Personality and Social Psychology

Subject PSYC20009 (2012)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2012.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Semester 2, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable

Lectures and Laboratory/Practical classes



Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: One x 2 hour Lecture per week plus one x 2 hour Laboratory/Tutorial per fortnight
Total Time Commitment:

36 contact hours with an estimated 120 hours time commitment

Prerequisites:

No prerequsisites are required for this subject

Corequisites:

No corequisites are required for this subject

Recommended Background Knowledge:

Prior coursework in the two Level 1 psychology subjects, Mind Brain and Behaviour 1 and Mind Brain and Behaviour 2 is recommended.

Non Allowed Subjects:

512223 Personality and Social Psychology 2

512228 Personality and Social Psychology

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards of Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit Website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Coordinator

Dr Simon Laham

Contact

Psychology

12th floor Redmond Barry Building (Building 115 Map)

Telephone: + 61 3 8344 6377

Email: enquiries@psych.unimelb.edu.au

Web: http://www.psych.unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

This subject examines human individuality and relatedness, the core themes of personality and social psychology. Its focus is on how we are unique individuals but also connected to others. The personality section investigates the nature and structure of individual differences, how these differences are assessed, and how they can be explained psychologically and biologically. The social psychology section examines how individuals construct their sense of self and identitiy, how they perceive and evaluate other people, how they form relationships, and how their behaviour is influenced by their social groups and cultural context.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial, and assessment structure of this subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of, and practical experience with, the appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate theories in Personality and Social Psychology.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject, students be able to:

  • give a critical account of some of the main theories in one or more topic areas in personality and social psychology
  • derive testable empirical predictions from a theory that are expressed in abstract, personality, or social psychological terms
  • assess the adequacy of a personality or social psychological theory in relation to a given set of experimental findings
  • summarise and analyse data in a way that is appropriate to the empiricial test of personality or social psychological theory, and
  • communicate clearly the relationships that exist between theory, predictions, empirical test, and subsequent inferences.
Assessment:

Written work of no more that 2000 words due mid-semester (40%)

An examination of no more than two hours (60%) to be completed at the end of semester during the specified University examination period.

Each piece of assessment must be completed (hurdle requirements). Attendance at 80% or more of the laboratory classes and a class presentation are hurdle requirements. In case of failure to meet either hurdle requirement, additional work will be required before a passing grade can be awarded.

Prescribed Texts:

There are no prescribed texts

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Students will be given appropriate opportunity and educational support to develop skills to:

  • critically appraise current knowledge and its internal structure
  • critically evaluate the methods used to acquire the current knowledge
  • critically analyse the current knowledge within the larger socio-historical and intellectual context
  • appropriately interpret empirical data in light of the current knowledge and methodological considerations
  • constructively plan a theoretical and empirical research project to advance knowledge
Related Course(s): Bachelor of Biomedicine
Graduate Diploma in Psychology
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Psychology
Psychology Major
Science credit subjects* for pre-2008 BSc, BASc and combined degree science courses
Science-credited subjects - new generation B-SCI and B-ENG. Core selective subjects for B-BMED.
Related Breadth Track(s): Mind, Self and Society

Download PDF version.