| Semester 2, 2023 Online | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Psychology and Wellbeing |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator: James Brown
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BSCH (12302 Psychology) or BSHP or MRES (19112 Psychology). BPSH students need to apply for manual enrolment in this course.
Overview
As an evidence-based discipline, psychological research forms the foundation for the development and evaluation of interventions to address issues that impact on the health and wellbeing of all people. Psychologists can inform state and federal policy makers, and assist individuals, groups and communities through the application of psychological theory and scientific principles within a context of culturally sensitive communication and consultation.
The aim of this course is to further develop students' interpersonal communication skills, with a view to applying psychological perspectives to various current issues faced by contemporary Australians. Students will use research evidence to critically evaluate psychological theories in order to gain a greater understanding of current societal issues, and to develop suitable evidence-based interventions that are ethically sound, consistent with theory, and sensitive to diversity issues in 21st century Australian society such as culture, gender, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status.
BPSH students must have completed the first 3 years with a GPA of 5.0 across levels 1 to 3 psychology courses. These students will have to be manually enrolled.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course students will be able to:
- critically evaluate psychological theories that could be applied to a current societal issue in the areas of clinical, counselling, health, community, social or developmental psychology;
- assess and critically evaluate current societal issue affecting individuals, groups, and/or community wellbeing;
- identify the antecedents, possible consequences, and potential impact of a current societal issue at various systemic or community levels;
- develop ethical, evidence-based strategies or interventions that address the societal issue, thereby enhancing psychological health and wellbeing;
- identify relevant diversity issues that must be considered in developing and applying these interventions (e.g., culture, gender, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status);
- use high-level interpersonal communication skills in presenting findings.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | This course will focus on the advancement of students' critical understanding of various psychological theories that explain human behaviour from a range of differing perspectives. This understanding will be developed through comparisons of various theoretical frameworks and the application of these perspectives to issues faced by Australians today. Specific topics will vary depending on the expertise and discipline areas of staff involved in the course and the issues that are topical during the semester in which the course is run. | 100.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | No | 50 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Presentation (ind, grp, mltmd) | No | 50 | 1,4,5,6 |