Overview
This unit introduces you to the fundamental principles of human behaviour and their application to everyday life and work. Accordingly, topics will range from an overview and history of psychology to areas such as applying psychology to health and social environments. Please note, for students intending to complete a psychology major (CC43 or CF59), this unit cannot be used as a substitute for any part of the core APAC accredited sequence. However, it can be used as one of your non-psychology elective units.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Students appreciated the weekly activities that helped keep them engaged with the unit and consolidate their learning.
Continue to provide weekly activities, such as the Stop and Review questions (Assessment 1), and the fill in the blank questions that correspond to the required reading, on the unit Moodle website.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Students suggested including more specific detail within the marking rubric for the concept map (Assessment 2).
Revise the marking rubric for the concept map (Assessment 2), to include more specific detail of what is expected for each marking component.
- Identify major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology
- Apply major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology to human behaviour
- Communicate an understanding of psychological concepts in an objective manner.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 3 - Online Test - 40% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) CMap Software (free concept mapping software for both PC and Mac, available at http://cmap.ihmc.us/cmaptools/cmaptools-download/)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.sprajcer@cqu.edu.au
c.dittman@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Biological bases of behaviour
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Drop in Zoom session (Monday)
Module/Topic
Human development
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Understanding human personality
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Social psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Emotion, stress, and health
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Alternate states
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Sensation and perception
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Learning and behaviour analysis
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Module/Topic
Psychological disorders
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Drop in Zoom session (Monday)
Module/Topic
Cross-cultural psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Stop and review questions
Concept map
Drop in Zoom session (Monday)
Concept map Due: Week 11 Monday (27 Sept 2021) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
No set readings for this week.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online test (open Wednesday - Friday). See Moodle for specific opening and closing times.
Online Test - Fill In The Blanks Due: Review/Exam Week Friday (15 Oct 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
1 Written Assessment
Objectives
The ‘Stop and Review’ questions will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate ongoing engagement with the unit, and foundational knowledge as well as critical knowledge, of the weekly topic. Participation will further demonstrate your ability to communicate an understanding of psychological concepts in an objective manner.
Question
From week 2 through to week 11 a set of four questions (based on the material studied during that week) will be posted in the weekly topic section on the unit Moodle site. Your online responses should be approximately 50 words each (maximum 100 words). Each response will be worth 1 mark with a maximum of 20 marks for the overall assessment. Submission of answers to at least eight questions is a compulsory element of this assessment, failure to do so will result in a mark of '0' being given for Assessment 1.
Each set of questions will be available for one week only. At the end of that time, the questions will be closed, i.e., although posts will still be able to be viewed for study purposes, submissions after the closing date will not be marked.
Continual assessment - Questions will be made available Monday 9:00 am and need to be answered by 9:00 am on the following Monday.
Grading will be completed within the two week period after each set of weekly questions is closed.
You will receive one mark per correct answer. The maximum mark for this assessment is 20 marks.
Submission of answers to at least eight questions is a compulsory element of this assessment, failure to do so will result in a mark of '0' being given for Assessment 1.
- Identify major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology
- Communicate an understanding of psychological concepts in an objective manner.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
2 Written Assessment
Objective
This assessment is designed to strengthen your understanding of the concepts and themes explored in this unit by getting you to think about these in relation to other concepts learnt in this unit and applying some of these to ‘real-world’/practical examples. This assignment also encourages you to think about how different concepts from different lectures are related, and how some of these can be applied outside of the unit.
Question
A concept map includes core concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes (nodes), with relationships illustrated by directional lines connecting the nodes AND linking words or statements that explain the nature of the relationship between nodes. You will develop a concept map that demonstrates an understanding of the key unit concepts and are linked to three overarching themes.
In order to achieve the requirements for the concept map you will need to:
- Select a lecture topic covered during the first six weeks of this unit to use as the basis of the first theme in the concept map. The date and title of the lecture you select should appear on the Concept Map Assignment Detail Form (available on the unit Moodle website) and MUST be submitted with your concept map.
- Your concept map MUST contain a minimum of TWENTY-SIX (26) identified concepts including the following elements:
- Ten (10) core concepts from your selected lecture in this unit (Theme 1).
- Eight (8) additional concepts from at least one other lecture in this unit (Theme 2).
- Eight (8) additional concepts that connect the selected concept/s to 'real-world'/practical applications (Theme 3).
- You are required to use some sort of system (colours/geometric shapes) to make each theme distinguishable. You can add extra concepts and themes should you so wish. However, you must have no more than 50 concepts in total included in your map.
Concept mapping software is available to download from the web. Some websites allow you a free trial and others will let you access the software for free. The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) provides free concept mapping software for both PC and Mac: https://cmap.ihmc.us/cmaptools/cmaptools-download/ (Checked 15/06/21).
Further information is available on the unit Moodle website. We will be covering concept maps in detail during the unit, so do not worry too much if it is the kind of task you have never done before.
Week 11 Monday (27 Sept 2021) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Tuesday (12 Oct 2021)
The Concept Map is marked out of 40. Please see below for an overview of the marking criteria. A more detailed marking rubric is available on the unit Moodle website.
Marking Criteria - Total of 40 Marks
Map Construction
5 Marks Layout
4 Marks Graphics
4 Marks Connecting words/phrases
Map Content
5 Marks Central focus
5 Marks Levels of hierarchy and cross-links
5 Marks Evidence of understanding connections between concepts and themes
5 Marks Understanding of the selected concepts
5 Marks Presentation
2 Marks Assignment detail form
- Identify major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology
- Apply major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology to human behaviour
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
3 Online Test
Objective
This assessment is designed to allow you to display your factual, conceptual, and integrative knowledge retained during the period of study in this unit.
Details
The online test will consist of 80 fill-in-the-blanks questions covering content from Weeks 7-11. The questions for the test are derived from the lecture notes and weekly readings. The test will be completed online via the unit Moodle website. Once you start the test, you have 100 minutes to complete all 80 questions. At the end of the 100 minutes, the quiz will close and the system will submit all answered questions for grading.
The online test opens on Wednesday the 13th of October at 9:00 am and closes on Friday the 15th of October at 11:45 pm.
Review/Exam Week Friday (15 Oct 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
The Online Test is marked out of 40. Each correct answer is worth 0.5 marks.
There is a minimum mark of 20% for this assessment task. That is, to successfully pass this unit you must obtain at least 8/40 for this assessment.
- Apply major principles and theories of the fundamentals of psychology to human behaviour
- Communicate an understanding of psychological concepts in an objective manner.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Cross Cultural Competence
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
