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Unit outline_

PSYC3015: Personality and Psychological Assessment

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit of study addresses current issues in personality, psychological testing, intelligence, and individual differences. Students are introduced to different theoretical models used in personality, intelligence, emotional intelligence, and metacognition and expected to critically evaluate these theories based on the supporting research evidence. This unit also presents different psychological testing techniques and methods.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
PSYC2012 and (PSYC2014 or PSYC2017)
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Nikolaos Tiliopoulos, niko.tiliopoulos@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
hurdle task
Final Exam
See Canvas for details.
50% Formal exam period 2 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11 LO12 LO13 LO17 LO18
Assignment Systematic Review
See Canvas for details.
40% Week 10
Due date: 01 May 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 29 May 2023
See Canvas for details.
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO10 LO13 LO14
Presentation Presentation
See Canvas for details.
10% Week 13 See Canvas for details.
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO18 LO17 LO16 LO15 LO13 LO12 LO10 LO9 LO8 LO6 LO4
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

  • Presentation: If you do not attempt the Presentation, you may apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a replacement assessment. If you do not attempt the Presentation and are not awarded Special Consideration, you will just receive 0 for the Presentation.
  • Systematic Review: If you do not attempt the Systematic Review by the closing date, you may apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a replacement assessment. If you do not attempt the Systematic Review by the closing date and are not awarded Special Consideration, you will just receive 0 for the Systematic Review.
  • Final Exam: If you do not attempt the Final Exam, you will need to apply for Special Consideration, from which the only outcome is a replacement exam. If you do not attempt the Final Exam and are not awarded Special Consisderation, you will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade for this unit, as the Final Exam is a compulsory assessment.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.

Distinction

75 - 84

At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.

Credit

65 - 74

At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.

Pass

50 - 64

At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the course Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6 LO10
Psychobiological theories of personality I Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO8
Week 02 Psychobiological theories of Personality II Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO8
Interpersonal theories of personality Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO10
Assignment preparation workshop Tutorial (2 hr) LO5 LO8 LO10 LO13 LO14 LO16
Week 03 Evolutionary theories of personality Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO10
Personality and health Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO8 LO10
Personality special focus Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO6 LO8 LO10 LO13 LO16
Week 04 Personality disorders I Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO12
Personality disorders II Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO12
Personality (clinical) profiling Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO6 LO10 LO13 LO16
Week 05 Personality disorders III Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO12
Metacognition I Lecture (1 hr) LO3 LO4 LO8 LO10 LO13
Personality and psychopathy (criminal profiling) Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO10 LO12 LO13 LO16
Week 06 Metacognition II Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO8 LO10
Individual Differences in Decision making Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO10 LO17 LO18
Metacognition Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO10 LO11 LO16
Week 07 Sex differences in intelligence Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO10 LO12 LO13
Intelligence and metacognition in education Lecture (1 hr) LO4 LO6 LO8 LO10 LO13 LO17 LO18
Sex differences in intelligence Tutorial (2 hr) LO8 LO10 LO12 LO13 LO16 LO17 LO18
Week 08 Giftedness Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO8 LO10 LO12
Individual Differences in Imposter Phenomenon Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO11 LO12
Week 09 TBA Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4 LO8
Week 10 Emotional Intelligence I Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO6 LO10
Emotional Intelligence II Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO6 LO10
Emotional intelligence Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO8 LO10 LO16
Week 11 Emotional intelligence III Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4 LO8
Psychological testing I: Reliability, validity & test standards Lecture (1 hr) LO6 LO7 LO9 LO11 LO13
Hands-on approach to psychological testing Tutorial (2 hr) LO7 LO9 LO10 LO11 LO13 LO16
Week 12 Psychological testing II: Purposes and overview Lecture (1 hr) LO6 LO7 LO9 LO11 LO13
Psychological testing III: Test use & development techniques Lecture (1 hr) LO6 LO9 LO11 LO13
Psychological testing in the workplace Tutorial (2 hr) LO4 LO9 LO10 LO11 LO13 LO16 LO18
Week 13 Psychological testing IV: Response distortion Lecture (1 hr) LO7 LO9 LO11 LO13
Psychological testing V: Applied issues Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO11 LO17 LO18
Presentation Tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO6 LO8 LO9 LO10 LO12 LO13 LO15 LO16 LO17 LO18

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the different major purposes and applications of psychological tests
  • LO2. understand the history and content of the main theoretical approaches to personality, intelligence or/and metacognition (trait theories, psychophysiological theories, interpersonal theories and evolutionary theories)
  • LO3. understand and be able to define and describe key concepts in metacognition. decision making, personality, intelligence, and emotional intelligence
  • LO4. understand the way that personality, intelligence, and metacognition predict valued life consequences such as successful aging, health, educational and workplace success
  • LO5. perform a systematic review, including formulation of a specific research question, creating search criteria of key terms, searching multiple relevant databases (e.g. PSYCInfo, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Medline), integrating the search in ENDNote, summarising findings in a table, and interpreting the meaning of the results
  • LO6. understand how different research designs can be used to answer specific questions (e.g. how to interpret a lagged panel model for determining the direction of causation)
  • LO7. display familiarity with assessment development techniques such as computer adaptive testing (CAT), anchoring vignettes, situational judgment test, the confidence judgment paradigm, and the overclaiming technique
  • LO8. respect and use critical and creative thinking, sceptical inquiry, and the scientific approach to solve problems related to thought and behaviour
  • LO9. evaluate psychological tests using the criteria outlined in the current version of the test standards
  • LO10. form a reasoned argument about current issues in intelligence, personality and metacognitive research
  • LO11. critically evaluate the administration and use of psychological tests, and identify their strengths and weaknesses (e.g. individually administered intelligence tests, emotional intelligence tests)
  • LO12. critically evaluate popular media or internet claims about personality and intelligence (e.g. critically evaluate internet sources that discuss gender differences in intelligence)
  • LO13. understand, follow and be able to evaluate ethical use of psychological tests and testing, research and the research process, and information use
  • LO14. write a systematic review paper in using American Psychological Association (APA) formatting conventions
  • LO15. prepare and present a presentation on current issues
  • LO16. participate in small and large group discussion
  • LO17. demonstrate knowledge of the way psychological tests of personality, intelligence, and other constructs are applied in education
  • LO18. demonstrate knowledge of the way that psychological tests of personality, intelligence, and other constructs are applied in workplace environments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

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Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.