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Unit of study_
PSYC5217: Understanding the Self and Others
2026 unit information
All of us observe our social worlds and try to understand why people behave, think, and feel as they do. In this unit you will study a number of influential theories, philosophical and empirical approaches in Personality and Social Psychology. You will examine key topics in the scientific assessment of personality, attitudes and emotions, including an introduction to psychometric testing (e.g., validity and reliability) in Personality and Social Psychology. Specifically, in the Personality component you will be exposed to conceptual analysis and will be expected to examine critically theories from the Social Cognitive and Psychometric traditions. In the Social Psychology component, you will examine salient social constructs such as social influence, the causes of prejudice and possible reduction strategies, and explore how cognitive processes affect social judgment and behaviour. In this unit you will develop a broad understanding of the leading theories and research in the areas of Personality and Social Psychology.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Psychology Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Previous or concurrent completion of PSYC5111 or PSYC5112 |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Critically evaluate advanced and contemporary theories, approaches, and concepts in personality and social psychology
- LO2. Justify and apply key principles of psychological measurement, including reliability and validity, to the assessment of personality and social psychological constructs in novel or complex contexts
- LO3. Apply and integrate theoretical and empirical knowledge to analyse complex personality and social psychological phenomena across diverse and evolving contexts
- LO4. Collaboratively and independently reflect on, debate, and synthesize the implications of psychological theories and research practices in personality and social psychology, demonstrating critical judgement
- LO5. Design and produce a research report that demonstrates advanced understanding and integration of theoretical frameworks, methodological rigour, and research findings in personality and social psychology, according to the conventions of APA Style
Unit availability
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