| Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba | |
| Short Description: | Psychology Honours Project A |
| Units : | 2 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences |
| School or Department : | School of Psychology and Counselling |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 090701 - Psychology |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BSCH (Psychology major 12302) or BPSH
Other requisites
BPSH students must have completed the first 3 years with a GPA of 5.0 across levels 1 to 3 psychology courses.
Rationale
This is the first of two courses that contribute towards the Psychology Honours Project. The overall project will involve an individual piece of research in a selected area of psychology in which information concerning an approved topic is gathered, organised, analysed and discussed in a critical and evaluative manner. The research requires advanced knowledge of research methodology and appropriate techniques for analysing data.
Synopsis
This course enables students to develop evidence-based skills through the completion of a research project. Students are required to decide on a topic; submit an ethics application and research proposal; commence their review of the literature; begin the operational phase of their research; and submit a progress report at the end of the semester.
This course contains a mandatory residential school for both external and on-campus students.
Objectives
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- formulate a research question and/or hypotheses based on previous literature in the chosen field;
- determine an appropriate methodology that will address the particular research question and/or hypotheses;
- select and/or develop any materials necessary for the conduct of the project (e.g., surveys, interviews);
- Identify ethical issues inherent within the chosen project and address these issues in a manner that is consistent with Australian Psychological Society guidelines and the National Statement of Human Research Ethics via gaining ethics approval or an exemption for the proposed research project.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | To be determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervisor. | 100.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=PSY4101)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
American Psychological Association 2020, Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edn, APA, Washington DC.
Reference materials
Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Adelheid, AMN & Pexman, PM 2010, Displaying your findings: A practical guide for creating figures, posters, and presentations, 6th edn, American Psychological Society, Washington DC.
Adelheid, AMN & Pexman, PM 2010, Presenting your findings: A practical guide for creating tables, 6th edn, American Psychological Society, Washington DC.
Cone, JD & Foster, SL 2019, Dissertations and theses from start to finish: Psychology and related fields, 3rd edn, American Psychological Society, Washington DC.
Meltzoff, J 2017, Critical thinking about research: Psychology and related fields, 2nd Revised edn, American Psychological Society, Washington DC.
Miller, AB 2009, Finish your dissertation once and for all! How to overcome psychological barriers, get results, and move on with your life, American Psychological Society, Washington DC.
Reference materials will depend on the particular topic under investigation. While different types of materials may be consulted, depending on the nature of the topic, it is envisaged that psychology journal articles will make up the bulk of the reference materials.
The references listed above are guides that may assist students in their selection of topics and writing up of their thesis project.
The references listed above are guides that may assist students in their selection of topics and writing up of their thesis project.
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Private Study | 301.00 |
| Residential Schools | 16.00 |
| Supervisor Consultation | 13.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ResSchool Attend&Participation | 1 | 25 Feb 2020 | (see note 1) | ||
| Thesis | 100 | 100 | 25 Feb 2020 | 1,2,3,4 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- Residential School attendance is a mandatory requirement and location will be advised at the start of semester.
- Submission dates and detailed instructions for Assessment items will be advised at the beginning of the Semester. Students will receive an IIP in this course until the thesis is submitted in PSY4102.
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
Attendance at the two, one-day residential schools is mandatory. Location of the residential schools will be advised at the start of semester. It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures and consultation with supervisors) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete the residential school attendance and participation satisfactorily students must achieve 100% for the item. To complete the thesis satisfactorily students must obtain at least 50% of the total marks available for the item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
If satisfactory progress has been made by the end of semester, the student will be awarded an interim grade of IIP, indicating satisfactory performance in the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
When the Psychology Research Project has been assessed in its entirety, the grade of IIP will be changed to the final grade. For example, if the student receives an HD for Psychology Honours Project B, then the grade of IIP for Psychology Honours Project A would be changed to an HD. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there were no examinations in this course there will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
-
Students are not allowed to begin data collection until the Ethics Application for their project has been approved in writing.
-
APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.
-
As part of the mandatory residential school, students may be expected to complete a combination of laboratories, practical classes and assessment as advised by the course examiner.