• Class Number 7314
  • Term Code 2960
  • Class Info
  • Unit Value 6 units
  • Mode of Delivery In Person
  • COURSE CONVENER
    • Dr Dirk Van Rooy
  • LECTURER
    • Dr Dirk Van Rooy
  • Class Dates
  • Class Start Date 22/07/2019
  • Class End Date 25/10/2019
  • Census Date 31/08/2019
  • Last Date to Enrol 29/07/2019
SELT Survey Results

This course offers a broad introduction to social psychology, the scientific study of human behaviour and interaction. We will explore a large variety of social psychological topics in the course, such as the way our thinking (conscious and unconscious) drives our behaviour, the social self-concept, social judgement, attitudes, persuasion, group processes, intergroup relations, conformity, aggression, helping behaviour, prejudice, and interpersonal attraction and relationships.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

At the end of this courses, the students would have developed:
  • A broad understanding of the ideological, philosophical and historical underpinnings of social psychology. (LO1)
  • A sound understanding of the fundamental conceptual, methodological and theoretical issues in social psychology. (LO2)
  • An appreciation of major and broad themes in contemporary social psychology, including attitudes, the self, social cognition, group processes, interpersonal attraction, aggression, culture and social influence. (LO3)
  • The ability to understand and critically evaluate various aspects of social psychological research. (LO4)
  • The ability to effectively communicate social psychological theories and research by reviewing and integrating relevant material. (LO5)

Textbook: Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2018). Social psychology: Global edition (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Available for purchase at the Co-op Bookstore and also in the Hancock Library on shot loan. The eBook is an acceptable substitute if you prefer that format (ebook can be found on booktopia.com.au, bookdepository.com, pearson.com.au and others).

Staff Feedback

Providing detailed feedback to students is an important part of learning and training to communicate effectively. Much effort is put into providing useful and timely feedback. The types of feedback students can expect are as follows:

  • Graded quizzes
  • written comments on the research essay and group presentations
  • Feedback will be given to the whole class regarding general comments on the research essay

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

The course uses a blended learning approach. Instead of traditional weekly lectures, the course is structured around online modules that introduce core concepts and seminal studies. Each module corresponds to a book chapter. Every other week, there will be an interactive session where I will highlight some of the materials, respond to questions and queries (which can be emailed in advance) and take you through some interactive quizzes to help you develop a deeper understanding of the material. In addition, you will also have to opportunity to participate in labs.


Using electronic devices (e.g. desktop, laptop, tablet, cell phones etc.) during Q&A Lectures or Laboratory Classes, for reasons other than note-taking and class related activities, is strictly prohibited. This is distracting to others, the instructors and your fellow students. If you are using electronic devices during class (for reasons other than note-taking and class related activities, the instructor, TA and or tutors will give you one verbal warning. If you continue to use electronic devices the instructor, TA and or tutors reserve the right to ask you to leave, which could impact your attendance for that class. If there is an emergency where you must use your electronic device, please step out of the class.


Online Lectures and Slides: The online lectures and slides in this course provide an introduction to the key theories, research, challenges and best practice in the relevant subject areas.


Q&A Lectures: The Q&A lectures in this course will highlight some of the more difficult concepts and materials, respond to questions and queries (which can be emailed in advance) and take you through some activities to help you develop a deeper understanding of the material. The Q&A Lectures for this course will occur fortnightly during the lecture time slot.


Laboratory Classes: The laboratory program is not designed necessarily to follow the lecture program but to further develop certain knowledge, concepts and skills in a small group teaching setting. Attendance in laboratory classes is compulsory and any absences will be subject to the laboratory attendance rule.


Student Engagement: In order to help manage workload where full-time students are enrolled in 4 courses, a guide is that a 6 unit course should require on average 10 hours of work a week (including lectures and laboratory classes PLUS preparing for and revising lectures, readings).

Class Schedule

Week/Session Summary of Activities Assessment
1 Module: N/A [Meet for Intro. Lecture] Lecture: Introductory Lecture (Ch 1 & 2) Lab: No Lab Note: Every other week there will be an interactive Question & Answer (Q&A) Lecture where the lecturer will highlight some of the materials, respond to questions and queries (which can be emailed in advance) and take you through some activities. These will occur at the scheduled lecture time and location.
2 Module 1 : Social Cognition (Ch 3) Lecture: No lecture Lab: No Lab
3 Module 2 & 3 Social Perception and the Need to Justify our Actions (Ch 4 & 6) Lecture: Meet for Q&A Lab 1: Introduction
4 Module 4 Conformity and Group Processes (Ch 8 & 9) Lecture: No lecture Lab 2 [Quiz 1: Chapter 2]
5 Module 5 Prejudice (Ch 13) Lecture: Meet for Q&A Lab 3 [Quiz 2: Chapter 6]
6 Module 6 The Self (Ch 5) Lecture: No lecture Lab 4 [Quiz 3: Chapter 8]
7 Module 7 [Meet for Q&A] Lecture: Interpersonal Attraction (Ch 10) Lab 5 Seminar Presentation 1
8 Module 8 Prosocial Behaviour (Ch 11) Lecture: No lecture Lab 6 Seminar Presentation 2
9 Module: N/A Lecture: N/A Lab: No Lab Essay Due [Oct. 1st 11:59 PM]
10 Module 9 Aggression (Ch 12) Lecture: Meet for Q&A Lab 7 Seminar Presentation 3
11 Module 10 Attitude (Ch 7) Lecture: No lecture Lab 8 Quiz 4: Chapter 12]
12 Module: N/A Lecture: Final Review Lecture Lab: No Lab

