 2007, An interactive approach to writing in essays and research reports psychology, 2nd edn, John Wiley and Sons, Brisbane.

Burton, L & Younger, A 2006, Study guide to accompany Psychology: Australian and New Zealand edition, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane, Australia.

Westen, D, Burton, L & Kowalski, R 2006, Psychology: Australian and New Zealand edition, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane, Australia.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

American Psychological Association 2001, Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edn, APA, Washington, DC.

Bernstein, DA, Clarke-Stewart, A, Penner, LA, Roy, EJ & Wickens, CD 2000, Psychology, 5th edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Bourne LE (Jr) & Russo, NR 1998, Psychology: behavior in context, WW Norton, New York.

Coon, D & Mitterer, O 2007, Introduction to psychology: gateways to mind and behaviour, 11th edn, Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA.

Huffman, K 2005, Psychology in action, 7th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

McBurney, DH 2002, How to think like a psychologist, 2nd edn, Prentice Hall, NJ.

Myers, DG 2006, Psychology, 8th edn, Worth, New York.

Weiten, W 2007, Psychology: themes and variations, 4th edn, Thomson/Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.

Zimbardo, PG & Gerrig, RJ 2004, Psychology and life, 17th edn, Pearson/Allen & Bacon, Boston.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessments	55.00
Examinations	2.00
Private Study	108.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
PRAC REPORT INTRO PART A - CMA	10.00	10.00	18 Aug 2008
PRACTICAL REPORT INTRO PART B	100.00	35.00	06 Oct 2008
EXPERIMENTAL LOG	5.00	5.00	20 Oct 2008
2 HOUR M/C RESTRICTED EXAM	100.00	50.00	END S2	(see note 1)

NOTES

1.: Examination dates will be available during the Semester. Please refer to the examination timetable when published.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all classes scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete the examination, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks available for the examination. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course. Refer statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
Final grades for students will be determined by the addition of the marks obtained in each assessment item, weighted as in the Assessment details.
Examination information:
Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during a Restricted Examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination). Students whose first language is not English, may, take an appropriate unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

9.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. Such copies should be despatched within 24 hrs of a request to do so.
10.	Students do not need to request an extension from the Examiner if they submit their assignment within one week of the due date. Assignments submitted more than one week after the due date, without an extension approved by the Examiner, will attract a penalty of 5 percent of the total marks available for the assignment for each working day (or part thereof) that the assignment is late. Extensions will usually not be granted for workload reasons unless it can be shown that your work commitments prior to the due date for the assignment were above and beyond your normal duties or responsibilities. In such cases, a letter from you employer would be required. If you think you have grounds for an extension, you must apply in advance. A covering letter and appropriate documentation must be submitted with the assignment. No assignment will be accepted after marked copies have been returned to students.
11.	As there are resources cited in the Study Materials that are available on the World Wide Web, and a discussion group that will be used throughout the course, students undertaking this course will require access to email and Internet access to USQConnect to enable them to participate fully in the course.
12.	Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer the examination. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. Students will be granted a deferred examination only if they perform satisfactorily in all other assessment items.

This version produced 28 Aug 2009.