Advanced Topics in Psychology I (PSYC4881)

Course overview

Enrolment Note:This course has maximum quota of 25 students per semester, seminars with less than 10 students may not run. Enrolment for Seminars opens in O Week following the Honours Orientation information session. Enrolment will close once the quota has been reached. This course provides students with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the primary research literature within the context of the wider theoretical framework in relation to relevant topics that vary from year to year.

Discrimination, the loneliness epidemic, climate change, high divorce rates… there are many social issues that we are faced with in the modern world. But what are the roots of these issues? To gain insights into this question, one approach we could take is to study the developmental factors that have led us to the (problematic!) ways that we are as adults—this seminar will do just that. In this seminar, we will explore the ‘why’ that sits behind modern day social issues through a developmental lens. In light of the knowledge we develop, we will discuss evidence-based, everyday approaches we could take to help mitigate these issues. This seminar will revolve around peer-based discussions and collaborative work. It is aimed to strengthen your ability to interpret human behaviour more comprehensively through considering the complex interplay of social-cognitive and environmental factors across development.

Course requirements

Restrictions

BPsySc(Hons), BSc(Hons) in Psychology, BA(Hons) in Psychology students only.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to develop skills in critical evaluation and to deepen understanding of contemporary research on a topic in psychology.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Reflect + Prep Learning Journal

Mode

Written

Category

Notebook/ Logbook, Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection

Weight

32% Each batch of journal entries is worth 16%. Best 4 of 5 journal entries count toward the final mark for each batch.

Due date

11/09/2025 1:00 pm

30/10/2025 1:00 pm

The purpose of this assessment piece is to prepare students for each week's seminar. For this reason, students must log their journal entry on a week-by-week basis before the due time and due date in the following weeks:

Reflect + Prep Learning Journal (Part 1)

• Journal entry #1: Week 2
• Journal entry #2: Week 3
• Journal entry #3: Week 4
• Journal entry #4: Week 6
• Journal entry #5: Week 7

Reflect + Prep Learning Journal (Part 2)

• Journal entry #6: Week 8
• Journal entry #7: Week 9
• Journal entry #8: Week 10
• Journal entry #9: Week 11
• Journal entry #10: Week 13

Journal entries will be marked in batches on two occasions throughout the semester. The final journal entry from the first half of the semester must be completed BEFORE the due time 1PM of Thursday in Week 7. The final journal entry from the second half of the semester must be completed BEFORE the due time 1PM of Thursday in Week 13. Within each batch, only the marks from your top 4 of 5 journal entries will count toward your final mark. Late submissions will not receive any marks. No extensions will be granted for this assessment piece.

Task description

Submission guidelines

To submit your assignment electronically, log in to http://learn.uq.edu.au with your UQ username and password, then click on PSYC4881>>Assessment>>Assignment submission portals, and then use the appropriate assignment submission link. No e-mailed submissions will be accepted. The final timestamp provided on each journal entry will be considered as the submission time of each entry. Further instructions and details will be provided in Week 1 of the seminar.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

No extensions will be granted for this assessment, given that only 4 of 5 journal entries in each batch count towards your final mark. You can miss a journal entry in each batch and still get full marks on this piece of assessment. We strongly encourage students experiencing significant interruptions or chronic illnesses of greater than two weeks to contact UQ Student Services to seek information and/or assistance: http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/

Late submission

Journal entries that are submitted after Thursday 1PM of each week listed above will not receive any marks.

Podcast episode + Discussion facilitation

• Identity Verified
• Team or group-based
• In-person

Mode

Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written

Category

Creative Production/ Exhibition, Participation/ Student contribution, Product/ Design, Reflection

Weight

48%

Due date

29/08/2025 1:00 pm

Each team member is responsible for ensuring that submission of the podcast episode is completed BEFORE the due time of the due date via the Blackboard TurnitIn submission portal. Submission may take longer than usual when attaching multimedia files, so allow plenty of time to complete your submission. Assignments submitted after the due time of the due date will be subject to late penalties.

