PSYC13020 - Individual Differences and Assessment

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will introduce you to the principles, processes, applications, and issues pertaining to the development and use of psychological assessment. This unit is presented through a number of themes, covering topics such as origins, ethics and uses of psychological testing; testing in adults, children and vulnerable populations; neuropsychological testing and testing for industry and career development. The psychometric basis of psychological assessment and testing is emphasised. You will focus on a variety of common psychological procedures and tests measuring individual differences. Consideration of individual differences and assessment in an Australian context will be a key component of your studies in this unit.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

96 credit points in CC43, CF59, CL51, CL55, CC13, CA10 or CG93, or admission to CC10.

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 2 - 2023

Term 2 - 2023 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville
Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville

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) 40%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Presentation 20%

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

Term 2 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 89.39% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 38.37% response rate.

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: Verbal feedback in class and written feedback via the 'Have Your Say' survey.
Feedback
Students commented that the due dates for several assessment tasks were spaced too close together at the end of the term.
Recommendation
Review assessment due dates, particularly those tasks with multiple parts and submission points, to ensure that there is a better spread across the final weeks of the term.
Action Taken
The due dates for the final pieces of assessment were changed so that there was one week between each submission being due.
Source: Written feedback via the 'Have Your Say' survey.
Feedback
Students commented that they enjoyed activities involving case studies of assessment information as these enabled them to see the practical application of the psychometrics and tests discussed in class.
Recommendation
Incorporate more case studies and other similar activities into the workshop sessions to enhance student understanding of the practical application of the unit content.
Action Taken
Case studies were incorporated into the live sessions and the written assessment task to enhance the real-world relevance of the unit.
Source: SUTE feedback
Feedback
Students were challenged by the written assessment task and requested further information regarding expectations for this task.
Recommendation
Review resources for the written assessment task to ensure clarity and consistency in instructions across written and video resources. Allocate more time in the live sessions to discuss the task and provide opportunities for questions.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE feedback
Feedback
Students enjoyed the interactive live sessions and the lecturers' use of real-world examples and applications to illustrate content.
Recommendation
Continue to offer live sessions that allow for interactivity and discussion, and that provide opportunities for students to draw real-world connections with the content presented in the pre-recorded lectures.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Articulate the purposes and principles of psychological assessment and testing
  2. Identify and articulate the knowledge of test construction processes and basic statistics to develop and validate a test of a psychological construct
  3. Apply knowledge of psychometric principles to evaluate the reliability, validity and other relevant features of psychological assessment processes and tests
  4. Locate and use professional standards, ethical codes and sources of information relevant to developers and users of psychological assessments and tests.

This unit addresses Foundational Competencies as specified by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and specifically aligns to:

1.1 Comprehend and apply a broad and coherent body of knowledge of psychology, with depth of understanding of underlying principles, theories and concepts in the discipline, using a scientific approach, including the following topics:

(i) the history and philosophy underpinning the science of psychology and the social, cultural, historical and professional influences on the practice of psychology

(ii) individual differences in capacity, behaviour and personality

(iii) psychological health and well-being

(iv) psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions

(vi) cognition, language and perception

(xi) culturally appropriate psychological assessment and measurement

(xii) research methods and statistics.

1.2 Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.

1.3 Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats.

1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.

1.5 Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • •
3 - Presentation • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
2 - Problem Solving •
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