PSY4100 · Psychology honours: Research project

Overview

The Honours year in psychology aims to increase your understanding of theoretical and methodological aspects of research, develop analytic, research, and communication skills, as well as provide you with advanced knowledge in the science and practice of psychology. In this unit, you will undertake a supervised research project that aims to provide training in both discipline specific and generic research skills and form the basis of an honours research thesis presented at the end of the year.

Areas of study: Psychology

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Critically review relevant and reliable scientific literature from a domain of research in psychology.
2. Analyse complex problems posed in selected domain of research in psychology and evaluate its global and societal impact.
3. Appraise a research gap and communicate clear rationale for proposed research in the discipline of psychology.
4. Evaluate different methodological and epistemological approaches for research and risk management in psychology and select an appropriate approach for addressing proposed research.
5. Demonstrate consideration of ethical guidelines/issues that govern the integrity of psychological research.
6. Formulate a project plan to outline the scope and requirements of proposed research.
7. Acquire a range of general and specialised technical skills that are relevant to research in psychology.
8. Implement psychological research and critically analyse the research findings by using appropriate techniques and tools.
9. Apply advanced theoretical knowledge and research methods to solve complex problems encountered in psychology research.
10. Communicate effectively to transmit complex psychological ideas and research to both a specialist and non-specialist scientific audience in a variety of formats.
11. Develop professional competencies and transferable skills including ethical practice, collaboration, reflection, critical thinking, and problem solving to pursue research and practice in fields of psychology.
12. Develop understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychology and demonstrate cultural safety, cultural responsiveness and reflexivity.

Workload

You are expected to be on campus 4 days (32 hours) per week, which includes around 3 days per week for the research project, 1 day (8 hours) per week for attending classes and related activities, and additional 4 hours as flexible independent study. Formal contact hours consist of regular meetings with the research supervisor(s) plus a series of seminars and workshops on skills required for conducting a psychology research project. The majority of your time will be spent in the design and implementation of the research, data collection and analyses. The remainder of the time would be spent in library searches, reading and preparation of the honours research thesis and presentation material.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.