96839 Psychological Assessment, Ethics, and Professional Skills
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 96832 Introduction to Psychology Foundations AND 96833 Introduction to Psychological Science
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
Psychological assessment, ethics and professional skills are at the core of applied psychological practice and research. In this subject, students get hands on experience in the administration, scoring and interpretation of psychological assessment tools. They gain an understanding of the importance of using valid and reliable assessment tools in psychological practice and research. The subject also covers the Code of Ethics that guides and governs psychological work, enabling students to learn how to navigate relevant ethical dilemmas. Skills developed in this course provide a good foundation in the professional skills required by students wishing to pursue a career in applied psychology.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 045. | Justify why the study of ethics and engaging in ethical conduct is important within psychology and psychological science |
|---|---|
| 046. | Debate ethical principles in research, practice, and academic contexts as well as everyday life |
| 061. | Evaluate the cultural limitations of normative tests and assessments |
| 072. | Use inclusive language and examples in communication projects to optimise audience understanding and engagement |
| 073. | Generate questions intended to deepen or broaden the discussion related to a communication project |
| 092. | Conduct online interactions appropriate to the professional contexts |
| 094. | Participate in relevant activities to gain experience in the application of psychological methods and interventions |
| 098. | Describe the importance of using valid and reliable assessment tools in psychology |
| 102. | Demonstrate ability to correctly administer tests, interviews or other assessments |
| 103. | Interpret assessment results accurately |
| 104. | Communicate results of assessment in an appropriate format |
| 105. | Critique limitations and potential risks arising from psychological assessment |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Culturally Appropriate: Evaluate knowledge and skills required for research and professional practice that is sensitive to diversity of individuals, culturally appropriate, and cognisant of the impacts of ongoing colonisation on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. (1.1)
- Research and Communication: Analyse, critique, and communicate theory and research in psychology. (2.2)
- Lifelong Learning: Assemble knowledge, skills and attributes required for self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology and for ongoing personal and professional development. (3.1)
- Values, Skills, and Ethics: Employ appropriate knowledge, values, and ethical standards in psychological research and practice. (4.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
1. Culturally responsive
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology are culturally responsive professionals, able to reflect on and explain their own cultural perspectives and cultural differences, particularly in the context of working with and for Indigenous Australians.
2. Psychologically and technologically literate
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology understand psychology and behaviour from an evidence-based perspective, can apply psychological science to real-world problems, and are competent in the analysis and critique research.
3. Lifelong learner
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology appreciate the importance of lifelong learning and are equipped to undertake ongoing learning for personal and professional development.
4. Global citizen
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology possess respectful attitudes that allow them to contribute meaningfully to society as global citizens who promote and support fairness and social justice, and who are sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
Teaching and learning strategies
Orientation activities
Preparation for the session - You are expected to undertake activities during orientation week. These activities are designed to introduce you to the subject and your peers and will assist you to prepare for the subject's assessment tasks.
Independent learning activities
Relevant readings, videos and activities will be made available online relevant to the topic of the week. This will support your ability to progress successfully throughout the subject and complete assessment items effectively. The online material aims to enhance your understanding of the topic or delve deeper into a more specific area, compare experiences and ideas with others and gain feedback. Information and links to all these learning activities can be accessed via Canvas as well as the subject outline.
Zoom meetings
You are strongly encouraged to attend all scheduled Zoom meetings as they will prepare you for the subject’s assessment tasks. Additionally, they provide opportunities for group activities, discussion, self-assessment, peer review and formative feedback from the subject coordinator and your teaching team. The schedule for this subject’s zoom meetings is provided on Canvas.
Feedback
Feedback in this subject takes several forms including self-assessment, peer review, automatic feedback from interactive activities and from the teaching team. Formative feedback throughout the subject aims to increase your performance in summative assessments.
Feedback and changes from previous subject offering
This is the first offering of this subject, we will be collecting feedback from you in several forms to evaluate the design, relevance and depth of the content and its delivery. We appreciate you taking part in this process to ensure we are delivering subjects that are contemporary and meet your needs.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Applications of psychological assessment
| Intent: | This assessment provides students with experience in the application of psychological assessment methods. In this task, students will demonstrate their psychological assessment skills including administering, scoring and interpreting the results of real psychological assessment tools, as well as appropriately communicating the results of a psychological assessment. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 094, 102, 103 and 104 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 3.1 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | Part A: 2-minute Audio reflection (10%) Part B: Quiz - 4 questions (10%) |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria are available on Canvas |
Assessment task 2: Measurement critique
| Intent: | Psychological assessment tools are widely used across a range of applied settings (clinical, military, corporate, etc.) and for measuring outcomes in psychological research. Engaging in this task provides a platform for students to critically evaluate such tools (e.g., cross-cultural validity) and their use or misuse. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 061, 098 and 105 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 1.1 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Essay |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 1,250 words |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria are available on Canvas |
Assessment task 3: Group ethics presentation
| Intent: | This assessment provides a platform for students to demonstrate their understanding of ethical issues within psychology and the need to interact sensitively with people of diverse backgrounds, as well as demonstrate their effective teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 045, 046, 072, 073 and 092 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.2, 3.1 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 7 minutes |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria are available on Canvas |
Recommended texts
Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2017). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Egan, G. (2019). The skilled helper: A problem-management & opportunity-development approach to helping (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
American Psychological Association (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
O’Shea, R. & McKenzie, W. (2021). Writing for Psychology (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
References
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). (2020). Assessment of coursework subjects policy and procedures, UTS.
A comprehensive list of references and other resources are available in this subject in Canvas.
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
For other resources/information refer to the Faculty of Health website and Canvas.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: lib.uts.edu.au, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: +61 2 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.