Unit Outline

Human behaviour is universal, but its expression, nature, and intent vary across cultures and contexts. 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 the development of 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

As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2025, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s Unit Survey 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.

In this unit your active engagement will be monitored in the following ways:

Active participation in discussion forums

Completion of all assessment tasks

Attendance of on-campus practical classes (if you are enrolled as an on-campus student)

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:	Reflective and Applied Responses	Week 5	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Case Conceptualisation	Week 6	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Individual Differences Essay	Week 13	40 %	LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Reflective and Applied Responses

Task Description:

Three short written answers throughout the semester. Responses will be based on content covered during face-to-face classes or online asynchronous activities. You might be asked to respond to applied problems, reflect on your experience during an activity or an idea discussed in class, a journal article, or other assigned reading.
You will be provided with more detailed task descriptions at the beginning of the semester.

Weeks Due:
Reflective and Applied Response 1 - Week 5
Reflective and Applied Response 2 - Week 9
Reflective and Applied Response 3 - Week 12

Task Length:

Maximum 200 words each

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates a clear understanding of key concepts relevant to the topic, accurately describing and explaining them.	LO1
2	Demonstrates critical thinking and analytical skills by engaging with the material and providing well-supported arguments and insights.	LO2
3	Applies relevant knowledge and concepts appropriately to the given task or question, showing an understanding of the practical implications.	LO3
4	Demonstrates effective research and writing skills, clearly and concisely communicating concepts appropriate for the intended audience.	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Case Conceptualisation

Task Description:

You will be provided with a brief vignette about a fictional client receiving support from a psychologist (or similar mental health professional) at the beginning of the semester. You will be asked to write an 800-word case conceptualisation using relevant psychological theory(ies) to understand the client’s difficulties.

To answer this question, you will need to do the following:
- Analyse the provided vignette to identify key issues and challenges faced by the client.
- Engage with relevant literature to apply psychological theory to the case.
- Apply principles of plain language writing and editing to communicate your conceptualisation in clearly and concisely.

Task Length:

800 words

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identifies the key issues and challenges faced by the client in the provided vignette, demonstrating a clear understanding of the client’s difficulties.	LO1
2	Applies relevant psychological theories to understand the client’s difficulties, showing a strong connection between theory and the specific case details.	LO2
3	Provides well-supported arguments and insights, critically evaluating the relevance and applicability of the chosen theories to the client’s situation.	LO3
4	Communicates the case conceptualisation clearly and concisely, ensuring the writing is well-organised, coherent, and accessible to the intended audience.	LO4
5	Utilises relevant and credible sources to support the case conceptualisation, demonstrating effective research skills by integrating evidence from the literature appropriately.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Individual Differences Essay

Task Description:

You will be provided with an essay question at the beginning of the semester. You will be required to write an essay comparing and contrasting assigned theories of individual differences related to personality OR intelligence at the beginning of semester.

To complete this assignment, you will need to do the following:
• Engage with relevant literature to describe and analyse each assigned theory.
• Compare and contrast the assigned theories, highlighting their similarities and differences.
• Discuss the implications of these theories for understanding individual differences as it relates to human psychological wellbeing and/or behaviour.
• Apply principles of plain language writing and editing to communicate your conceptualisation clearly and concisely.

Task Length:

800 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Compares and contrasts the assigned theories, highlighting the similarities and differences with clear and well-supported arguments.	LO3
2	Discusses the implications of the theories for understanding individual differences as they relate to human psychological wellbeing and/or behaviour, providing insightful analysis.	LO2
3	Applies principles of plain language writing and editing to present the analysis and/or argument clearly and concisely, ensuring the writing is well-organised and accessible to the intended audience.	LO4
4	Utilises relevant and credible sources to support the essay, demonstrating effective research skills by integrating evidence from the literature appropriately.	LO4

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.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

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.

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