Unit Quiz

Students need to treat University like a professional job. During any interview process, employers want to know that you are interested in the job and that you have the skills necessary to perform the job successfully. Interviewees demonstrate their interest and skills by discussing what they know about a company and how they would contribute to the company if hired. Likewise, as your convenor, I want to know that you want to be in this unit and that you have what it takes to succeed. Accordingly, the first requirement of this course is for all students to pass an online quiz that assesses your knowledge about PSYC105 requirements and university-wide policies. All students will have until the end of Week 3 (24/08/2014 at 11pm) to pass the Unit Guide Quiz. Students who do not pass the Unit Guide Quiz by the end of Week 3 will not pass PSYC105. Thus, all students who have not taken the quiz, or who have not achieved a passing grade (less than 50% mark) by the end of Week 3, are strongly encouraged to withdraw from PSYC105 before the Census date (31/08/2014). This will allow those students to put their money to better use. If you are simply taking this unit for your own personal enjoyment and are not concerned about grades, then please feel welcome in continuing your enrolment in PSYC105 if you do not complete the Unit Quiz.

The Unit Quiz will open up on iLearn on 07/08/2014 and will close at 11pm (EST) on 24/08/2014. During this time, students can take the quiz as often as necessary to achieve a passing grade. iLearn will record the highest mark only. Students must complete this quiz during their own time. The quiz consists of 15 multiple-choice questions with five response options. The quiz queries about information gleaned from the Unit Guide. There is a 20-minute time limit on this quiz.

For students who pass the Unit Quiz: Congratulations! You have passed the job interview. I look forward to seeing you succeed during the probationary period.

THE JOB REQUIREMENTS OF PSYC105

Your probationary period will last the duration of Semester 2 and will culminate with a final exam. This period is a time for you to decide if psychology (or other program of study that requires this unit) is the right pathway for you. If you think it is, then you must demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to continue on to second year units. You have a lot to learn this semester. Please make sure you devote adequate time to this unit and ask for help when needed. I want to see you succeed in this unit. In addition, the Faculty of Human Sciences will not allow you to progress onto second year Psychology units if you do not pass PSYC105.

Please note that there is no "Pass Conceded" or "Concessional Pass." If you receive a 49 or lower, you will receive a Fail grade (see http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html, Grading Policy). I will not address emails from students that ask me to pass them when they have obtained a Fail.

            High Distinction            =            85 and above

            Distinction            =            75-84

            Credit             =             65-74

            Pass            =            50-64

            Fail            =            49 and below

Statistics Quizzes

This unit requires students to read sections from the textbook, "Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (4^th Ed.)," read pdfs posted on iLearn describing statistical concepts, and watch videos posted on iLearn that explain statistical concepts or demonstrate how to conduct particular analyses. These requirements are detailed in the Tutorial Guide. Your ability to understand these statistical concepts is assessed in weekly, online quizzes that occur during Weeks 2-11.

Statistics Quizzes are to be completed in students’ own time, using iLearn, during Weeks 2 – 11 inclusive. The quizzes open on iLearn each Monday at 8am and close the following Sunday at 11pm. Each quiz will cover information delivered that week through iLearn and its corresponding textbook sections. Each quiz will require you to answer 5 short-answer or multiple-choice questions.

Since the quizzes are marked automatically by computer, it is important that your short answers exactly match the correct answer. Do not copy and paste answers, or put a full stop or insert spaces after your answer. If the answer requires a number, please use the digit/Arabic numeral (i.e., 20) rather than the Roman Numeral (XX) or the Oxford English number (twenty). If you enter an answer incorrectly, it will be marked as incorrect, and it will not be possible to get your mark changed.

Knowledge about statistics builds over time. Accordingly, it is important to complete the work each week. You will find it much harder to understand t-tests during Weeks 8 and 9, if you have not done the work leading up to it. If you are having trouble understanding the statistical information delivered in this course, ask for help! You can attend Dr Ian Stephen's office hours (Tuesday 1-4pm) or my office hours (Monday 1 – 4pm) to ask for help. Additionally, ask your tutors for help during your tutorials. In order to teach for this unit, all tutors had to demonstrate their ability to teach statistics to first year students. Thus, they are all qualified to help you.

Research Participation

Research participation is educationally beneficial. First, students can learn a good deal about a particular topic by participating in research. Students can learn how psychological theories lead to psychological studies and how different methodological approaches are applied to test research hypotheses. Second, research participation assists students in understanding the importance of ethical conduct in psychological research. All of the psychology research conducted in the Department of Psychology has been reviewed by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Macquarie University, and deemed in accordance with guidelines from the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007; the Code) and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007). Information about a study typically is provided to participants both before (via a personal information statement) and after (via a debriefing form) a study. Third, students can learn how to conduct research themselves by participating in research. Lastly, participation in research gives students an opportunity to develop respect and appreciation for the amount of effort that researchers devote to conducting high-quality research.

The research participation component of PSYC105 involves 4 hours of participation (8 credits) in research conducted within the Department of Psychology. Time spent is credited on a pro rata basis. 15 min = 0.5 credits, 30 min = 1 credit, 45 min = 1.5 credit, 1 hr = 2 credits, etc.

To ensure that you obtain experience with a variety of methods for conducting research, you are required to participate in at least 2 hours of face-to-face research studies. That is, you will not receive more than 4 of your 8 research credits from online studies.

We use SONA, a participant pool, to connect students with researchers. If you completed Psyc104 in Semester 1 or register for PSYC105 prior to 07/08/2014, you will be automatically enrolled in SONA. If you register for PSYC105 on or after 07/08/2014, you will need to send an email to Jane at psy_pool.admin@mq.edu.au so that she can create an account for you. In your email, please include the following information:

a)            First Name

b)            Last Name

c)            MQ email address

d)            Student ID number

e)             Unit (i.e., PSYC105)

A large number of psychology research projects are being conducted in 2014 by staff members, research assistants, postgraduate students, and honours students. To search for projects, make bookings, and view research participation records, go to: www.subjectpool.com/mq/participant/

After registering for a study, students should keep a record of the following details:         

a)            The researcher's name

b)            The date and time of the study

c)            The location of the study

d)            The contact phone number

Just like any professional job, you are required to keep your appointments. If, as a result of illness or misadventure, you are unable to keep an appointment, you must notify the researcher prior to your appointment. Failure to do so will result in a penalty. To ensure that I have an accurate record of your research participation, the total number of hours that you have accrued over the semester will be posted on the PSYC105 website by 11pm on 26/10/2014 for you to check. In case of any discrepancy, you can appeal by 11pm on 09/11/2014. To appeal, send an email to Jane at psy_pool.admin@mq.edu.au. CC: PSYC105@mq.edu.au. In the email, include how many credits you were awarded, and how many credits you think you should have been awarded. Additionally, for each study you participated in, include the 1) experimenter's name, 2) the date and time of the experiment, and 3) how long it took you to complete the study.

When deciding which studies to participate in, please remember that researchers are not the only ones who have a duty to act responsibly. Participants also must act ethically. As a research participant, you are responsible for:

–         Completely reading information and consent forms

–         Carefully weighing the risks and benefits of participation

–         Knowing when, where, and for how long participation is required

–         Talking to the researcher when concerns arise

–         Fulfilling the responsibilities as described in the information and consent forms

Students with good reasons for not participating in research can apply to PSYC105@mq.edu.au for an alternative exercise. If you think you qualify for this option, you must send your email by 11pm on 24/08/2014. Requests received after that time will not be considered. Additionally, not all requests will be granted. You must have a valid reason for exemption.

Research Report

This semester, the PSYC105 research project involves examining what undergraduates believe will happen when they drink alcohol on its own and what they believe will happen when they drink alcohol mixed with energy drinks. During Week 2 tutorials, all students in PSYC105 will participate in data collection by completing an online, anonymous survey. The results from this survey will form the basis of your research reports. Writing empirical papers is one way that psychologists disseminate research findings.

This research report must follow the APA Style rules, detailed in the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association." This is a psychology report, not a biology, chemistry, or law report, so do not use another referencing style. Marks are awarded for correctly following APA Style rules, and you will lose marks if you do not apply the rules correctly. To follow on with the job metaphor, following APA Style rules is a way to show your boss that you care about your job and can follow instructions.

The research report must be 1800 (+/- 100) words in length. The title page, abstract (max. 150 words), and references are not included in this word limit. In line with APA Style rules, you must include the following sections in your report: title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references. You can find out more about APA Style rules by attending tutorials, reading "How to Write Psychology Research Reports and Essays," checking out the tutorial at http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx, and of course by reading the sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association."

