PSYC30021: Psychological Science: Theory & Practice

Group poster worked on and completed within the research seminar classes – 10%
Individual lab report based on the poster due late in the semester (1500 words) – 50%
2 hour end-of-semester exam (4 compulsory essay style Qs – you don’t get to choose!) – 40%

This was the psychology major's capstone subject so like Research Methods for Human Inquiry, I was required to take this subject. I did enjoy this subject though there was sooooo much content! However, I found that even though I did have to cram a lot for this subject (fell behind during semester), it wasn’t actually that bad! Maybe that’s coz I’m so used to doing psych subjects but the way this subject integrated content and the way the lecturers presented their content was really good and made everything seem a little more manageable and interesting

So basically at the start of semester, you are put into a research seminar group (based on your choice and which study most interests you). There are a range of research topics offered, and you’re sure to find something that interests you! Because each seminar represents a different topic, it’s not like previous years where you can just timetable yourself into *any* tutorial – you must make sure you choose the correct tutorial number corresponding to your chosen/desired research study

At the start of semester, you form into groups (which usually just means forming a group with whoever you’re sitting with in the first tutorial) and then start thinking about what specific topic you and your group will formulate in relation to your broader research issue. Then you basically work on creating a research study of your chosen research topic/question and create a huge poster with all your lab report details on it (intro, method, discussion etc). The poster is pretty pro (not like the ones you do in grade 6 or anything LOL) so you basically do all your stuff on this powerpoint slide and then send that off to Judi so she prints it off for you on an A1 poster. Then, there’s a poster presentation night where you present your poster for the world to see Right after you finish your poster, you need to start working on your individual lab report (the same way you do your lab reports in previous psych subjects) and (for us) that was due roughly 2 weeks before the exam, so it’s good to start it early so you have more time to study for the exam

Anyways now that I’ve mentioned the whole research seminar side of things, let me talk about the exam. Basically you get 4 essay Qs and you are expected to write about 4-5 pages for each one, incorporating empirical research (in-text citations were not compulsory but would probably impress your assessor hahah). In terms of timing, I felt that 2 hours had me pressed for time but that’s probably coz I spent 15 mins extra on one of the questions. Writing ~15-20 pages in 2 hours is no easy feat; so use reading time wisely to try and plan your answers in your head or identify which empirical studies/research you could use in each essay Q. The questions they give are fair but can be vague if you haven’t studied the content enough. So as long as you do listen to all the lectures and understand the fundamental point that each lecturer is making, you should be fine for the exam Oh and don’t underestimate the power of cramming during swotvac! (I’m a bad influence T___T hahah).
All the best!

Yes!

Intro to subject. Scientist-Practitioner model & ethical principles – Judi Humberstone & Bob Reeve

Psychology of Addiction (Gambling, Alcohol, Drugs) - Rob Hester
->Lecture 10: "Can people control their addictive behaviour?" - the role of cognitive neuroscience & public policy in addressing addictive gambling and drugs
->Lecture 11: "Are people in control of their behaviour while intoxicated?" - prevailing issues in alcohol and drug intoxication

Exam briefing & future pathways discussion –Katherine Johnson

Note: Only lectures 2-11 are examinable. (1 essay question per lecturer)

Social Psychology lecture series –Yoshi Kashima
->Lecture 2: "How does my social environment influence me?" From the thinking man to talking nets & beyond
->Lecture 3: "How can we change social behaviour?" - the role of mass media and public campaigns
->Lecture 4: "Does our culture influence us? Can we influence our culture?" The case of climate change

Cognitive neuropsychology lecture series – Sarah Wilson
->Lecture 5: "What is cognitive control?" The role of the prefrontal cortex in regulating complex human behaviours
->Lecture 6: "Should I let them operate?" Applying knowledge of the prefrontal cortex in clinical neuropsychology

Moral, social and political psychology lecture series –Jeremy Ginges
->Lecture 7: Cooperation, markets and morals
->Lecture 8: Devoted actors and intergroup conflict
->Lecture 9: Intergroup perceptions and intergroup conflict

This subject is the Capstone subject undertaken by all Psychology majors. It basically extends upon the topics that have been introduced in 1st and 2nd year Psych and also introduces a few new topics. That said, 1st/2nd year psych is not a strict prerequisite but I believe the subject is a lot easier if you’ve at least got some psych background (e.g. in lab report writing and statistics).

No! But each lecturer provided 1 practice exam question and a brief guide of answering tips e.g. structure, how to discuss studies etc.

4/5

N/A

1x 2 hour lecture each week and 6 x 2 hour research seminars across the semester (conducted on alternating weeks, depending on which research topic you choose – you are given a list of research topics and timings before the semester starts and you can choose which one interests you, e.g. my research seminars ran in weeks 2,3,4,6,8,10).

Semester 2, 2014.

92 (H1)