Course Outline PSYC1003 PDF

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Course outline for Sem 1 2018...

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PSYC1003 Course Outline Psychology I: Understanding Mind, Brain and Behaviour Semester 1, 2018 PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ THIS COURSE OUTLINE CAREFULLY

TABLE OF CONTENTS MODE OF DELIVERY, PREREQUISITES AND CONTACTS ..................................................................................................... 2 COURSE OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Course Description ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Goals And Expectations ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Lecture Material ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Laboratory Classes.................................................................................................................................................... 4 Student Engagement ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Correspondence With Staff ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Honours Pathway Option ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Support For Students.................................................................................................................................................... 5 Feedback ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Staff Feedback .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Student Feedback..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Policies .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Required Resources ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Field Trips...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Additional Course Costs ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Examination Material Or Equipment............................................................................................................................ 6 Required Texts .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Lecture, Laboratory Classes, And Assessment Schedule .............................................................................................. 7 ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Assessment Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 8 Assessment Tasks ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Assessment Task 1: Laboratory Report ......................................................................................................................... 8 Assignment Submission ............................................................................................................................................. 9 Extensions And Penalties ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Assessment Task 2: Laboratory Quizzes....................................................................................................................... 11 Assessment Task 3: Research In Psychology Experience ............................................................................................. 11 Assessment Task 4: Final Examination ......................................................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX A: Laboratory Attendance Rule .....................................................................................................................13 APPENDIX B: Examination Rules, Deferred and Supplementary Exams ......................................................................... 15 APPENDIX C: Academic Honesty, Plagiarism and Code of Practice ................................................................................ 17 1 | THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

MODE OF DELIVERY, PREREQUISITES AND CONTACTS

Mode of Delivery

On campus

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Incompatible Courses

None

PSYC1003 Course Convenor:

Associate Professor Anne Aimola Davies

Phone:

(02) 6125 5533

Email:

[email protected]

Office hours for student consultation:

By appointment

Research Interests

Cognitive Experimental Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Visual Attention, and Belief Formation

PSYC1003 Assistant Course Convenor:

Ms Jolene Cox

Phone:

(02) 6125 2716

Email:

[email protected]

Office hours for student consultation:

By appointment

Research Interests

Visual Perception and Cognition

Lecturer (Cognitive Psychology)

Associate Professor Anne Aimola Davies

Email:

[email protected]

Office hours for student consultation:

By appointment

Research Interests

Cognitive Experimental Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Visual Attention, and Belief Formation

Lecturer (Developmental Psychology)

Associate Professor Evan Kidd

Email(s):

[email protected]

Office hours for student consultation:

By appointment

Research Interests

Developmental Processes in Language Acquisition and Syntax Processing

Lecturer (Statistics and Research Methods)

Ms Sheri Kim

Email(s):

[email protected]

Office hours for student consultation:

By appointment

Research Interests

Research Methods, Meta-analysis, and Effect Sizes

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COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Description PSYC1003 covers three content modules: Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, as well as Statistics and Research Methods. The course aims to provide an introduction to these topic areas through both the lecture and laboratory class program. Students will learn about key theories and seminal research in cognitive and developmental psychology, and how these theories have been applied to modern-day issues and research topics. Students will also be exposed to fundamental statistical concepts and basic techniques, as well as research methodology and ethical principles commonly employed in the field of psychological research. Overall, the course will address questions, such as: “How does the human perception system work?”, “How does our mind interpret and make adjustments to incoming information?”, “What are the key developmental stages?” and “How is human functioning impaired if these critical stages are disrupted?” No prerequisite knowledge is required for this course. Many students enrolled in PSYC1003 will continue on to enrol in PSYC1004 in Semester 2, 2018. Completion of both PSYC1003 and PSYC1004 is required for most later-year psychology courses. Learning Outcomes On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will achieve the following: 1. Foundational understanding of key models of human cognition, and the underlying neurological mechanisms involved in visual perception, attention and memory. 2. Foundational understanding of key topics in developmental psychology, including classical developmental theories, biological, cognitive and social development, and how ideas from developmental psychology are applied to understanding contemporary issues in the public domain. 3. Introduction to, and understanding of, research methodology, as well as the core statistical concepts and techniques commonly employed across the different research areas within psychology. 4. Begin to develop the ability to understand and critically analyse theoretical and empirical material in cognitive and developmental psychology. 5. Begin to develop the ability to understand the theoretical basis of a psychological experiment, comprehend the experimental findings in the context of the research questions(s) and the implications for current understanding, construct a logical narrative and effectively communicate this information through the write-up of a research laboratory report.

