Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
This course examines the concept of attitudes, the relationship between attitudes and behaviour, and the processes of attitude change, including persuasion. The course also focuses on central topics in the study of social cognition, including schemas, stereotypes, and attribution. The lecture component of the course reviews the major theories, research developments and methodological issues in the study of attitudes and social cognition. The course also has a practical component with mandatory 2 hour practicals where students are involved in the design and implementation of a project on attitude-behaviour relations.
Course requirements
Assumed background
PSYC3122 builds upon the foundational social psychological principles introduced in PSYC2040.ﾠIt is therefore recommended that students completeﾠPSYC2040 before enrolling in this elective.
The assignments in PSYC3122 also require knowledge of regression, a type of statistical analysis. It is therefore recommended that students have a good grasp of statistics.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
PSYC2040
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
PSYC2010
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
PY339, PSYC3032
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Tute attendance is mandatory in this course and very important in preparation for the Assignments. Tutes are interactive and participation is assessed.ﾠ If you cannot attend your tute time when Allocate+ is released, we do unfortunately recommend that this course is not appropriate and you should select another elective for your studies.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the concept of attitudes, the relationship between attitudes and behaviour and the processes of attitude change. The course also focuses on central topics in the study of social cognition, including social categories and schemas, self-schemas, and affect and social cognition. The lecture component of the course reviews the major theories, research developments and methodological issues in the study of attitudes and social cognition. The course also has a practical component where students are involved in the design and write-up of a project on attitude-behaviour relations.
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate a sound understanding of the concept of "attitudes".
2. Be able to recognise, understand and discuss how attitudes and attitude structure have been conceived and measured (including the difference between implicit and explicit measures).
3.ﾠ Be able to recognise, understandﾠand discuss the theory of planned behaviour and ﾠthe reasoned action approach, as well as the evidence that underlies or challenges this ﾠtheoretical frameworkﾠ(and other theories of attitude-behaviour relations).ﾠ
4. Be able to recognise and discuss the major theories of attitude formation, change and persuasion (such as the elaboration likelihood model and the heuristic systematic model) and the evidence that underlies or challenges these theories.
5. Be able to recognise and discuss key concepts in the study of social cognition, such as schemas, prototypes, and stereotypes as well as the evidence that supports or challenges these concepts.
6. B
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection | Tutorial Reflective activities | 10% |
5/08/2025 - 24/10/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Report: Part I
|
25% |
8/09/2025 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Research Report: Part II
|
20% |
17/10/2025 1:00 pm |
| Examination |
Exam
|
45% |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Tutorial Reflective activities
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
5/08/2025 - 24/10/2025
Task description
There are 5 mandatory tutorials throughout the semester (Week 2, 4, 7, 9, 12). Students are expected to contribute to discussion, including asking questions, participating in activities, and helping the learning of others. Participation in these tutorials will be assessed, directly and through reflective activities submitted online during the tutorial. For these mandatory tutorials, each week's assessment is 2%.
Submission guidelines
Follow instructions within the tutorial to submit your assessment online.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Research Report: Part I
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
8/09/2025 1:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
Task description
You must complete both Part I and Part II to pass the course.
This assignment involves designing an original theory of planned behaviour / reasoned action approach study and presenting the introduction, method section, and questionnaire. The topic of your research must be approved by your tutor individually.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Must be submitted to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
Submission is required via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Research Report: Part II
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
17/10/2025 1:00 pm
Task description
You must complete both Part I and Part II of the research report to pass this course.
This assignment involves writing up the results, discussion section, and references for your original theory of planned behaviour / reasoned action approach study based on realistic data that you will be given. Assistance with analyses and results will be provided in tutorials.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Must be submitted to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
Submission is required via Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
The final exam is administered by Central Exams and will be in the scheduled University exam period. It will include both multiple-choice items (30%) and short essay (20%) questions focusing on conceptual issues. It will be a closed book exam.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Exams will be completed in person during the exam period at the St Lucia campus.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Part 1 and Part 2 of the Research Report must both be completed to pass this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
In addition to the required text, additional optional readings may be provided to supplement particular lecture topics.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Course Introduction + Attitudes |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Lecture |
Attitude Measurement And how do you really feel?: Attitude measurement. Implicit and explicit attitudes. Understanding our unconscious attitudes. What is a gut feeling and how can we measure it? The Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Reasoned Action Approach, and other models. |
Tutorial |
Attitude Measurement Practical We will conduct an attitude measurement practical and provide a brief introduction to the Theory of Planned Behaviour for the assignment project. You will submit an online reflection during this tute, which is assessed. |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Lecture |
Attitudes & Behaviour I Understanding decision-making: The social psychology of choices. Attitude-behaviour relations - when people do and don't practice what they preach. |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Lecture |
Attitudes & Behaviour II When behaviour influences attitudes: How we change our thoughts and feelings to rationalise our lives, and why that's a good thing - in romance, with family, and in the workplace. |
Tutorial |
Introduction to Assignment Project We will briefly review the theoretical background for the assignment project, formulate a research design, operationalise study components, develop hypotheses, and draft the questionnaire. You will complete an online reflection (assessed) during this tutorial. |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Lecture |
Attitude Formation Nature, nurture, social context, TV.... |
Consultation |
Optional Drop-In Consult Assistance with Research Report: Part I |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Lecture |
Persuasion Persuasion processes: Education, propaganda, censorship. When and how can we control what we "learn" from others? |
Tutorial |
Optional Drop-In Consult Assistance with Research Report: Part I |
|
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
Effective Self-Change: Managing the Tripartite Self |
Tutorial |
Introduction to the "Data" We will be going through the "data", conducting analyses in SPSS, and writing up the results based on a template. You will be submitting a reflection (assessed) online during this tutorial. |
|
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Lecture |
The Impact of Attitudes on Information Processing Return to the unconscious - how our brain changes what we see, believe, act on, and remember. From intimate relationships to advertising. Attitudes towards the self. |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Independent work for Research Report: Part II (No Tutorials) Independent work on Research Report: Part II |
|
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Lecture |
Overview of Social Cognition Introduction to social categorisation and schemas. Cognitive approaches to prejudice (stereotyping, subtyping, etc.). |
Tutorial |
Discussing Your Results We will be giving guidance and advice on writing the discussion section. You will submit a reflection (assessed) online during this tute. |
|
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Consultation |
Optional Drop-In Consult Assistance with Research Report: Part II |
Lecture |
Topics in Social Cognition Schema change and schema use; affect and social cognitive processes. The secret of a happy life: Research on happiness and life satisfaction. |
|
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Consultation |
Optional Drop-in Consult Assistance with Research Report: Part II |
Lecture |
Topics in Social Cognition II Social social cognition - How we perceive, attend to, represent, and remember friends, significant others, and enemies |
|
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Lecture |
Linking Contexts and Attitudes: Group Identities and Ideologies How do attitudes connect to each other and to contexts? Considering group identities and ideologies in terms of cognitive and social networks |
Tutorial |
Social Cognition Practicals We will conduct practicals on schemas and stereotypes. You will submit a reflection (assessed) online during this tutorial. |
|
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Lecture |
Course Overview Review of key concepts and ideas and discussion of how to approach the exam. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: