Overview

This unit of study provides students with a broad introduction to foundational concepts and methods in psychological science as they apply to our experiences, perceptions and behaviour as social beings, and includes coverage of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology. This unit also provides students with introductory training in psychological research methods.

Requisites

Equivalent units
PSY10004 Psychology 101
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
04-November-2024
09-February-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-November-2024
Census date
29-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
27-December-2024
Results released date
04-March-2025
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 2
Location
Online
Start and end dates
07-July-2025
05-October-2025
Last self-enrolment date
20-July-2025
Census date
01-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
22-August-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Explain the general methods of investigation employed in psychological research, and show an appreciation of the main issues in research ethics
  • Explain key concepts from major content areas in psychology. These include: learning, memory, and cognition; developmental psychology; social psychology; intelligence, and other individual differences
  • Locate, organise and integrate information from various sources concerning topics and problems relating to psychology
  • Communicate in a logical and clear manner the results of investigating a topic or problems relating to psychology
  • Apply psychological theories, methods, and data to explain aspects of people’s everyday experiences and behaviours

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class		1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Activities
Various		2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Activities
Various		7.50 12 weeks 90
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Class		1.00 12 weeks 12
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		11.50 12 weeks 138
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 35% 1,4 
Assignment 2Individual 45% 1,2,3,4,5 
Online QuizIndividual 20% 1,2,5 

Content

  • Cognitive psychology
  • Individual differences
  • Developmental psychology
  • Social and cross-cultural psychology
  • Graduate Attribute 2 (Communication 2 - Communicating using different media)
  • Graduate Attribute 5 (Digital Literacies 1 - Information literacy)

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.