Tutorial Registration

On Wattle

Assessment Summary

Assessment task Value Due Date Return of assessment Learning Outcomes
Laboratory Quizzes 20 % 12/08/2019 25/10/2019 1,2,3,4,5
Seminar Presentation 10 % 16/09/2019 25/10/2019 3,4,5
Research Essay 20 % 30/09/2019 21/09/2019 1,2,4,5
Final Exam 50 % 31/10/2019 28/11/2019 1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

It is expected that all students attend the 8 laboratory classes (2 hrs/class - where 3 of these are designed for Seminar Presentations and 1 is designed for a Review for the Final Exam). Attendance will be taken during the laboratory classes. Attendance in laboratory classes is compulsory and any absences will be subject to the laboratory attendance rule. We strongly encourage students to attend ALL of the Q&A LECTURES EVERY OTHER WEEK (1 hr fortnightly). Research shows students learn best and achieve higher marks when they attend lectures and revise and review the material afterwards.



Assessment Task 1

Value: 20 %
Due Date: 12/08/2019
Return of Assessment: 25/10/2019
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5

Laboratory Quizzes

Details of task: You will be asked to complete a quiz during four of the Laboratory Classes. The quizzes will be made up of short answer questions. You will be allotted 15 minutes during the Laboratory Classes to complete the quiz online.

Value: 5% for each quiz for a total of 20% of your final mark.

Estimated return date: At the next Laboratory Class (for quizzes completed on-time).

Quiz submission: Completed online and submitted during the Laboratory Class

  • Quiz 1 (Lab 2) will assess your in-depth knowledge of Chapter 2
  • Quiz 2 (Lab 3) will assess your in-depth knowledge of Chapter 6
  • Quiz 3 (Lab 4) will assess your in-depth knowledge of Chapter 8
  • Quiz 4 (Lab 8) will assess your in-depth knowledge of Chapter 12

Assessment Task 2

Value: 10 %
Due Date: 16/09/2019
Return of Assessment: 25/10/2019
Learning Outcomes: 3,4,5

Seminar Presentation

Presentation schedule:

  • Seminar Presentations 1 - Lab 5 (week of 17th Sept. - 21th Sept.)
  • Seminar Presentations 2 - Lab 6 (week of 24th Sept. - 28th Sept.)
  • Seminar Presentations 3 - Lab 7 (week of 8th Oct. - 12th Oct.)


You will be randomly assigned to groups of a maximum of 5 students (this will occur in Lab 1). You will be asked to give a 50 minute presentation (40 minute group presentation with 10 minutes of question time). Each student is responsible for presenting an 8 minute section (minimum of 7 minutes, maximum of 8). As such, if group size vary the presentation length will reflect this i.e. 4 students = 32 minute presentation with 10 minutes of question time. Each group will be allocated one of the 6 questions in assessment task 3. You must include a minimum of 8 to 10 references for a pass and 6 of these must be peer-reviewed journal articles (please provide a hardcopy of the reference list on the day your group presents). Group marks will be awarded to all students, however there is scope to be graded individually if any group cohesion and effort issues arise. Thus, it is your responsibility to participate in the group project. If you have issues with a group member’s (lack of) participation please contact your tutor.


A rubric (Seminar Assessment Form) will be available on Wattle.

Value: 10% of your final mark.

Presentation requirements: Powerpoint or Prezi

Estimated return date: Two weeks following the assessment date.

Assignment submission: Presentations will occur during the scheduled Laboratory Classes. You must include a minimum of 8 to 10 references and 6 of these must be peer-reviewed journal articles (please provide a hard-copy of the reference list on the day your group presents).

*Note -The topic you do for your Seminar Presentation will be the topic of your Essay. This is non-negotiable, students who write on a different topic will not have their Research Essay marked.


Students will present on different dates which will be discussed in class. The due date indicates the approximate date the first presentations are due, the return date indicates the end of the teaching period.


