Learning Outcomes

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

1. Describe key theories and topics in social psychology including humans as social animals, social norms, social influence, stereotyping and prejudice.
2. Describe key models of personality, including trait, psychodynamic, and biological models.
3. Describe the structural components of the brain, and biological mechanism and how they relate to elements of human behaviour and behavioural disorders.
4. Understand and critically analyse theoretical and empirical material in social, personality and biological psychology.
5. Develop the ability to integrate information from multiple (sometimes conflicting) sources, construct a logical argument and effectively communicate it through writing, either in the fields of biological, social, or personality psychology, in the form of a research essay.

Required Resources

Burton, L., Westen, D., & Kowalsi, R. (2018). Psychology: 5th Australian and New Zealand Edition. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.

To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:

• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.
• Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

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

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). IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL STUDENTS WILL ATTEND LECTURES EACH WEEK (3-hours each week), as well as 7 x 2 hours laboratory classes. Research shows students learn BEST and achieve higher marks when they attend lectures and revise and review the material afterwards. 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. 

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Week 1 Lecture: Introduction to PSYC1004 & Social Psychology Lecture: Social Psychology: Social Influence Lab: No laboratory class - Enrol via Wattle
2	Week 2 Lecture: Social Psychology: Social Influence Lecture: Social Psychology: Stereotyping & Prejudice Lab: No laboratory class - Enrol via Wattle
3	Week 3 Lecture: Social Psychology: Stereotyping & Prejudice Lecture: Social Psychology: Attitudes, Norms & Behaviour Lab: Laboratory 1: Milgram Obedience Study
4	Week 4 Lecture: Social Psychology: Attitudes, Norms & Behaviour Lecture: Social Psychology: Cross-cultural Psychology Lab: Laboratory 2: Minimal Group Paradigm & Discrimination & Development of navigating journal article skills	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 1
5	Week 5 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Introduction to Biological Psychology & History Lecture: Biological Psychology: Neurons, & Glia & How the body communicates. Lab: Laboratory 3: Research Essay Writing	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 2
6	Week 6 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Action potential properties Lecture: Biological Psychology: Synaptic Transmissions and Pharmacology Lab: [Laboratory classes replaced by research participation]
7	Week 7 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Functional Neuroanatomy 1 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Functional Neuroanatomy 2 Lab: Laboratory 4: Interactive approach to Neurons	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 3
8	Week 8 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Clinical Disorders 1 Lecture: Biological Psychology: Clinical Disorders 2 Lab: Laboratory 5: Neuroanatomy	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 4
9	Week 9 Lecture: Personality Psychology: Introduction and Research Methods Lecture: Personality Psychology: Introduction and Research Methods/ Trait Theory Lab: [Laboratory classes replaced by research participation]
10	Week 10 Lecture: Personality Psychology: Trait Theory Lecture: Personality Psychology: Behaviourism and Social-Cognitive Theories Lab: [Laboratory classes replaced by research participation]
11	Week 11 Lecture: Personality Psychology: Freud's Theory of Personality Lecture: Personality Psychology: Psychodynamic and Phenomenological Theories Lab: Laboratory 6: Assessing Famous Personalities	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 5
12	Week 12 Lecture: Personality Psychology: Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism Lecture: Personality Psychology: Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism Summary & Review Lab: Laboratory 7: Psychopathy	Formative Assessment Test your knowledge Laboratory Quiz 6

Tutorial Registration

On Wattle

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Research Essay	25 %	28/09/2021	*	1,2,3,4,5
Course Participation & Engagement	15 %	*	12/11/2021	1,2,3,4
Mid Semester Exam	20 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
End of Semester Exam	40 %	*	*	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:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

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 Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

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

Students are expected to attend weekly lectures (three hours each week), as well as a total of seven two-hour laboratory classes over the semester. In addition, there is an expectation that students will regularly and consistently engage in the course readings, as stipulated by the lecturers. On average, students are expected to spend approximately 10 hours of work on this course per week, including the time spent in lectures and 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. 

Examination(s)

For approved dictionaries in accordance with ANU Policies, see link http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/assessment-arrangements-for-students-from-language.

 

Students need to obtain an overall mark of 50 to pass the course. Those failing to achieve this, but who otherwise have an overall grade of 45% or 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%. 