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Goals and Expectations Lecture Material: The lecture program in this course aims to provide an introduction to the key theories and research in cognitive and developmental psychology. Additionally, information about research methodology and statistics will establish the foundation upon which students will learn to assess the veracity of existing theory and empirical findings in psychology. Lecturers will also strive to connect psychological knowledge presented in class to real-world issues and behaviours. Laboratory Classes: The laboratory class program is designed to supplement the lecture and textbook material by further developing the concepts and ideas via a more hands-on approach. Students will be exposed to actual psychological experiments, which test the phenomenon of interest. Results of these experiments will also be analysed and discussed in class. Additionally, students will be introduced to topical issues via audio-visual materials (i.e., videos) and active discussions around these topics will be facilitated by tutors. Through the laboratory class program, students are expected to cultivate and gain the skills presented in the table below. Specialised Psychological Skills Research Methods, Experiments in Human Cognition, Experiments in Developmental Psychology, Research Ethics, Interpretation of Basic Statistical Data, Laboratory Report Writing

General Academic and Working Skills Communication, Team-work, Public Speaking, Brain-storming, Academic Writing, Literature Search using Library Resources

Student Engagement: Students are expected to attend weekly lectures (three hours each week), as well as a total of 7 two-hour laboratory classes over the semester. In addition, there is an expectation that students will regularly and consistently engage in the course readings, as stipulated by the lecturers. Sections of the assigned readings will be assessed via five on-line quizzes administered during laboratory classes (see Schedule, p. 7 for dates). On average, students are expected to spend approximately 10 hours of work on this course per week, including the time spent in lectures and laboratory classes. Note: Attendance at laboratory classes is COMPULSORY, and any absences will be subjected to the laboratory attendance rule, highlighted in Appendix A of this course outline. Correspondence with Staff: Staff members (i.e., course convenor, assistant course convenor, lecturers, and tutors) often correspond with students via email at various points throughout the semester. Please note as per the policy of the Research School of Psychology (RSP), we will strive to answer email within two working days of receiving the email, although at the busier times of the year (e.g., due date for a written assignment), a response to your email may take longer. Finally, as per the RSP policy, it is not our practice routinely to answer emails on the weekend, outside normal business hours, or while we are on leave. Please remember that, when writing e-mails to staff members at the university, you will be doing so in a professional context, not a personal one. You can find instructions on how to write e-mails in the international journal Nature, see link http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/e-mail-13953985.