Assessment Rubric

The Seminar Presentation and Research Essay will each be marked to a rubric. A copy of these rubrics will be available on Wattle following the discussion of assessment in Laboratory Class 1 (Week 3 of semester). It will provide you with what would be expected to achieve for each grade (N, P, C, D, HD).


Assessment Task 3

Value: 20 %
Due Date: 30/09/2019
Return of Assessment: 21/09/2019
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,4,5

Research Essay

You will be asked to write a research essay answering the question that you did for your Seminar Presentation. The essay will be 2000 words in length and needs to be formatted using the guidelines set out by the American Psychological Association (APA). Students need to answer the topic question and present an argument that justifies their answer which is to be supported by correctly cited theory and research. Students MUST write an essay on their seminar topics individually. The essay topics and information about how to write a research essay and the marking criteria will be outlined in Laboratory Class 1 (This information can also be found on Wattle).

Word limit: 2000 words- No leeway on word limit, and students will be penalised for going over the word limit


Presentation requirement: APA Formatting. American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.


Estimated return date: 3 weeks from the submission date

Due date and time: 11:59 pm, Monday, 1st October


Assignment submission: Assignments are submitted using Turnitin in the PSYC2001 course Wattle site. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University’s approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose NOT to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance, the student will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, copies of all references included in the assessment.

Extensions and penalties: Extensions and late submissions of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure.

Essay and Presentation Questions

1. Is automaticity always negative and maladaptive?

2. Why are people attracted to each other?

3. Why do we hurt other people?

4. Can attitudes predict behaviour?

5. Is prejudice inevitable?

6. Can people resist normative and informational social influence?


Assessment Rubric

The Seminar Presentation and Research Essay will each be marked to a rubric. A copy of these rubrics will be available on Wattle following the discussion of assessment in Laboratory Class 1 (Week 3 of semester). It will provide you with what would be expected to achieve for each grade (N, P, C, D, HD).

Assessment Task 4

Value: 50 %
Due Date: 31/10/2019
Return of Assessment: 28/11/2019
Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4

Final Exam

Multiple choice. All modules and the entire textbook (Chapters 1 - 13, excluding the three “social psychology in action” sections) are examinable.


It is the policy of the Research School of Psychology that the assessment package for all courses will include an invigilated component or components (that is, taken under supervised examination conditions) accounting for at least forty percent (40%) of the overall grade, and that a Pass mark (50% or greater) is required in at least one part of the invigilated component that counts for at least 50% of the total invigilated component, before the course can be passed as a whole.

Students failing to achieve this, but who otherwise have an overall grade of 45% of better, will be offered the opportunity to sit, and pass, a further (supplementary) invigilated examination. Students achieving a passing grade (50% or better) in that supplementary invigilated examination will be eligible to pass the course overall but their final recorded course mark will be 50%.

Students who wish to be granted a degree have an obligation to attend the exams required by the Department/School on the date and under the conditions prescribed by the Department/School. Students are reminded that the University requires that all students be available and remain in Canberra for the entirety of the published examination period.


The date range in the Assessment Summary indicates the start of the end of semester exam period and the date official end of semester results are released on ISIS. Please check the ANU final Examination Timetable http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-timetable to confirm the date, time and location exam.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.


Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

The exact return date will be posted on Wattle, approximately 3 weeks from the date of submission. Late assignments will not be marked within this 3-week timeframe. The priority will be to mark the assignments that were handed in on time. Late assignments will aim to be returned prior the final exam.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Once you have received your mark for an assignment, you have 2 weeks in which to request a formal re-mark. However, it is advised that you do not request a remark until at least 48 hours after you have received your marked paper (this is so you have time to reflect upon your marker’s comments). There is a standard procedure for requesting a re-mark within the Research School of Psychology.

When you get your assignment back, read the comments and look at the mark. If you think your assignment deserves a higher mark, you need to contact your marker and tell them in writing why you feel you deserve a higher mark (the marker’s contact details will be in the coversheet of your assignment). If a meeting is necessary (many times communication about re-marking can be conducted via email), the documentation with concerns needs to be sent 2-days prior to meeting with your marker. An in-person meeting to discuss your concerns that you have put in writing is always an option also. Based on your reasoning, and revisiting the original assignment, your marker will then decide to alter your mark or not.

If you are still unhappy with the marker’s decision, you can formally request a remark by contacting the TA who will organise for another person to mark the assignment independently. The mark awarded by the second marker for your assessment becomes your final mark, regardless of whether it is higher, lower or the same as the original mark.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).
Dr Dirk Van Rooy
612 52038
dirk.vanrooy@anu.edu.au

Research Interests


Dr Dirk Van Rooy

Dr Dirk Van Rooy
6125 2796
dirk.vanrooy@anu.edu.au

Research Interests


Dr Dirk Van Rooy

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions