Unit Outline

Human behaviour is not universal. Why do individuals behave the way they do? Lecture content will introduce and explore theoretical descriptions of individual differences such as personality and intelligence that can impact behaviour in a variety of contexts, as well as some of the factors which can influence psychological well-being, such as stress and coping. This unit also introduces the study of psychological pathology (psychopathology), including a critical consideration of psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions. Tutorials will build on lecture content, support reflective practice, and will facilitate the development of basic communication skills including counselling and professional communication.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Describe a range of psychological disorders and some of the associated therapeutic techniques.
2	Apply knowledge of current debates in the field of individual differences and psychopathology.
3	Identify similarities and differences between theories and concepts relating to individual differences and psychopathology.
4	Apply practical research and writing skills to communicate concepts appropriately for defined audiences.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	KHA111

Alterations as a result of student feedback

No alterations have been required. As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2024, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s eVALUate surveys following your completion of the unit.

Teaching arrangements


ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Practical	Face-to-face practical classes. The content of these classes will expand on the online lecture modules and reinforce theoretical concepts through individual, small-group, and whole-class activities and discussions.	2	Weekly
	Lecture (Online)	The lecture content is delivered online via MyLO modules, including short lecture videos, learning activities, demonstrations, and written text.	2	Weekly
	Independent Learning	Reading the assigned sections of the prescribed textbook, as well as independent research of published articles for the written assignments.	2	Weekly
Online	Individual Study	Self-paced online practical activities only available to students enrolled ‘online’. The content of these activities will expand on the online lecture modules and reinforce theoretical concepts.	2	Weekly
	Lecture (Online)	The lecture content is delivered online via MyLO modules, including short lecture videos, learning activities, demonstrations, and written text.	2	Weekly
	Independent Learning	Reading the assigned sections of the prescribed textbook, as well as independent research of published articles for the written assignments.	2	Weekly

Attendance / engagement expectations

If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Quizzes	Week 3	20 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Written Assignment	Week 5	15 %	LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Written Assignment	Week 9	25 %	LO1, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Final Exam	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Quizzes

Task Description:

Quizzes
Content covered in practical classes will be assessed in 5 quizzes throughout semester.
Weeks Due:
Quiz 1 - Week 3
Quiz 2 - Week 5
Quiz 3 - Week 7
Quiz 4 - Week 10
Quiz 5 - Week 12

Task Length:

30 minutes per quiz.

Due Date:

Week 3

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify key concepts, theories and/or relationships related to practical content.	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Written Assignment

Task Description:

Written Assignment
[Students will be provided with information about a current (and sometimes historical) debate in psychology at the beginning of semester. Students will be asked to engage with the literature regarding the for/against arguments in relation to this debate and to provide a brief self-reflection on which argument they agree with and why. Students will be informed that personal circumstances/history/information are NOT to be disclosed in this assignment, but to reflect on the information they have sourced.]
To answer this question, you will need to do the following:
• Engage with the literature on the arguments for and against [debate].
• Reflect on the arguments for and against [debate].
• Apply principles of plain language writing and editing to describe, in first person prose.
Note: DO NOT provide or disclose personal information as to why you agree/disagree with a specific side of this argument.

Task Length:

300 words

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Use research on a topic and summarise information from suitable sources.	LO2, LO4
2	Consider different professional opinions on a topic in order to produce a convincing argument.	LO2, LO4
3	Interpret and translate discipline-specific terminology and concepts into language suitable for communication with a general audience.	LO4
4	Apply conventions of academic style (organisation, grammar, punctuation, referencing, etc.) to written communication for a general audience.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Written Assignment

Task Description:

Written Assignment
[Students will be provided with specific information regarding the following scenario at the beginning of semester]

A friend of yours is also studying at University but not doing psychology. They reveal to you that they have been seeing a Psychologist, who suggests their symptoms are aligned with [disorder]. The Psychologist has suggested either [treatment X] or [treatment Y] as treatments.

Using language a non-psychology student would understand, explain the difference between these treatments for [disorder] and the outcomes they might expect.

To answer this question, you will need to do the following:
• Research the assigned disorder and develop a working knowledge of its hallmark symptoms.
• Locate two recent scholarly sources that describe these two treatment options.
• Apply principles of plain language writing and editing to describe and illustrate, for a general audience, what these treatment options involve and potential outcomes from treatment.

Task Length:

800 words

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Conduct research on a topic and summarise information from a variety of suitable sources.	LO1, LO4
2	Consider similarities and differences between treatment options to produce a convincing argument.	LO3, LO4
3	Interpret and translate discipline-specific terminology and concepts into language suitable for communication with a general audience.	LO4
4	Apply conventions of academic style (organisation, grammar, punctuation, referencing, etc.) to written communication for a general audience.	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Final Exam

Task Description:

Final Exam - 2 hours
The exam will draw upon topics from the entire semester (not including the practical program). The format of the final exam will be communicated via MyLO by Week 10 of semester.

Task Length:

2hrs

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify key terms relating to psychological disorders and treatment techniques.	LO1
2	Apply knowledge of theories and concepts relating to individual differences.	LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

It is important that you have ongoing access to these required readings, so they will be available for a limited loan period from the University of Tasmania Library collection. You are, however, strongly encouraged to buy these books as they will be useful resources throughout your study.

D.A. Bernstein, J. A. Pooley, L. Cohen, S. Provost, J. Cranney, and N. Drew (2023). Psychology: Australian and New Zealand Edition. (4th Ed). Australia: Cengage Learning

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.