PSYCHOL 3022 - Individual Differences, Personality & Assessment
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PSYCHOL 3022 Course Individual Differences, Personality & Assessment Coordinating Unit Psychology Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites PSYCHOL 2004, PSYCHOL 2005, PSYCHOL 2006 and PSYCHOL 2007 Assessment Online exercises, written practical report, written exam. Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Nicholas Burns
Additional Academic Staff:
Prof Nick Burns - Ph +61 8313 3965; Email - nicholas.burns@adelaide.edu.au
Dr Matthew Welsh - Ph +61 8313 8024; Email - matthew.welsh@adelaide.edu.au
Emeritus Prof Ted Nettelbeck - Ph +61 8313 3770; Email - theodore.nettelbeck@adelaide.edu.au
Dr Peter Strelan - PH +61 8313 5662; Email - peter.strelan@adelaide.edu.au
School of Psychology Office:
Ph - +61 8313 5693; Email - psychologyoffice@adelaide.edu.au
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
At the successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. Understand the psychometric debate relating to different theories of personality and intelligence
2. Understand how contemporary psychometric theory is applied to the assessment of individual differences.
3. Apply the principles of psychological assessment
4. Understand the extent to which individual differences in putative enduring characteristics and dispositions are related to human behaviour, cognition, emotion and motivation
5. Understand how individual differences can be applied to improve an understanding of psychological concepts
6. Recognise the content of different kinds of ability and personality tests and to be familiar with the practical and ethical considerations associated with psychological testing
7. Analyse data using computer-based procedures taught as part of PSYCHOL 2004 Doing Research in Psychology and more advanced methods taught in this course.
8. Know how to format a manuscript for submission to a psychology journal according to American Psychological Association format guidelines
9. Prepare a practical report that takes the form of a manuscript similar to that which would be submitted to a journal for publication
10. Prepare a tutorial paper, participate in group discussion of relevant issues and make a presentation to the tutorial group.University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
7, 8, 9, 10 -
Learning Resources
Recommended Resources
Barr Smith Library – Psychology on the Web
The Library is a major resource centre for students. The Research Librarian for Psychology, Maureen Bell, provides some useful information through the Internet at http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/psychology. The website contains a list of databases, links to tutorials and help with searching methods.
For additional information regarding recommended resources please refer to the relevant Psychology Program Handbook and the Undergraduate Program Handbook at the following link:
http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/current-students/forms-handbooks/Online Learning
This course may use MyUni for one or more of the following:
• Communication with students via Announcements and Discussion Board
• Submission of summative assessment
• Access to lecture recordings
• Access to tutorial materials
• Additional readings
• Self-directed learning activities
• Exam preparation materials
Link to MyUni:
https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/ -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Lectures are supported by summative exercises that test course content and tutorials that extend material covered in lectures. Core curriculum, including the research practical, is taught within a structure that reflects the research strengths of the School of Psychology so that topics covered can be explicitly linked to research conducted within the School.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
24 x 1 hour lectures = 24 hours
1 x 1 hour practical = 1 hours
4 x 1 hour tutorials = 4 hours
1 x exam = 2.5 hours
Reading & revision = 50.5 hours
Preparation for tutorials = 12 hours
Preparing practical report = 37 hours
Completing summative assignments = 25 hours
TOTAL hours/semester = 156 hours
Workload per week = 13 hoursLearning Activities Summary
The following is a provisional timetable that is subject to revision:
Week Topic Week 1 1. Psychometrics I
2. Psychometrics II
3. PracticalWeek 2 1. Psychometrics III
2. Personality Models I
3. TutorialWeek 3 1. Personality Models II
2. Behavioural Genetics & PersonalityWeek 4 1. Current Topics in Personality
2. Bias in Decision Making IWeek 5 1. Bias in Decision Making II
2. Bias in Decision Making IIIWeek 6 1. Intelligence: Psychometric Theories I
2. What the Flynn Effect Means
3. TutorialWeek 7 1. Other intelligences I
2. Other intelligences II
3. TutorialWeek 8 1. Beyond IQ
2. Emotional intelligenceWeek 9 1. Sex differences in intelligence
2. Creativity, expertise, giftedness & wisdom
3. TutorialWeek 10 1. Applications in education and the workplace
2. Applied individual differences: Just world beliefsWeek 11 1. Applied individual differences: Forgiveness
2. Applied individual differences: OptimismWeek 12 1. Applied individual differences: Human values
2. Individual differences and Social Psychology
3. Tutorial -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning outcome(s) being addressed Summative exercise 1 Summative 5% 1-5 Summative exercise 2 Summative 5% 1-5 Summative exercise 3 Summative 5% 1-5 Summative exercise 4 Summative 5% 1-5 Practical Report Summative 30% 6-9 Examination
(150 minutes)Summative 50% 1-5 Assessment Detail
Each summative exercise is a completed on-line and covers topics within the course: personality & psychometrics; decision making; intelligence; and applied individual differences.
The practical aims to provide experience in (i) completing cognitive and personality test inventories, (ii) collecting, collating and analysing data to test theoretically generated hypotheses , and (iii) writing a report that conforms with discipline publication requirements. Part (i) is completed in-class and online. Parts (ii) and (ii) are completed in the student’s own time within a specified deadline for submission.
The examination consists of short answer and essay questions, that, together, cover the full course of lectures.
Please refer to the relevant Psychology Program Handbook and the General Handbook for Undergraduate Psychology students (available at the link below) for further details relating to assessment:
http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/current-students/forms-handbooks/Submission
Please refer to the General Handbook for Undergraduate Psychology students (available at the link below) for details on submission process/requirements, penalties for late submission, the process of applying for extensions, and the staff “turn-around” timeline on assessments and the provision of feedback and policy relating to re-submission/redemptive work.
http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/current-students/forms-handbooks/Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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