HPS104 - Foundations of Psychological Science
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online Trimester 3: Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Alexander Mussap Trimester 3: Alexander Mussap |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | HBS108 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 2 hour online lecture per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 2 hour online lecture per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:All activities in this unit are optional. LECTURES will be held live but also recorded and made available to students who cannot attend. There is no need to sign up for them. LEARNING OBJECTIVES. These are pre-recorded, focus exclusively on assessment-related material, and can be used for self-study. Students who attend/watch Lecture Classes do not need to watch these recordings. SEMINARS are optional, run fortnightly, are recorded, and are offered primarily in online mode. Three of the seminar topics, where students may benefit from small-groups in-person attendance, are also offered on-campus (in weeks 3 or 4, 5 or 6, 7 or 8). Students must sign up on STAR to attend these three topics on-campus. There is no need to sign up to attend online. MEETINGS/DROP-INS are available online and run in weeks when seminars do not. These are 'Drop-In' sessions where students can meet staff, ask questions, receive additional support, etc. These are optional and are NOT recorded. | |
Content
This unit introduces students to the empirical foundations of psychology. The central question addressed is: 'What does it mean to be an evidence-based practitioner of psychology?'. Topics include: the nature of evidence in psychology; the relationship between psychological research and practice; experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental quantitative research designs; qualitative research; threats to the reliability and validity of research; statistics and the interpretation of results; ethical research and ethical practice in psychology.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain psychological phenomena: Describe the empirical and logical bases of psychological science. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Test the validity of psychological explanations: Formulate a research question and select an appropriate research design. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO3 | Conduct research into psychological phenomena: Implement a research design in a manner that is valid, ethical and feasible. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO6: Self-management GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO4 | Understand the results of psychological research: Describe and interpret the results of an empirical investigation into a psychological phenomenon. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
Assessment
Trimester 1, Trimester 2 and Trimester 3:| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Research Designs Worksheet | Worksheet activities: 750 words | 30% |
|
| Assessment 2: Factorial Designs Worksheet | Worksheet activities: 750 words | 15% |
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| Assessment 3: Research Evaluation | Short answer questions: 600 words | 20% |
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| Assessment 4: Plain Language Statement | Short Essay: 500 words | 15% |
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| Assessment 5: Examination | 90 minutes | 20% |
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The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for HPS104 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.