THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE - Faculty of Health Sciences

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOL 3027
Psychology, Science & Society
2015
COURSE INFORMATION
1
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the undergraduate program is to provide students with a
thorough education in the scientific discipline of psychology, while also introducing
students to the application of the discipline. Psychology in third year is intended to
build on the material that you learned about in earlier years, and to provide you with a
more advanced treatment of these topics. At this level, you are given an opportunity to
choose your courses from among a number of electives. This will enable you to begin to
develop your knowledge and understanding of psychology in those areas that hold
particular fascination for you. However, the practice of psychology typically requires an
ability to interpret behaviour from several different perspectives, so students planning
to major in this discipline are strongly recommended to opt for a broad cross-section of
courses from those on offer. There will be ample opportunity for further specialisation
in later years.
The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) guidelines suggest that, across
Levels I to III, students wishing to be psychologists should study the following: abnormal
psychology; biological bases of behaviour; cognition, information processing and
language; individual differences in capacity and behaviour, testing and assessment,
personality; learning; lifespan developmental psychology; motivation and emotion;
perception; social psychology; history and philosophy of psychology; and intercultural
diversity and indigenous psychology. Since psychology is an evidence-based discipline,
all students should also be familiar with the range of methodologies employed to collect
and analyse data relevant to the above topics. In addition, students should be sensitive
to cultural and ethical issues that may impact on the way that the knowledge acquired
should be interpreted and used.
The emphasis in the courses taught in third year continues to be on the fundamental
principles and methods of psychological science. Nevertheless, consideration is also
given to the application of psychology to practical problems and important social
questions. More detailed attention will be given to the roles played by psychologists in
tackling these applied issues during fourth year, and even more so in our Masters
programs. At that postgraduate level especially, you will be equipped with the specific
skills required to relate the core concepts and techniques in psychology to real human
needs wherever they may be found. Writing and communicating effectively are
important graduate attributes: in Level III you will further develop your skills in writing
for psychology.
This third year of study in psychology is intended, therefore, to be the culmination of
your introduction to this important discipline. For those who do not wish to become
professional psychologists, the knowledge and skills you will acquire this year will serve
you well in whatever career path you choose to pursue in the future. For others,
however, this is the year that may open the door for you to undertake further
professional training as a psychologist at the honours and postgraduate level.
Irrespective of which category you belong to, we wish you well in the courses that you
elect to take with us.
2
PSYCHOL 3027: Psychology, Science & Society
Course Coordinator: A/Prof Amanda LeCouteur
Room 510 Hughes Building; phone 8313 35557;
email: amanda.lecouteur@adelaide.edu.au
Aims
This course looks at Psychology as a complex human enterprise that is concerned
with the production, dissemination, and application of psychological knowledge. It
also extends and builds upon the second year course on social psychology. The broad
aim of the course is to show how our understanding of Psychology can be aided by
recent developments in related disciplines such as philosophy, history, and sociology.
In particular, the course focuses on Psychology’s relationship to science, and theories
that provide critical perspectives on social psychology’s main topics such as attitudes,
social categorisation, attributions and social identity.
Objectives
On successful completion of this topic students should be able to meet the following
objectives:



Display an understanding of the implications of recent work in the
philosophy of science for the foundational concerns of the science of
Psychology.
Demonstrate familiarity with a range of epistemologies and methodologies
as practised in various subsections of the discipline of Psychology.
Display an appreciation of the complexity, multiplicity and contextdependence of the processes of psychological explanation and practice.

Understand competing theoretical approaches of how individuals and
groups attend to, process, interpret, and mentally represent complex social
information;

