96843 Advanced Professional Skills and Ethical Issues in 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
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
Advanced interpersonal and professional skills including, effective communication, cultural responsiveness, micro-counselling and self-regulation are critical in areas of psychological practice and research. In this subject students develop skills in these areas and gain advanced insights into the importance of reflective practice and ethical decision making within psychology. There are opportunities for students to engage with and apply this knowledge to case examples, as well as opportunities to seek feedback and learn through reflective practice.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 016. | Critique key ethical principles governing psychological practice for the protection of clients and practitioners |
|---|---|
| 017. | Apply advanced knowledge while showing respect for different communication styles from different groups and peoples |
| 023. | Employ advanced knowledge of, and work within the current APS ethical guidelines for the provision of psychological services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples |
| 025. | Apply advanced knowledge of culture difference and biases that may reduce misunderstandings in communication |
| 032. | Incorporate self-awareness and self-care practices to support and/or promote high quality performance |
| 056. | Practice advanced interpersonal communication skills |
| 057. | Employ a combination of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies when interviewing and communicating with others |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Culturally Appropriate: Evaluate advanced knowledge and skills required for research and professional practice that is sensitive to diversity of individuals and culturally appropriate, while critically reflecting on the impacts of ongoing colonisation on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. (1.1)
- Interpersonal and Teamwork: Develop interpersonal, teamwork, and interview skills appropriate to psychological practice and research. (2.3)
- Lifelong Learning: Assemble advanced knowledge, skills, and attributes required for self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology and for ongoing personal and professional learning. (3.1)
- Values and Ethics: Appraise appropriate 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:
Culturally responsive - Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) are culturally responsive professionals, able to reflect on and explain their own cultural perspectives and accommodate cultural differences, particularly in the context of working with and for Indigenous Australians.
Psychologically and technologically literate - Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) understand psychology and behaviour from an evidence-based perspective, can apply psychological science to real-world problems, and are competent in the design, analysis, critique, and communication of research.
Lifelong learner - Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) appreciate the importance of lifelong learning and are equipped to undertake ongoing learning for personal development and professional practice as they move along the novice to expert continuum.
Global citizen - Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) 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 subject has been revised based on student feedback. We will be collecting further 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: Discussion Board: Intercultural Communication
| Intent: | This assessment provides a platform for students to demonstrate their advanced knowledge, personal reflexivity, and written communication skills regarding intercultural communication in professional settings. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 017 and 025 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 1.1 and 2.3 |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | 300 words |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria is available on Canvas |
Assessment task 2: Getting to know you & Getting to know myself task
| Intent: | This assessment provides students an opportunity to practice and demonstrate their advanced verbal and non-verbal counselling skills, including advanced interview skills. Students will also start developing their professional reflexive skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 032, 056 and 057 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 2.3 and 3.1 |
| Type: | Demonstration |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 5min video recording (Part A); 750 word written reflexive critique (Part B) |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria is available on Canvas |
Assessment task 3: Ethical Dilemmas: Clinical Case Vignettes
| Intent: | The assessment is focused on assessing advanced knowledge of the code of ethics and ethical guidelines for the protection of all clients and professionals. The intent is to engage students with current ethical codes and guidelines that govern psychological practice for the protection of clients and practitioners. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 016 and 023 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 1.1 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 10 multiple choice questions (10%) + 2 short answer questions (30%) (Note: each short answer question has three parts, and each individual part is 250-words max) |
| Criteria: | Marking criteria is available on Canvas |
Recommended texts
Corey, G. (2020). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Enhanced (10th Ed). Cengage Learning.
Egan. G & Reese, R. J. (2021).?The Skilled Helper.?(11th Edition); New York; Cengage Learning.
Morrissey, S., Reddy, P., Davidson, G.R., and Allan, A. (2015). Ethics and Professional Practice for Psychologists. (2nd 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.