Assessment Task 1

Research Essay

You will be asked to write a research essay answering a question from one of the three areas of the course. The essay will be 1500 words in length and needs to be formatted using the guidelines set out by the American Psychological Association (APA). The essay topics and starting references will be made available on the PSYC1004 Wattle site. Information about how to write a research essay, as well as the marking criteria, will be discussed and outlined in Laboratory Class 3; this information will also be placed on the PSYC1004 Wattle site.

Due date: Week 8.

Estimated assignment return date: 3 weeks from the submission date

Rubric

Assessment Task 2

Course Participation & Engagement

Value: 15% of your final grade – .

Complete lab tasks (5%)

Peerwise (5%)

Research Participation (5%)

There are two options that you can take to complete this assessment component. Students can exclusively take up Option 1 or Option 2, but can also choose to do a combination of both (i.e. complete three hours of research participation through Option 1 and two hours through Option 2). A total of 5 hours of research participation through either option must be completed.

Option 1. You can participate in five hours of ongoing psychological research here in the Research School of Psychology. In this manner, you can experience first-hand what real psychological research is like. And you can be part of new and ongoing research projects, designed to further our understanding of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. As with participation in your formal laboratory classes, we believe this is a good opportunity for you to broaden your education and, in doing so, contribute to research that may lead to publication and impact on the field.

If you choose Option 1 for this component, please use the SONA link on the PSYC1004 Wattle site to sign up for experiments.

Option 2. In lieu of the any one of the five hours of research participation, you can read one published psychology journal article, and complete a summary questionnaire about it. This exercise will allow you to learn about some important scientific discoveries in psychology. If you choose this option, please see wattle site for more information. For each article you read, you must then answer questions in an on-line format. As a rule of thumb, one article should take one hour to read and summarise, and should therefore equate to one hour of research participation. 

Word limit (where applicable): Approximately 400 words per hour for Option 2

Value: 5% of your final grade

Presentation requirements: NA

Estimated return date: In the case of Option 1, credit will be granted upon completion of each experiment;

In the case of Option 2, credit will be granted at the end of semester.

Assessment Task 3

Mid Semester Exam

The mid-semester examination will focus on social psychology content and will be held during the mid-semester examination period (date TBA).

The exam will be worth 20% of your total grade for this course and will consist of multiple choice questions. The exact format will be discussed in class closer to the exam date.

Word limit (where applicable):NA

Value: 20% of your final grade

Presentation requirements: NA

Estimated return date: Exams are not returned; students can contact the course authority to view their exam papers if they wish to do so.

Assessment Task 4

End of Semester Exam

The end-semester examination will focus on biological and personality psychology content, and will be held during the end-semester examination period (date TBA).

The exam will be worth 40% of your total grade for this course and will consist of multiple choice questions. The exact format will be discussed in class closer to the exam date.

Word limit (where applicable):NA

Value: 40% of your final grade

Presentation requirements: NA

Estimated return date: Exams are not returned; students can contact the course authority to view their exam papers if they wish to do so.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to 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 be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, 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 Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

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

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission permitted. 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

Research Essays that have been submitted on time will be marked and available to download from the Turnitin link on Wattle, approximately three weeks after the due date. The exact return date will be posted on Wattle. Late assignments (even those with formal extensions) will not be marked within this timeframe; our priority will be to mark the assignments that were handed in on time. We will aim to get the late assignments back before the end of semester. Marking of the late reports will commence once all on-time Laboratory Reports have been marked and returned.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted 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

Resubmission of assignments (for remark): From the time your assignment is made available on Wattle, you have two weeks in which to request a formal re-mark if you so choose. There is a standard procedure for requesting a re-mark within the Research School of Psychology. When you get your assignment back, read through the comments and look at the mark. If you think your assignment deserves a higher mark, you need to meet with your marker and tell that person in writing why you feel you deserve a higher mark (the marker’s contact details can be obtained from the Course Coordinator). Based on your reasoning, your marker will then decide to alter your mark or not.

If you remain unhappy with the marker’s decision, you can formally request a re-mark by contacting the PSYC1004 Assistant Coordinator, in which case a new independent marker will be assigned. 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 your 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).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students