PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A

Contents

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

STAFFING

RATIONALE

Psychology is concerned with understanding why people act and think as they do and how people differ. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the major concepts, techniques, and theoretical perspectives in psychology. Students will gain an appreciation of the main fields within the discipline and learn about the standard format for referencing in psychology.

SYNOPSIS

This course is designed to provide students with an overall perspective of the scope, nature, and methods of psychology. The major concepts of developmental psychology, personality, cross-cultural psychology, psychological disorders, therapy, health, and social psychology are introduced. Students will learn the correct procedures for citing references and putting together a reference list in the format recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA).

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.

demonstrate ethical research and enquiry by recognising the guidelines for the conduct of psychological research and identifying how to evaluate a study critically (Essay & Research Activity Log);

2.

demonstrate problem solving by showing a knowledge of the basic concepts and techniques of psychology (Essay & Exam);

3.

demonstrate academic and professional literacy by showing an understanding of the scope of psychology and its major contemporary perspectives and the relationship between its fields (Exam);

4.

demonstrate academic and professional literacy by searching and synthesising material obtained from refereed books, journals, databases, and electronic resources (Essay);

5.

demonstrate written communication skills by completing exercises and planning and writing a psychology essay that apply the style and format requirements outlined in the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Style Exercises & Essay);

6.

demonstrate cultural literacy skills by identifying how culture shapes the identities of people, including indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand, and describing efforts to promote cross-cultural communications and relationships (Exam)

7.

demonstrate management, planning, and organisation skills by setting and achieving their study goals (APA Style Exercises, Essay, & Exam).

TOPICS

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, LJ 2006, An interactive approach to writing essays and research reports in psychology, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, QLD.

Burton, LJ, & Younger, A 2009, Study guide to accompany Psychology: 2nd Australian and New Zealand edition, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane, Australia.

Burton, LJ, Westen, D, & Kowalski, R 2009, Psychology: 2nd Australian and New Zealand edition, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane, Australia.

Burton, LJ, Westen, D, & Kowalski, R 2007, Cyberpsych Multimedia CD-Rom Version 2.0,

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, Roy, EJ & Wickens, CD 2006, Psychology, 7th edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

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

Coon, D 2007, Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior, 11th edn, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, New York.

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

Wade, C & Tavris, C 2006, Psychology, 8th edn, Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Weiten, W 2007, Psychology: themes and variations with critical thinking applications, 7th edn, Thomson/Wadsworth, Belmonth, CA.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

Examination dates will be available during the semester. Please refer to the examination timetable when published.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the student's responsibility 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. To maximise their chances of satisfying the objectives of the course, students should actively participate in the course discussion group.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each of the assessment items to be awarded a passing grade in the course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 and by considering the students' level of achievement of the objectives of the course.
6. 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); calculators which cannot hold textual information (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during 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. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   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 an assessment in a course. 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. Any deferred examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
8. 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

This version produced 11 Dec 2009.