Thirteen articles related to the research project have been sourced for you. You are required to cite each of these articles in your report. You also are required to use at least two more empirical articles that you source on your own. Your additional articles must be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. If you want to use more than two additional articles in order to convey a logical message, then you may. In other words, you must have at least 15 citations, but more is fine, as long as all the articles you cite assist in telling a logical story. In using published research to support and evaluate the research project in your report, you are expected to reflect carefully on the instructions and feedback given during the tutorials.

Participating in tutorials will be essential for writing your research report. During tutorials, the literature will be reviewed, the class project will be discussed, hypotheses will be generated, data will be analysed, and APA Style guidelines will be reviewed. Additionally, you also will assess a past report using the unit’s marking criteria. This activity will be invaluable in helping you to avoid common pitfalls encountered when writing your first research report.

The research report must be submitted electronically via a Turnitin link on iLearn. The Turnitin link will become available by 24/10/2014. At this time, you can start using the link to practise uploading your report and checking your report for plagiarism. Turnitin is an anti-plagiarism software that will compare your paper to your classmates' papers, to papers from previous students at Macquarie University and other universities, as well as to material on the Internet (e.g., the articles you will be citing). I will upload my handouts onto Turnitin, so ensure that you do not plagiarise my work. Copying the convenors work is just as inexcusable as copying from someone else's work. When evaluating your papers for plagiarism, you need to check for two indices: overall similarity index and the similarity index for individual sources. Anyone that has a similarity index higher than 5% for any individual source and/or an overall similarity index greater than 20% (all sources combined) may be forwarded on to the Faculty Discipline Committee for engaging in plagiarism. If your similarity indices are higher than these standards, rewrite the problem areas, and re-upload a revised paper on iLearn before 11pm on 02/11/2014. Please note that if you want to re-upload a paper, you must wait at least one hour from withdrawing a previous document. Thus, the last time you can check your similarity indices is at 10pm on 02/11/2014 if you want the opportunity to upload a revision. 

To learn about what other sorts of behaviour constitute an act of plagiarism, please read the Macquarie University's Academic Honesty Policy, http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html, and complete the online Academic Integrity Module for Students, http://students.mq.edu.au/students-level_2-3_column/?xcid=53491&preview=true. Completing these tasks should be considered on-the-job-training. If you do not complete them, you risk getting fired. Not knowing what constitutes an act of academic dishonestly is not grounds for excusing inappropriate behaviour.

Turnitin Submission Procedure

1.            Click on the assignment you would like to submit (i.e. Research Report).

2.            Click on the “Submit Paper” tab.

3.             Give your submission a title using YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER and YOUR SURNAME. For example, 43437382_Norberg. Failure to appropriately name your document will be penalised.

4.            Next to “File to Submit”, click on Choose File.

5.            Choose the file you wish to upload and click Open.

6.            Click “Add Submission”

7.            A digital receipt will be generated. Save a copy of it.

Penalties will be applied when requirements are not met:  

• A penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day (including weekends) will be applied to late assignments. For example, if a student submits the Research Report one day late, then 1.25 marks [=5% x 25 (worth 25% of the final grade)] will be subtracted from the original mark. If a student completes the Research Report 3 days late, then 3.75 marks [=3(5% x 25)] will be subtracted from the original mark.
• Assignments received at 11:01pm are considered 1 day late.
• Assignments will not be accepted after they are 5 days late (after 11pm on Friday, 07/11/2014).
• A penalty of 5% of the maximum mark will be deducted from the research report for every 100 words over or under the limit.

Attend tutorials and visit iLearn for information on marking criteria.

Group Presentation

Presentations at scientific conferences are another method that psychologists use for disseminating and learning about research findings. Accordingly, during Week 13, you will present the findings of the PSYC105 research project in a group format. Group members are encouraged to cover different aspects of their presentation (e.g., one person may cover the background information, one person may cover the methodology, one person may cover the results, and another person may cover the discussion). While different people will present different segments, presentations should flow as if one person has written the talk. This means that a great presentation requires great teamwork. 

Your team should arrive to the Week 13 tutorial with a copy of your presentation saved to a USB device and with a hard-copy of your presentation and notes for your tutor to keep. Failure to present your tutor with a hard-copy of your presentation and notes at the beginning of the tutorial will result in a 5% penalty.

Group presentations are expected to last 12 +/- 1minutes. The presentation must be done using PowerPoint or another computer-based presentation software. Presentations are to cover the same material as in a research report (e.g., background, methods, results, discussion); however, this information will be condensed and presented in a visually stimulating way. Academic integrity applies to research presentations, so do not forget to cite and reference appropriately.

Common problems encountered during team-based projects include people not contributing equally or someone being ill on the day of the presentation. The first involves an act of academic dishonesty. The steps for handling this problem involve:

1. Talking to the person about your perception of the problem.

2. Documenting the contents of this discussion and a plan for resolution.

3. If the situation does not resolve, the person should be notified immediately by the team.

4. The team representative should email their tutor with the contents of Point 2 and a synopsis of what has occurred since that discussion. All members of the team should be included on the email. This email must be sent at least 96 hours before the scheduled presentation.

The second situation is easily resolved. In any professional job, all team members are expected to be able to deliver presentations entirely on their own. If you are scheduled to give a talk at 1pm on a Monday at a scientific conference and are unable to attend due to illness, you either have someone else present or the presentation is cancelled (not rescheduled). Thus, team members are expected to cover for anyone who is ill. If team members are unable to present all segments of the presentation, the presentation will not be delivered and all members will receive 0 marks. Thus, I suggest each team member practise delivering the entire presentation, not just their segment. Your team will lose points if team members are not able to deliver all segments of the presentation adequately.

By adequate, I mean being able to deliver the information and engage with the audience. Students will lose substantial points if they constantly read from their notes, rather than engaging with the audience. Your classmates and tutor will feel a lot more engaged and will be able to understand you better if you do not read from your notes. Thus, I encourage everyone to practise their delivery of the presentation repeatedly! Additionally, remember that all teams are presenting on similar information. In order to enhance engagement, your presentation will need to be professional and creative. Lastly, all students are expected to be able to answer questions regarding their presentation. Be prepared for your tutor and fellow classmates to ask questions.

If you do not deliver your segment of the presentation, and you do not receive special consideration for your absence, you will not receive any delivery points. You will, however, receive marks for the content of the presentation, if your team agrees that you fully contributed to its development. Attend tutorials and visit iLearn for more information on marking criteria.

Final Exam

The final exam is held during the university final examination period (17/11/2014 -- 5/12/2014) and consists of 120 multiple-choice questions. Students are allowed 2.5 hours plus 10 minutes reading time to complete the exam. Questions are derived from the lectures (including statistics lectures), tutorials, and the required readings. There will be five response options for each question. Unless specified on a question, there is only one correct answer to each question.  Wrong answers are not penalised (that is, the total score is simply the sum of correct answers). Past exam papers are not available; however, a very small sample of practice questions will be posted on iLearn a few weeks before the final exam.

The final exam is difficult. Last year, 25% of students were failing the unit prior to the final exam. Of those students, only 39% passed the final exam. In most cases, these students received low passes, not giving them enough marks to pass the unit. Of those students who were passing the unit prior to the final exam, 27% failed the final exam, 49% received a pass, 17% received a credit, 6% received a distinction, and less than 1% achieved a high distinction on the final exam. While grades are not everything, they are important, even if you do not want to get into honours. Grades are suggestive of your abilities. Some employers will look at your transcripts and may turn people away because of low grades. Thus, I cannot stress enough that you need to start studying early and regularly for the exam. Do NOT wait until finals week to study. In order to do well, you may find the following suggestions helpful:

1)  read the required readings before lectures and take comprehensive notes;

2)  highlight parts that you are having trouble understanding;

3)  listen to every lecture intently, be on the look-out for the parts that caused you confusion, and take detailed notes;

4)  integrate your pre-lecture notes with your lecture notes;

5)  do the required tutorial work in advance (this includes statistical lectures);

6)  participate in every tutorial by asking and answering lots of questions;

7)  revise your stats notes based on your tutorial practicals; and

8)  if questions linger, ask for clarification during the relevant staff member’s office hours.

You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations.

http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/exam

You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching session, which is the final day of the official examination period.

The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration.  Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available at http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/speccond/scrules.htm and at http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html.

If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process, the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period (Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12). The format of a supplementary examination is at each unit convenor’s discretion and is subject to change from the original final examination.

Supplementary Exams are only offered to students who have satisfactorily completed all other assessments for the unit and were unable to sit the final exam because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption.

Instructions on applying for sitting the supplementary exam are available from the website, http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/procedure.html. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the steps outlined in this website. Note, asking for special consideration to sit the final exam does NOT include emailing the unit convenor. After appropriate steps have been followed, an email will be sent to the student advising them of the outcome of their request for a supplementary exam. If a supplementary exam has been granted, it is the student’s responsibility to check the Department of Psychology Special Consideration website for information relating to the date and location of the supplementary exam. Students who are granted to sit for a supplementary exam must make themselves available to sit for the supplementary exam on the specified date. There will only be one time. It is the student’s responsibility to email the Student Centre to confirm attendance at the supplementary exam.

Tutorials

You can only attend the tutorial you are enrolled in. If you want to enrol in a different tutorial, you can do this online via eStudent ONLY. After Week 2, no further changes to tutorials can be made. I cannot change your tutorial session for you. Tutorial space is limited due to Occupational Health and Safety Policy laws.

The material covered in tutorials extends, rather than duplicates, lecture material. Tutorial slides will NOT be posted on iLearn, nor will they be given to students in any form. Thus, it is each student’s responsibility to attend tutorials and take notes on the material covered.

Tutorial attendance is compulsory in order to achieve a Pass grade or higher in PSYC105. If students miss three or more tutorials, it is the University Policy that students MUST make a Request for Special Consideration through https://ask.mq.edu.au/, with appropriate documentation (e.g., medical certificates). In the unfortunate event that you miss three tutorials due to serious and unavoidable disruptions, you need to follow a series of steps if you want your Request for Special Consideration to be evaluated by the Faculty of Human Sciences.

1. Immediately after missing your third tutorial, you need to inform and organise an in-person meeting with the Unit Convenor. Meetings must be held in-person.

2. Complete all necessary paperwork as documented in the Disruption to Studies Policy, http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html.

3. Lodge your Request for Special Consideration via https://ask.mq.edu.au/, by appending all appropriate documentation and noting the contents of your meeting with the Unit Convenor. If your Request for Special Consideration does not detail a meeting with the Unit Convenor, and does not adhere to the Disruption to Studies Policy, it will not be assessed for approval. 

ABOUT THIS UNIT

Year and Session:            2014, Session 2

Prerequisites:

Web Page:  http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

General Information

This unit is worth 3 credit points; therefore, you should commit 12 hours of your time per week to this unit. Since most weeks you will be required to attend one, 2-hour lecture and one, 2-hour tutorial, you should expect to spend the other eight hours reading, revising your notes, learning about statistics, and working on assignments. Plan on devoting 12 hours each week to this unit if you want to ensure success.

This unit continues with the introduction to core areas of psychology commenced in PSYC104, Introduction to Psychology I. This unit introduces the areas of health psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, organisational psychology, perception, and cognition. This unit also introduces basic statistics, following on from the research methods lectures in PSYC104.

Importantly, this unit also provides first-hand experience with conducting and reporting on a research project. You will report on this research project following guidelines presented by the American Psychological Association.

As a whole, this unit will prepare you for more advanced topics in psychology. What is known in the field of psychology has been gained through use of the scientific method. Part of the scientific method involves testing hypotheses. Thus, one is not ready to study advanced topics in psychology until they have a basic understanding of science and statistics. You must keep this in mind when wondering why this unit integrates research and statistics into its other core teachings.

KEY STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1.     Only use your University email account. Failure to do so will result in unread emails. It is University policy that the University issued email account will be used for official University communication.

2.     Consistently devote 12 hours a week to this unit; otherwise, you may not do well in this unit. Distributed practice is one of the most helpful study strategies for ensuring that what you learn is retained over time.

3.     Realise that this unit is not easy. If you regularly attend and engage with lectures, tutorials, and iLearn resources, your chances of success in this unit will be much greater than if you do not behave in that manner.  

4.     Arrive to lectures and tutorials prepared. Read required material before relevant lectures/tutorials.

5.     Demonstrate respect for your fellow students and unit staff. Arrive to lectures and tutorials on time. Do not use mobile phones during class time. Students who arrive late, chat, or text during class may be asked to leave.

6.     Read this unit guide in its entirety. You are responsible for knowing its content and applying its information. Ask questions if you are unclear on a requirement. Let the Assistant to the Convenor and I know what section of the unit guide you find confusing and why. If you are not specific, it will be difficult for us to help you.

7.     Do not skim over the unit guide and then ask questions about information covered in the unit guide. I realise that it may seem frustrating to some students that PSYC105 staff will not answer emails that are already covered by information in the unit guide; but, there simply is not enough time in the day for us to repeat ourselves 1000 times.   

8.     Ask for help from your tutors if you have queries about tutorial content. Take advantage of the relationship you have with them, they are your only opportunity for focused attention in such a large unit.

9.     Make sure you get the easy points. Complete the online quizzes and follow APA Style guidelines. These are the easiest points to receive, so make sure you closely check your work on these aspects (as well as other aspects).

10.     Take responsibility. It is not your tutor’s responsibility, your lecturers’ responsibility, my responsibility, or your parents’ responsibility to succeed in this unit.

Delivery

Each week students must attend one, 2-hour lecture.

Weeks 2-13 (excluding Week 8), students must attend their assigned tutorials.

Students enrolled in the iLecture access lecture recordings through iLearn, but must attend the compulsory tutorial/practical class in person.

The class timetable can be found at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/  

Prescribed Resources

Each week students must read the prescribed textbook chapters. These textbook chapters cover and extend material noted in the lectures, tutorials, and statistical teachings.

• Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4^th Ed.). London, UK: Sage. 
• Findlay, B. M. (2012). How to write psychology research reports and essays (6^th ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.
• Lilienfeld, S., Lynn, S., Namy, L., Woolf, N., Jamieson, G., Slaughter, V., & Haslam, N. (2012). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Australia.
• O’Driscoll, M., Taylor, P. l., & Kalliath, T. (2008). Introduction to organisational psychology. In M. O'Driscoll, P. Taylor, & T. Kalliath (Eds.), Organisational psychology in Australia and New Zealand (pp. 1-8). South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Prior to Week 4, students must read the prescribed articles for the research report and presentation (available in the Library through “Unit Readings” on MultiSearch).

• Cronce, J. M., & Larimer, M. E. (2011). Individual-focused approaches to the prevention of college student drinking. Alcohol Research and Health, 34, 210-221. Retrieved from http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/journals-and-reports/alcohol-research
• Droste, N., Tonner, L., Zinkiewicz, L., Pennay, A., Lubman, D. I., & Miller, P. (2014). Combined alcohol and energy drink use: Motivations as predictors of consumption patterns, risk of alcohol dependence, and experience of injury and aggression. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/acer.12438
• Ham, L. S., & Hope, D. A. (2003). College students and problematic drinking: A review of the literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 719-759. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(03)00071-0
• Huntley, E. D., Juliano, L. M. (2012). Caffeine expectancy questionnaire (CaffEQ): Construction, psychometric properties, and associations with caffeine use, caffeine dependence, and other related variables. Psychological Assessment, 24, 592-607. doi:10.1037/a0026417
• Kypri, K., Cronin, M., & Wright, C. S. (2005). Do university students drink more hazardously than their non-student peers? [Letter to the editor]. Addiction, 100, 713-717. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01116.x
• Mallet, K. A., Marzell, M., Scaglione, N., Hultgren, B., & Turrisi, R. (2014). Are alcohol and energy drink users the same? Examining individual variation to alcohol mixed with energy drink use, risky drinking, and consequences. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28, 97-104. doi:10.1037/a0032203
• Morean, M. E., Corbin, W. R., & Treat, T. A. (2012). The anticipated effects of alcohol scale: Development and psychometric evaluation of a novel assessment tool for measuring alcohol expectancies. Psychological Assessment, 24, 1008-1023. doi:10.1037/a0028982
• Peacock, A., Pennay, A., Droste, N., Bruno, R., & Lubman, D. I. (2014). 'High' risk? A systematic review of the acute outcomes of mixing alcohol with energy drinks. Addiction. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/add.12622.
• Schry, A. R., & Norberg, M. M. (2013). Factor structure of the modified Timeline Followback: A measure of alcohol-related consequences. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 74, 803-809. Retrieved from http://www.jsad.com/
• Skewes, M. C., Decou, C. R., & Gonzalez, V. M. (2013). Energy drink use, problem drinking and drinking motives in a diverse sample of Alaskan college students. International Journal of Circumpolar Behavioural Health, 72, 194-199. doi:10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21204.
• Striley, C. W., & Khan, S. R. (2014). Review of the energy drink literature from 2013: Findings continue to support most risk from mixing with alcohol. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 27, 263-268. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000070
• Varvil-Weld, L., Marzell, M., Turrisi, R., Mallet, K. A., & Cleveland, M. J. (2013). Examining the relationship between alcohol-energy drink risk profiles and high-risk drinking behaviors. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37, 1410-1416. doi:10.1111/acer.12102
• Verster, J. C., Benson, S., & Scholey, A. (2014). Motives for mixing alcohol with energy drinks and other nonalcoholic beverages, and consequences for overall consumption. International Journal of General Medicine, 7, 285-293. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S64096

During weeks 1-11, students must access statistical databases, datasets, handouts, and videos via iLearn.

• IBM SPSS Statistics Standard Grad Pack Version 20 or 21 (Available for purchase at the Co-op Bookshop or can be used for free by downloading iLab - see https://wiki.mq.edu.au/display/iLab/About)
• Introduction and overview (slides, summary video)
• Data entry (slides, summary video)
• Displaying data (slides, summary video)
• Summarising data (slides, summary video)
• Fundamental concepts (slides, summary video)
• Correlation - theory (iLecture plus slides)
• Correlation - SPSS (iLecture plus slides, dataset)
• t-test - theory (iLecture plus slides)
• t-test - SPSS (iLecture plus slides, dataset)
• Summary (iLecture plus slides)

To understand and sufficiently complete unit requirements, students must regularly access the prescribed unit materials.

• PSYC105 Unit Guide (downloadable from iLearn)
• PSYC105 Tutorial Guide (downloadable from iLearn)
• Lecture Recordings (downloadable from iLearn)
• Some lecturers may upload their lecture slides onto iLearn. They are not required to do this, so when this happens, please take full advantage of it. Do not ask me, or them, to paste slides in a different format (e.g., switch from pdf to PowerPoint). Additionally, do not ask them to post slides in advance. Whether you believe it or not, there are benefits to your memory in having to write out all your notes yourself.

Recommended Resources (not compulsory, available in the Library on Reserve)

• American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Hanna, D., & Dempster, M. (2012). Psychology statistics for dummies. Chester, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Hawking, S. (2013). Does God play dice? Retrieved from http://www.hawking.org.uk/does-god-play-dice.html.
• Howell, D. (2013). Statistical methods for psychology (8th Ed.). New York: Wadsworth.
• Kramer, A. D. I., Guillory, J. E., Hancock, J. T. (2014). Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111, 8788-8790.
• Marczyk, G., DeMatteo, D., & Festinger, D. (2005). Essentials of research design and methodology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
• Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 317-378.
• Minium, E., Clarke, R., & Coladarci, T. (1999). Elements of statistical reasoning (2nd Ed.). New York: Wiley.
• Stanovich, K. (2013). How to think straight about psychology (10th Ed.). New York: Pearson.

Note. ^a Statistics Quiz due, ^b Unit Guide Quiz due, ^c Research Participation due, ^d Research Report due, ^e Group Presentation due.

LECTURE SUMMARIES

INTRODUCTION

Dr Melissa Norberg, Dr Ian Stephen, and Justine McKenna

In the first lecture, Drs Norberg and Stephen will outline the requirements of the unit, review this unit guide, and discuss the statistical component of this unit. Additionally, Justine McKenna from MQ Careers and Employment Service will discuss what students can do during their first year to make them more employable post-degree, as well as discuss what options are available for those who do and do not obtain an Honours Degree in Psychology.

Health Psychology (Lilienfeld et al—Chapter 13)

Hayley McDonald

Health psychology is a very young field, but it is growing rapidly in line with society’s fixation on health and wellbeing. An interesting phenomenon that seems to be occurring is that, while we are focusing more and more on overall health, we are actually becoming less healthy. Why do we continue to make poor health choices when we know they are bad for us? Why do we find it so difficult to participate in activities that will help us to achieve optimum health, both physically and mentally? Over the course of the two lectures, we will begin to explore these questions through the framework of the human psyche using examples of health compromising behaviours, such as smoking and alcohol use. We will also identify “what works” (or what may not be working!) in the prevention of these behaviours, and how, as psychologists, we can help individuals achieve optimal mental and physical health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

Cognitive Psychology (Lilienfeld et al—Chapters 8 & 9)

Dr Britta Biederrmann & A/Prof Sachiko Kinoshita

Cognitive psychologists are interested in how we get to know about the world, and how such information is represented and transformed as knowledge, how it is stored, and how that knowledge is used to direct our attention and behaviour. Cognitive psychology deals with a wide range of mental activities, from what appears to be basic and simple (e.g., detection of sensory signals) through to more complex mental activities (e.g., attention, pattern recognition, memory, concept formation, language processing, reasoning and thinking). In this series, we will focus on language and memory.

How we comprehend and use spoken and written language is an important topic of cognitive psychology. The lecture by Dr Biedermann will examine units of spoken language, language acquisition by young children, whether language can be taught to other species, theories of language acquisition, and the relationship between language and thought. In the lecture by A/Prof Kinoshita, a model of memory (multistore model of memory), which suggests that there are different stores corresponding to sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory will be discussed. Evidence will be presented that supports the distinction between the different types of memory stores, including descriptions of experiments that illustrate the way cognitive psychologists test their ideas.

Perception (Lilienfeld et al—Chapter 5)

Dr Ian Stephen

For any living organism, the senses are the only method of gathering information about the outside world. The study of perception is concerned with understanding how the world is experienced by such organisms, and with relating this perceived or psychological world to the physical environment. This relationship involves a chain of events beginning with various forms of physical energy in the world and ending with perceptual experience. Understanding this sequence necessarily requires knowledge of intervening processes such as the function and structure of the nervous system. Understanding all of the senses requires some knowledge of the nature of light, sound, mechanical pressure, chemical interactions as well as the specialised structures of the nervous system that respond to these patterns of energy. Dr Stephen will show that although human perception is an extraordinarily sophisticated faculty, our sensory/perceptual apparatus does not recreate the outside world with perfect fidelity. Instead, we experience various illusions that can help us to deduce the functioning of the system that lies within our brains.

Organisational Psychology (O’Driscoll et al—Chapter 1)

A/Prof Barbara Griffin & Prof Mark Wiggins

Organisational psychology is the study of human behaviour in the workplace. The work of organisational psychologists -- both researchers and practitioners -- affects numerous work practices, including job interviews, training programs, and performance appraisal systems. Organisational psychology also has implications for aspects of everyday life, not only at work (e.g., setting effective goals and managing occupational stress) but elsewhere (e.g., public health practices and airline safety). These lectures will focus on how organisational psychology operates within Australia.

Social Psychology (Lilienfeld et al—Chapter 14)

Dr Trevor Case

Social Psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the way our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by others. The study of social psychology covers a large range of topics, many of which PSYC105 only has time to touch on briefly. The lectures given by Dr Case will examine the ways in which people perceive others and the factors that influence this perception. He will then review the nature of attitudes, how they can be changed through persuasion, and discuss theories about the process of attitude change. Classic experimental social psychological research concerning the issues of conformity and obedience also will be described. 

Developmental Psychology (Lilienfeld et al—Chapter 11)

A/Prof Catherine McMahon & A/Prof Kay Bussey

Developmental psychology is the study of human behaviour as a function of age. Developmental psychologists are interested in children and how they develop, but their interests extend beyond childhood as they explore how psychological processes change as a function of cognitive development, biological maturation, and social experience across the whole of the lifespan.

In these lectures, A/Profs McMahon and Bussey review the major theories of development: psychoanalytic theory (Freud, Erikson), cognitive developmental theory (Kohlberg, Piaget), social cognitive theory (early behaviourist theories through to Bandura’s social cognitive theory), and ethological theory (with particular emphasis on the attachment theories of Ainsworth and Bowlby). They also illustrate two different approaches to studying human development. In one approach, information gathered by researchers about the course of human development is reviewed. In the other approach, they consider important domains of psychological functioning (e.g. attachment, gender roles, moral development) and discuss how individuals of different ages function in these domains. Finally, they will focus on adult development and ageing, examining the transitions (or life events) that occur in the adult years and the myths and realities of old age.

Basic Statistics (Field—Chapters 1-3, 7, & 9)

Dr Ian Stephen

Statistics involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. Broadly speaking, there are two types of statistical methodologies: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. This unit will focus on descriptive statistics and begin to give students an understanding of the role that inferential statistics play in psychological science. To do so, students are required to read chapters from Field (2009), read slides posted on iLearn, and watch summary videos posted on iLearn. You also may find the optional textbook by Hanna & Dempster (2012) a useful resource, and it is available as an ebook from the library. All of these sources of information act in concert to provide students with the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics.