Please note - Swinburne University of Technology

AY312 The Psychology of Personality
No. of hours per week: three hours
Prerequisites: AYZOZ, AY203, AY204, SM278
Prerequisite or corequisite: SM378
Assessment: an examination and a research
project and report
Subject aims and description
This subject focuses on the behaviour and experience of the
individual as a whole person. Attention is given to
contributions from other specialised fields of psychology,
especially development, social interaction, learning,
motivation, cognition, emotion. Theory and research from
these fields are considered specifically from the viewpoint of
integrating such contributions to increase our understanding
of ourselves and others as persons.
Four major perspectives on personality are examined:
psychodynamic, dispositional, cognitive/behavioura1.
phenomenological. Issues such as methods of personality
assessment and research strategies are considered. Selected
contemporary issues are examined, including: conflict and
defence; the self; self-regulation; purpose and meaning; the
effective personality, personality disorders.
References
Liebert, R.M. and Spiegler, M.D. Personality 6th ed. Pacific Grove, CA:
BrooksICole, 1990
*AY319 Psychological Measurement
Equivalent value of one half semester subject
No. of hours per week: two hours
Prerequisites: AY312, SM378
Assessment: class test and practical report
Subject aims and description
In this subject, students will be involved with the practical
aspects of psychometrics: design, construction, validation
and evaluation of assessment techniques. The aim of this
unit is to help students to develop a greater appreciation of
the psychological and measurement foundations of tests and
other assessment procedures.
Approximately the first hour of most of the two hour
sessions will be devoted to information input and the latter
hour to laboratory exercises.
Reference
Murphy, K.R. and Davidschofer, C.O. Psychological Tesing: Principles
and Applications. 2nd ed, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991
* Not available to students who have previously passed
AY3 11 Methods and Measures.
*AY320 Psychological Foundations of
Counselling
Equivalent value of one half semester subject
No. of hours per week: two hours
Prerequisite: AY3 12
Assessment: a theoretical examination and a
practical interviewing skills project
Subject aims and description
The nature of counselling and its relationship to guidance,
psychotherapy and other helping activities is considered. The
basic helping interview skills are introduced, drawing upon
the microcounselling model proposed by Ivey. Video-assisted
practice interviews are an important in-class activity. Models
of counselling, such as that proposed by Egan, are
discussed. Concepts from developmental psychology, social
psychology and cognitive psychology related to counselling
are considered. The evidence concerning the effectiveness of
counselling intervention is examined.
References
Benjamin, A. The Helping Interview 4th ed, Boston: Houghton Miflin.
1987
Thomas, R. Counselling and Lifespan Development London: Sage,
1990
* Not available to students who have previously passed
AY3 14 Counselling and Interviewing.
AY400 Applied Social Psychology
No. of hours per week: one hour (lecture); two
hours (seminar)
Assessment: research essay 50%, examination
50%
Subject aims and description
The subject has been divided into two broad sections:
Organisational & Personnel Rychology. An introduction to
organisational and personnel psychology will be provided
over a six week period. The selected topics will provide a
general background, and address current issues in the area.
Selected Applications of Social Psychology. During each of six
weeks, a different application of social psychology will be
examined. These will include perceived quality of life,
program evaluation, educational psychology, forensic
psychology and health psychology.
Reference
Oskamp, S. Applied Social Psychology Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, 1984
AY401 Research Design and Analysis
No. of hours per week: one and a half hours
(lectures), one and a half hours (seminar)
Assessment: practical report 50%, two class
exercises 50%
Subject aims and description
This subject reviews research designs and tools which are
appropriate for psychological inquiry. The major topics
covered include traditional experimental designs, research
planning and objectives, questionnaire construction and use,
quasi-experimental designs and qualitative methodologies.
The theoretical bases of these techniques are studied, and
students are encouraged to explore solutions to the
problems of conducting psychological research. The use of
computer packages (e.g., SPSSIPC+, NUDIST) as aids in
research metholodogy and analysis is also presented.
References
Kerlinger, F. Foundations of Behavioural Research. 3rd ed, New York:
Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1986
Patton, M.Q. Qualititative Evaluation and Research Methods 2nd ed,
Newbury Park, C.A.: Sage Publications, 1990
AY403 Advanced Quantitative Methods
No. of hours per week: one and a half hours
(lectures), one and a half hours (seminar)
Assessment: practical report 50%, workbook
50%
Subject aims and description
This subject provides a conceptual framework for
understanding multivariate analysis and interpretation of
psychological data, and an opportunity to become familiar
with the use of a range of multivariate techniques. These
include analysis of variance and covariance, multiple and
logistic regression techniques, cluster and discriminant
regression techniques, cluster and discriminant analysis,
structural equation modelling.
Students are taught SPSSIPC+ and SPSS-X, social science
computer packages.
References
Tabachnick, B.G. and Fidell, L.S. Using Multivariate Statistics. New
York: Harper & Row, 1983