Discussion facilitations will take place in the Weeks 6 to 9 seminar classes. Your team will be assigned to facilitate a discussion in one of these weeks.

Task description

Submission guidelines

To submit your podcast episode electronically, log in to http://learn.uq.edu.au with your UQ username and password, then click on PSYC4881>>Assessment>>Assignment submission portals, and then use the appropriate assignment submission link. No e-mailed submissions will be accepted.

Note. If your assignment was submitted successfully, you should be able to download a digital receipt of submission from the Assignment Dashboard. Please make sure to check that you have submitted the correct document and download a copy of the digital receipt. Each team member is accountable for successful submission. Failure to provide proof of submission may result in your assignment not being accepted.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please discuss it with the course coordinator before submitting your extension request.

For the podcast episode component of this assessment, please refer to the UQ policy for applying for a group extension.

There are no extensions available for the discussion facilitation. If your team is unable to attend your allocated seminar class for the discussion facilitation, please discuss directly with the course coordinator to arrange an alternate time.

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.

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be applied for every day or part thereof past the submission deadline, including weekends and public holiday. Assignments submitted more than 5 calendar days after the submission deadline, without an approved extension, will receive 0%. 

Science communication post

• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written

Category

Creative Production/ Exhibition, Product/ Design, Reflection

Weight

20%

Due date

24/10/2025 1:00 pm

Each student is responsible for ensuring that submission is completed BEFORE the due time of the due date via the Blackboard TurnitIn submission portal. Submission may take longer than usual when attaching multimedia files, so allow plenty of time to complete your submission. Assignments submitted after the due time of the due date will be subject to late penalties.

Task description

Submission guidelines

To submit your assignment electronically, log in to http://learn.uq.edu.au with your UQ username and password, then click on PSYC4881>>Assessment>>Assignment submission portals, and then use the appropriate assignment submission link. No e-mailed submissions will be accepted.

Note. If your assignment was submitted successfully, you should be able to download a digital receipt of submission from the Assignment Dashboard. Please make sure to check that you have submitted the correct document and download a copy of the digital receipt. Failure to provide proof of submission may result in your assignment not being accepted.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please discuss it with the course coordinator before submitting your extension request.

Before applying for an extension please read the School of Psychology Assessment Guidelines in this Course Profile. Additional information on extensions can also be found via my.UQ.

The School of Psychology does not guarantee a trouble-free semester of study. The best preparation for unexpected illnesses and other disruptive events is to start your assignments early in the semester. Extensions are not a remedy for students experiencing more significant interruptions to study.

Applications for extension should be submitted before the due date. Applications for extension after the due date and time will only be accepted in exceptional cases (e.g., severe illness, hospitalisation, or for compassionate reasons) and will be forwarded to your Faculty for consideration. Please refer to the policy and guidelines (6.1 of this course profile) for further information as well as the following link on my.UQ for extension eligibility: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-extension.

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.

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be applied for every day or part thereof past the submission deadline, including weekends and public holiday. Assignments submitted more than 5 calendar days after the submission deadline, without an approved extension, will receive 0%. Assignments will not be accepted for marking after results have been released to the rest of the class.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

Appealing assignment marks

If you are unhappy with your mark for the assessments in the course, or would like more feedback, please correspond with the course coordinator. We ask that you take your assignment away for at least 48 hours and read the comments carefully before you contact the course coordinator.

Academic integrity

Each assessment for this course has been designed to be challenging, authentic, and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessments in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. In each instance where AI or MT is used, students must clearly outline the nature of use. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass each assessment in this course, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of the content of submission independent of AI and MT tools.

Additionally, written assessments in the course will be screened for overlap in content with other sources. If the nature of overlap is deemed to be of valid concern by the course coordinator, then your assignment, along with the TurnitIn report and any other relevant documentation (e.g., overlapping sources) will be sent to the UQ School of Psychology's Academic Integrity Officer to be formally investigated for academic misconduct. You will not receive any marks for the criteria (based on the marking rubric) which contain work concluded as non-original. Further penalties may apply depending on the nature of the case.

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

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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:

• School of Psychology Student Guidelines