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Honours Pathway Option Entry to the Honours Pathway Option (HPO) will be subject to the approval of the PSYC1003 Course Convenor. The Research School of Psychology has major research strengths in various fields, such as cognition, perception, social psychology, and clinical/health psychology. In the Honours Pathway Option, first year students have the opportunity to explore work on advanced topics related to one of these broad areas. PSYC1003 students who take the HPO are required to complete an article critique exercise in an area of psychological science, relating to cognitive or developmental psychology. Details about the assignment will be made available on Wattle. Students should note, however, that completing the HPO: (1) is not required for entry into Psychology Honours at the ANU, and (2) does not increase the likelihood that you will be accepted into Psychology Honours at the ANU. The HPO is available for students in the Bachelor of Psychology (who are required to do four Honours Pathway Option courses), or for other students wishing to pursue additional work in PSYC1003. For more information, see link Honours Pathway Option (HPO). Support for Students The University offers a number of support services for students. Information on these is available online, see link http://students.anu.edu.au/studentlife/. First-year students may find support about time management at university to be particularly helpful, see link http://www.anu.edu.au/students/learning-development/new-at-anu/time-management. Feedback Staff Feedback: Students will be given feedback in the following forms in PSYC1003:  Written comments will be given to individual students on their research laboratory reports  Feedback will be given to the class as a whole in the form of general comments on the research laboratory report  Feedback will be requested from class representatives at least twice through the semester at a general meeting for class representatives. Student Feedback: ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys. The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. For more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses, see links:  http://unistats.anu.edu.au/surveys/selt/students/ and  http://unistats.anu.edu.au/surveys/selt/results/learning/. Policies ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. You can find the University’s education policies, and an explanatory glossary here, see link http://policies.anu.edu.au/. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule Policy before the commencement of their course. Other key policies include:  Student Assessment (Coursework)  Student Surveys and Evaluations. 5 | THE A US TRA LIAN N ATION AL UN IVE RS ITY

Required Resources There are no resources other than the required texts (see below). Field Trips None Additional Course Costs None Examination Material or Equipment For approved dictionaries in accordance with ANU Policies, see link http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/assessment-arrangementsfor-students-from-language. Required Texts 1. Burton, L. J., Westen, D., & Kowalski, R. M. (2015). Psychology (4th Australian and New Zealand ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley and Sons Australia 2. Burton, L. J. (2018). An interactive approach to writing essays and research reports in psychology (4th ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley and Sons Australia 3. Haslam, S. A., & McGarty, C. (2014). Research methods and statistics in psychology (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE We recommend that you read the current editions of these textbooks, which can be purchased from the Co-op Bookshop, located at the ANU Pop-Up Village, or borrowed from the ANU Hancock Library. Why the current edition of the textbooks? Lecturers are likely to identify required readings by specifying specific page numbers in the textbooks. If you purchase an earlier edition, you will be responsible for finding someone who has the current edition (or go to the library and borrow the current edition), to determine if the equivalent pages exist in the older edition, and if they do, to locate the page numbers in your edition of the textbook. By “Required Texts”, we mean that students may be examined on content in the textbook that is not presented in either the lectures or the laboratory classes. It does not mean students must purchase the book – they only must read the book (e.g., students can purchase the book, or they can read a friend’s copy of the book, or they can read a copy of the book borrowed from the library). We have placed copies of each of these required textbooks on reserve in the ANU Library. If you would prefer not to purchase copies for yourself, these textbooks are available for either a two-hour or a two-day library loan. The books are located near the Information Desk in the ANU Hancock Library, and can be borrowed and used within the Library. Most books can be borrowed overnight if they are borrowed within two hours of Library closing time. Two-hour-loan items borrowed overnight are due back by opening time on the next business day. Please click here for more information. Note: The Haslam and McGarty (2014) and the Burton, Westen and Kowalski (2015) books are accessible electronically through the ANU Library: Burton, Westen, & Kowalski (2015): Psychology (4th Australian and New Zealand ed.) e-textbook. Haslam & McGarty (2014): Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology e-textbook 6 | THE A US TRA LIAN N ATION AL UN IVE RS ITY

PSYC1003 2018 Lecture, Laboratory Classes, and Assessment Schedule Semester Week/ Date

Lectures Tuesday, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Laboratory Classes

Assessments

Commence Research Participation: Sign up on SONA

Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

1/ 19 February

Introduction and Welcome to Psychology

Cognitive Psychology: An Introduction

No Laboratory Class – Enrol via Wattle

2/ 26 February

Research Methods and Statistics: Research Methods

Cognitive Psychology: Sensation and Perception

No Laboratory Class – Enrol via Wattle

3/ 5 March

Research Methods and Statistics: Experiment...