96841 Cognitive Psychology
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
Perceptions and biases filter individuals’ experiences of the world through an imperfect personal lens. This subject demonstrates this by exploring classic theories and empirical studies in psychology that reveal why humans often make irrational decisions, why memory is malleable, and how we can perceive our surroundings without conscious awareness.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 005. | Employ psychological concepts to explain and predict behaviour with sensitivity to the limitations of that knowledge |
|---|---|
| 007. | Interpret behavioural phenomena at an appropriate level of complexity |
| 027. | Implement strategies to minimise the influence of common fallacies in thinking that impair accurate research conclusions and predictions |
| 030. | Design or replicate a research study to confirm or disconfirm a testable hypothesis |
| 038. | Design or replicate a research study to confirm or disconfirm a testable hypothesis |
| 060. | Critically evaluate how the resilience, strengths and capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (and other Indigenous) peoples may contribute to professional practice in psychology |
| 067. | Craft a research report in adherence to the current American Psychological Association (APA) Style guide and formatting requirements |
| 068. | Craft clear and concise communications to fulfill a purpose and address specific audiences |
| 074. | Offer constructive feedback on a communication project |
| 075. | Summarise main ideas from psychology sources and research |
| 085. | Incorporate feedback from peers, educators, and mentors to improve task performance |
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)
- Psychological Literacy: Apply psychological science to meet personal, professional, and societal goals. (2.1)
- Research and Communication: Analyse, critique, and communicate theory and research in psychology. (2.2)
- Interpersonal and Teamwork: Practice effective intrapersonal, interpersonal, and teamwork skills. (2.3)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
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.
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.
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: Audio Presentation
| Intent: | The intention of this assessment is to develop skills in employing a psychological concept (i.e., the sunk cost fallacy) to educate a specific audience (i.e., high school aged children) on ways to improve their decision-making. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 005, 027 and 068 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.1 and 2.2 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | 2 min audio recording + written transcript and references list with 3 - 5 references |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria available on Canvas. |
Assessment task 2: Quizzes
| Intent: | This assessment allows students to test their understanding of the content associated with each topic. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 005, 007 and 075 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.1 and 2.2 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | 4 x 5-item tests (20 questions in total) |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria are available on Canvas. |
Assessment task 3: Journal Article Summary and Critical Reflection
| Intent: | The intention of this assessment is for you to develop skills in extracting and critically evaluating the main ideas from a scientific journal article. A further intention is to contribute to your capacity to work with and for Indigenous peoples. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 060 and 075 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 1.1 and 2.2 |
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | 1,200 words |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria available on Canvas. |
Assessment task 4: Research Report and Peer Review
| Intent: | The intention of this assessment is to learn about complex behavioural phenomena via a classic research study in cognitive psychology. A further intention is to develop skills in research communication, data visualisation, and peer review. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 007, 030, 038, 067, 074 and 085 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | Part A: 1,100 word research report excluding references list; Part B: 200 word written response. |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria available on Canvas |
Recommended texts
Goldstein, B. E. (2019). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.
O’Shea, R. & McKenzie, W. (2021). Writing for Psychology. 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.