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PSYC11012 - Foundations of Psychological Research

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This is an introductory unit designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and values required throughout your studies in psychology and the social sciences. At the end of this unit you will be able to understand, apply and evaluate basic research methods in psychology, including the characteristics of the science of psychology, and describing and evaluating different research methods used by psychologists. You will be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills, which includes sceptical inquiry and the use of the scientific approach to solving problems. You will also demonstrate introductory skills consistent with the application of psychology that involves finding and critically evaluating scientific literature, constructing empirical arguments, generating research questions, conducting ethical research, referencing and formatting in APA style, and preparing research reports.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the 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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2020

Term 1 - 2020 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 3 - 2020 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2021 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 3 - 2021 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2022 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 3 - 2022 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2023 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 3 - 2023 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 3 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Term 3 - 2025 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Term 3 - 2026 Profile
Online

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).

Assessment Overview

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 15%
2. Written Assessment 15%
3. Critical Review 20%
4. Report 50%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

No previous feedback available

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.

Source: SUTE data
Feedback
Some students found the quantity of content difficult to keep up with across the unit.
Recommendation
Provide clear indications on the Moodle site about which resources are essential and which resources are 'extra reading' for interested students.
Action Taken
The Moodle site was changed to make it clear which resources were extra reading by placing them under a separate heading.
Source: SUTE data
Feedback
Students indicated that they found some of the wording of the provided instructions for Assessment 2 to be confusing.
Recommendation
Assessment 2 will be modified to ensure additional clarity is provided.
Action Taken
The wording for assessment 2 was updated, and a video was provided for additional clarity. Students were also given the chance to ask any questions about assessments in tutorials.
Source: SUTE data
Feedback
Feedback could have been clearer.
Recommendation
Video feedback will be recorded and made available for all students following each assessment to contextualise and complement the individual feedback students receive.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE data
Feedback
Unit requirements were not clear.
Recommendation
Specific guidance on week-by-week requirements will be provided on the Moodle site and within tutorials.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Describe, apply and evaluate the different research methods used by psychologists
  2. Evaluate the quality of information, including differentiating empirical evidence from speculation
  3. Write a standard research report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and formatting conventions
  4. Reflect on one’s experiences in order to identify and articulate one’s personal and sociocultural values as well as demonstrate insightful awareness of one’s feelings, motives, and attitudes.


Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
2 - Written Assessment • •
3 - Critical Review • •
4 - Report • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
4 - Information Literacy • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
8 - Ethical practice •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10
2 - Written Assessment • •
4 - Report • • • •
3 - Critical Review •
1 - Online Quiz(zes) •