Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
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.
This seminar will explore practical real-world problems that are linked to sensory perception (i.e. vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell). Each topic area focuses on a different subset of sensory processes but are linked together through the application psychophysical techniques employed to explore and potentially solve these problems. For each problem, we will explore the relevant literature and endeavour to find a solution. At the very least, we will propose experiments that can shed light on the basic sensory processes involved. Some potential problems include: Cybersickness and discomfort experienced in virtual reality systems; Specifying the optimal visual contrast for safety features for low vision individuals; What are the optimal conditions for 3D displays in applied settings like laparoscopic surgery?; How can we exploit multisensory integration (the influence of one sensory modality on another modality) to influence the intensity of flavours?
Course requirements
Restrictions
BPsySc(Hons), BSc(Hons) in Psychology, BA(Hons) in Psychology students only.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
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:
LO1.
Demonstrate a critical and in-depth understanding of key topics in an area of psychology.
LO2.
Demonstrate an ability to communicate orally and in writing about a topic in an area of psychology.
LO3.
Demonstrate an understanding of how different types of research methods can contribute to our understanding of an area of psychology.
LO4.
Effectively engage with others to discuss and evaluate empirical research.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique | Essay | 50% |
30/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Presentation | Student Presentation | 40% |
Due the week you are assigned in the first two weeks of class |
| Performance |
Student Participation
|
10% |
27/02/2025 - 29/05/2025 |
Assessment details
Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
30/05/2025 4:00 pm
Task description
You are required to submit an essay (2,000 words +/- 200 words) for PSYC4886 which is worth 50% of your final mark for this course.
Assignments that exceed the word limit will be penalised 1% (of 50%) for each 100 words over the limit.
Essay Question
For one of the real world problem themes (none of which was the one you presented): How has the research informed us about the real world problem they address? What does the balance of the evidence you review say about a possible solution or theory?
Submission & Formatting Details:
Please ensure that your essay has a title page which includes the following information:
a) The title of your essay (which should also appear at the beginning of the essay itself)
b) Your name
c) Your student number
d) The course code (PSYC4886)
e) The coordinator details (A/Prof Phil Grove)
f) The year & semester (e.g., 2025, Semester 1)
g) Your word count (e.g., ‘Total words = 2022’). Note that this includes all words except references and the title page (and title at the beginning of your essay). This is compulsory. Please note that presenting a misleading word count will be treated as an attempt to obtain an unfair advantage (e.g. cheating).
- Please ensure it has a cover sheet with the above information
Submission guidelines
Essays will be submitted to the Turnitin link on the course Blackboard Page
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.
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.
Standard late penalties apply. That is 10% of the total grade deducted for each day late. So, for example, the 50% essay is subject to 5 marks deducted for each day late. One day late means that the maximum grade achievable is 45% of the total course grade; two days late - 40%, and so on.
Student Presentation
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
Due the week you are assigned in the first two weeks of class
Task description
Students will have to present a critical overview of at least one single published scientific article, assigned within the first two weeks of class (Duration: 25-30 minutes). The presentation should not simply summarise the paper, but should also be a critical evaluation of the ideas and encourage discussion from the class.
Each seminar will be primarily led by the presenter, but all students are expected to engage in critical discussion of the target paper and surrounding literature during class discussions. Students will ideally have read the target papers for each talk as well as any accompanying material, or any other relevant readings discovered by the students, so that they can, for example, debate conclusions, support theory, raise questions, and generate hypotheses.
When preparing your presentation, consider the following:
- The papers for this course have been chosen because they are interesting in one way or another – try to convey your excitement and interest to your audience.
- Focus on the study you have been given and what the authors have demonstrated about the particular problem you are discussing. Having said that, you should read widely. I encourage you to refer to other pieces of research and theories, but always bring your discussion back to the assigned paper(s) (more on this below).
- Read your allocated paper carefully. They will all include jargon that you will initially not understand. Remember that your audience won’t either. Part of the assignment requires you to go away and look up what these unfamiliar terms mean, and then (where relevant) be able to explain this to your audience.
- Provide an orienting statement with a real world example (ie an example demonstrating capacity limits in the real world is talking on a mobile phone while driving).
- When possible, provide a background to the area of research you are focussing on (what have previous papers shown, why is the current study being undertaken).
- Discuss the tasks that the experimenters have administered and the technique employed (e.g., method of constant stimuli, staircases). What were the results? Most importantly, what do they mean? How does it help to answer the question posed by the researchers?
- Always be aware of the level of evidence you are providing. For example is it causal or correlational.
- Remember to provide a conclusion that summarises what your paper has shown us about the topic. Feel free to be critical and to raise other questions that have not been answered by in the paper you have been given, and/or questions that should be answered in the future.
- The above three points give you an opportunity to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the research, and to show independent thought. Is this good quality research? Is it convincing?
- Do adequate preparation. Good presentations are not prepared the night before and you’ll need to be able to answer questions your audience might have. Do not be afraid of silence if you ask a question and no one answers. Give your classmates time.
- Rehearse your presentation. Make sure that your presentation makes sense in terms of structure and that there is no redundancy. Is it between 25-30 minutes long?
- Prepare your presentation using PowerPoint/Keynote/Some other platform. Try to incorporate visuals to illustrate your point. For example, you may want to show pictures of the types of tasks administered to the participants. Often images from the paper will be helpful.
- Do not read your presentation. By all means have notes or cards to assist, but remember that you have to try and engage your audience and that is hard to do when reading. You do not have to be word perfect!
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If you are unable to complete your presentation you should submit appropriate documentation (as per the extension policy in the School of Psychology Student Guidelines) to your Course Coordinator to arrange for an alternate time to complete your presentation. You need to submit this documentation before the scheduled presentation date.
Student Participation
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Performance
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
27/02/2025 - 29/05/2025
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
Task description
Participation includes, questions raised during lectures and seminars, responses to questions raised by the session leader, and contributions during discussions.
It should be evident that you have read the relevant papers each week and have been actively listening to your peer's presentation.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 46.99 |
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 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
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
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
All learning resources will be provided to students during semester.
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 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introducing PSYC4886 (Part 1) An introduction to the course content and structure. |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introducing PSYC4886 (Part 2) More introductory discussion on the topics covered in the remaining weeks of the course. |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Student Preparation (No Class) Discussion of the basic methods of investigation in the field |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (1) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (2) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (3) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (4) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (5) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
No Class (Midsemester Break) |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (6) Lecturer and students will present and critically evaluate research papers. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of the paper or related ideas. |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (7) Students will have the chance to hear from current PhD students in the lab, who will present some of their work in visual neuroscience. |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (8) Poster session where students will present a thought experiment in the area covered by the seminar. |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Seminar |
Presentation and Discussion (9) The lecturer will sum up and discuss the main topics of the seminar. Class members will debate and discuss any aspect of a target paper or related ideas. |
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 - 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: