Students

PSY 234 – Social and Personality Psychology

2019 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Trevor Case
Simon Boag
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
[PSYC104 and PSYC105] or [(STAT122 or STAT170(P) or STAT171 or PSY122(P)) and (PSY104(P) or PSYC104) and (PSY105(P) or PSYC105)]
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This is an introduction to theory, research and applications in the scientific study of social and personality psychology. The personality section of the unit provides an in-depth background to the prominent theories of personality and examines recent developments in personality research. The section on social psychology covers foundational scientific research in social psychology, focusing on developments in the three general domains of social thinking, social influence and social relations. The objectives of this unit involve acquiring a basic understanding of the principal theories, key empirical research, and basic issues in the fields of social and personality psychology. Overall, the following specific knowledge and skills are expected to be acquired from this unit:- an understanding of how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from common sense or lay understanding;- an awareness of research methods used in personality and social psychology research; an ability to construct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge within personality or social psychology;- an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field; and- an understanding of the key theories and research in the domains of social cognition, social influence and social relations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Conduct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge of a topic within personality or social psychology
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology
  • Discuss the concepts attained in the lectures and readings in a small class forum

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Essay 35% No Week 8
Mid-Semester Examination 25% No Week 7
Final Examination 40% No Examination Period
Tutorial Participation 0% No ongoing

Essay

Due: Week 8
Weighting: 35%

Psychology Essay with maximum 1500 words


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Conduct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge of a topic within personality or social psychology
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology

Mid-Semester Examination

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 25%

Mid-semester multiple-choice exam on lectures, tutes & readings


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field

Final Examination

Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 40%

Multiple-choice exam on lectures, tutes & readings


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology

Tutorial Participation

Due: ongoing
Weighting: 0%

Attendance at tutorials is compulsory


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology
  • Discuss the concepts attained in the lectures and readings in a small class forum

Delivery and Resources

Lectures                     Tuesdays 4-6pm, 29 Wallys Walk T1 Theatre

Tutorials                    Number of tutorials:               One tutorial per fortnight

                                    Length of tutorials:                2 hours

 

                                    Tutorial Attendance:              COMPULSORY

Students enrolled in the iLecture attendance mode can access the iLecture recording and video of the lecture, but must attend the compulsory tutorial classes.

Prescribed text

Vaughn, G. & Hogg, M. (2018). Social Psychology (8th ed.). Melbourne: Pearson.

 

Suggested text

Feist, J., Feist, G., & Roberts, T. (2018). Theories of Personality (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Note that the 6th edition onwards is also acceptable.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Tutorial Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Conduct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge of a topic within personality or social psychology
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology

Assessment tasks

  • Essay
  • Mid-Semester Examination
  • Final Examination
  • Tutorial Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify how the scientific approach to personality and social psychology differs from commonsense or lay understanding
  • Understand the differences between common research designs used in personality and social psychology research
  • Conduct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge of a topic within personality or social psychology
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principal personality theories, research, and the controversies that arise in this field
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key theories and research in social psychology
  • Discuss the concepts attained in the lectures and readings in a small class forum

Assessment tasks

  • Essay
  • Mid-Semester Examination
  • Final Examination
  • Tutorial Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Conduct an overall critical evaluation of current scientific knowledge of a topic within personality or social psychology
  • Discuss the concepts attained in the lectures and readings in a small class forum

Assessment tasks

  • Essay
  • Tutorial Participation

Changes since First Published

Date Description
28/02/2019 The following text that appeared in the section on Delivery and Resources has been deleted: "Note that the mid-semester exam is held during the lecture time in Week 7. All students must attend the mid-session exam during the lecture time in week 7.  There is no separate arrangement available for evening students to sit this exam." The mid-semester exam will now be conducted online in Week 7.