PSY1020 Foundation Psychology B

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 all about understanding why people think and act as they do, and how people differ. This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the main concepts, techniques and theoretical perspectives in psychology, and complements the material presented and examined in PSY1010 Foundation Psychology A. Students will gain an appreciation of the major fields within the discipline, learn about the research process, and build skills in writing research reports in a standard style (APA).

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 psychological research. The major concepts examined in this course (via the 5 multiple choice CMA tests given during semester) include Memory and Learning Strategies, Research Methods in Psychology, the Biological Basis of Behaviour, Motivation and Emotion, Sensation and Perception, Learning through Classical and Operant Conditioning, Intelligence, Thought and Language, and Consciousness. Students will also build skills in writing an Introduction section to a Research report (Assignment 1) using a peer review process in the initial stages. The Research Report Introduction will be written in the style specified by the American Psychological Association (APA). In addition, students will participate in psychological research for course credit (Assignment 2).

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate:

1.

An understanding of the scope of Psychology and the relationships between its fields (Tests 1-5);

2.

An understanding of what is meant by being scientific, and thinking critically (Assignment 1);

3.

An understanding of research methods in Psychology, and the place and function of methodology in the behavioural sciences (Assignment 1 & Test 1);

4.

Knowledge of the topics Memory & Research Methods (CMA Test 1), Biological Aspects of Behaviour & Motivation and Emotion (CMA Test 2), Sensation and Perception (CMA Test 3), Learning & Intelligence (CMA Test 4), Thought and Language & Consciousness (CMA Test 5);

5.

An ability to summarise and evaluate research findings related to aspects of the above topics (Assignment 1);

6.

An ability to follow specific writing, organisation, and style guidelines in accordance with the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (Assignment 1;

7.

Participation in, or conduct of, psychological research studies (Assignment 2).

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, L 2006, An interactive approach to writing in essays and research reports psychology, 2nd edn, John Wiley and Sons, Brisbane.

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

Westen, D, Burton, L & Kowalski, R 2009, Psychology: Australian and New Zealand edition, 2nd edn, 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, C 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

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

There is no final examination for PSY1020 in Semester 2, 2009

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. 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. Specifically, students are encouraged to actively participate in the online course environment and discussion forums, etc., on a weekly basis.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this 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 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 feedback has 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.
6. Examination information:
   There will not be a Final Exam for PSY1020 in semester 2, 2009. All examinable material is assessed in the 5 CMA tests.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   There will not be a Final Exam for PSY1020 in semester 2, 2009. There will be no Deferred/Supplementary examination.
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.