Understand alternative critical approaches to standard social psychological
topics such as attributions, categorisation, stereotyping, and social identity.
General references
Recommended readings for Assoc Professor Amanda LeCouteur’s course will be
made available via MyUni throughout the course.
The main text for the social psychology course taught by Prof Martha Augoustinos
will be:
Augoustinos, M., Walker, I. & Donaghue, N. (2006). Social Cognition: An Integrated
Introduction. (2nd ed.) Sage: London.
Additional reading and references will be made available on MyUni.
TUTORIALS
The course will include 4 tutorials (2 from each section of the course). The focus of
these will be upon applied applications of core theories and principles.
3
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING EXERCISES (SDLs)
Several self-directed learning exercises will also be provided to students during weeks
that do not contain tutorials. Most of these will be background reading relating to
coursework.
ASSESSMENT
Examination (150 min): 50%
Major Practical Report: 40%
Tutorial attendance: 10%
IMPORTANT DATES
Major Practical Report
Due date 4.30pm Monday 4 May
LECTURE & TUTORIAL TIMETABLE
Week
Beginning
Week
No.
Tuesday 2.10pm
Flentje L/T
March 2
1
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
2
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
March 16
3
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
March 23
4
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
March 30
5
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
April 6
6
Amanda LeCouteur
Amanda LeCouteur
March 9
April 13
Thursday 12.10pm
Tutorial/SDL
Horace Lamb L/T
Tutorial
Mid Semester Break
April 20
April 27
7
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
May 4
8
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
May 11
9
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
May 18
10
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
May 25
11
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
June 1
12
Martha Augoustinos
Martha Augoustinos
4
Tutorial
Tutorial
Tutorial
PRACTICALS
Practical work is a required part of each Level III Psychology course. Any student who
has a demonstrable ethical concern with respect to participation in particular practical
work, is asked to raise the matter initially with the course Coordinator of the course
involved. The possibility of suitable alternative practical work will then be discussed.
The work which is submitted for assessment must be the work of the individual student
alone, except for material which is acknowledged as being derived from another, or
material allowed to be submitted as a group project. Study together and discuss your
assignment with others, but ensure that for individual reports the work submitted is
your own: do your writing quite independently.
If you miss any activity in connection with practical work (e.g. through illness), contact
the relevant Course Coordinator as soon as possible. By their nature, some flexibility is
possible with some practicals, but you can be helped only if you ask.
TUTORIALS
Tutorial classes are associated with Level III courses. Tutorials form part of the course
content and the material in them may be examinable. Please check the timetable
associated with each course.
PRIZE IN PSYCHOLOGY III
An Academic Prize is awarded to the candidate who has achieved the highest marks in
their Level III prerequisites for entry into the Honours Psychology course. The prize is
called the Roby Fletcher Munn Prize, and its value is $200.
PSYCHOLOGY AFTER level III
Honours Psychology Entry for 2016
Students will graduate their Honours year with a Bachelor of Psychological Science
(Honours) irrespective of what they completed for their 3-year degree. This will apply to
all students except for the students enrolled in the 4-year degree, Bachelor of
Psychology (Honours).
For entry to the Honours Degree in Psychology, it is necessary to have qualified for an
Ordinary Degree. Level III students in Psychology at the University of Adelaide need to
have completed the major sequence in Psychology. The major sequence in Psychology
at Level III requires completion of the Research Methodology course and a selection of
Level III courses in Psychology to provide a total value of 12 units or more.
5
Entry into Honours is based strictly on the academic performance of the psychology
courses taken at Level II and DRIP:A and the three highest marks for psychology courses
taken at Level III. The formula is as follows:
Weighted Average =
(Level II psych x 40% weighting) + (Level III psych x 60% weighting)
Offers are made in rank order according to the calculated weighted averages and first
round offers are made in mid-December with second round being offered in early
January.
Completion of the Honours degree opens up a number of alternative career pathways.
(1)
At present graduates with four years of university study in Psychology can seek
an additional two years of approved supervised practical experience as
provisionally registered Psychologists. On completion of the two years’
supervised practice, they would be eligible to seek full registration from AHPRA
to practise as Psychologists in Australia. This is a relatively uncommon pathway
in South Australia, due to the small number of available supervision places.
(2)
Application may be made for entry into postgraduate courses leading to
registration by AHPRA as a Psychologist. A range of such courses are offered by
various universities within Australia. Typically, as within this School, they are of
two years full-time duration, combine coursework with a research project and
supervised practice, and lead to a Master of Psychology degree. Once again there
is strong competition for the limited number of places available in such
programs. Some Master of Psychology degree programs require up-front fees
for most students.
(3)
Honours graduates may also seek to enrol for a higher degree (PhD or Master of
Philosophy) by research. These typically require two years of fulltime study for a
Master degree and three to four years for a PhD. A range of scholarships is
available for pursuing this option, of which the most familiar is the Australian
Postgraduate Award. A high First Class Honours degree is required to obtain an
APA although additional scholarships offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences
will generally be available to any student who achieves a first class award.
Opportunities may also exist for the most elite students to complete a
PhD/Master of Psychology degree, which leads to eligibility for registration as a
Psychologist.
In recent years the employment prospects for Psychologists have been good in
comparison to many other university graduates and projections of future employment
prospects continue to be comparatively optimistic.
6