Course coordinator
Associate Professor Brendan Zietsch
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- 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. External offering is only available to those enrolled in the External offering of the Honours Thesis (PSYC4071/PSYC4091).
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.
Evolutionary Psychology: Human Mating Behaviour
Have you ever wondered why males of our species are often caring fathers while in most other mammals they are not, why women swoon over musicians, or why men are willing to risk life and limb while attempting to impress women? The answer to these questions and many others regarding human mating behaviour can be better understood when examining these issues from an evolutionary perspective. In this seminar, we will examine the ways that the human mind has been equipped by evolution in order to solve the adaptive problem of attracting a mate and reproducing. This course will look at the variation and universalities in human mating behaviour, including sex differences, and will discuss how our behaviour is a product of the interaction between genetic and cultural influences. Additionally, the mating behaviour of humans will be compared to that of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos.
Course requirements
Restrictions
BPsySc(Hons), BSc(Hons) in Psychology, BA(Hons) in Psychology students only.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Brendan Zietsch
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution | Class participation | 10% |
1/08/2024 - 24/10/2024 |
| Presentation | Oral presentation | 30% |
1/08/2024 - 24/10/2024 |
| Essay/ Critique | Assignment | 60% |
25/10/2024 1:00 pm |
Assessment details
Class participation
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
1/08/2024 - 24/10/2024
Task description
Class discussion simply does not work without consistent attendance and substantial verbal participation from every student. Students are required to attend every class and contribute to discussion of student presentation topics.
Marking
The default mark for this section will be 7 out of a possible 10 marks. Scoring the default 7/10 requires full attendance, and substantial contribution to class discussion. For each class missed, a point is deducted. Students making notably frequent and substantive contributions to discussion throughout semester will be granted additional points (ranging from 1 to 3), and students making inadequate contributions to discussions throughout semester will be deducted further points (ranging from 1 to 4).
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Oral presentation
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
1/08/2024 - 24/10/2024
Task description
Assessment
Oral presentation (30%)
Each week (from Week 2), two students will give an individual oral presentation, one student in the first hour and one in the second. (Some weeks may need to fit three students, depending on final numbers.) Presentations should be prepared such that without discussion they would go for around 20 minutes. However, the talk plus discussion will go for ~35 minutes, and the presenter should expect questions during their talk and ideally pose discussion points throughout their talk. Presenters are also expected to drive discussion after their talk, so should have some general talking points prepared. Each topic will have at specific articles or readings assigned to it. You can choose to speak broadly about your topic (present the general findings and themes in a number of the articles, and other articles not listed) or you can choose to go into more detail on one or two articles.
Criteria:
Content/knowledge: 10
In order to scare the maximum amount of points allotted in this category, you will need to show that you understand the theory behind the studies/topic and descriptions and explanations should be accurate.
Organisation/Clarity: 10
The presentation should be ordered logically, be easy to understand, define unusual terms, give examples, etc.
Style: 5
Ideally, the presentation should be sound like you are explaining it naturally rather than reading or memorizing a prepared speech or simply reading the text on the slides. Points are awarded for an engaging delivery more so than polish, but overly slipshod presentation will lose marks as well.
Discussion: 5
You will need to pose talking points and questions to encourage class discussion, whether that be during the talk or afterwards. The 5 marks for this category are assigned based on the effort you make in generating and maintaining discussion.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Assignment
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
25/10/2024 1:00 pm
Task description
Written assignment – maximum 2000 words (60%)
Each student will find a recent empirical paper (published in 2020 or later) relating to one of the topics that were scheduled for the oral presentations (it can be the topic of their own presentation but doesn’t have to be). They will write a review of the paper in which they identify the assumptions on which it is based, its limitations (e.g. alternative explanations, suboptimal measurements), and what it adds to our understanding of the topic; they will then write a brief description of a hypothetical follow-up study to the reviewed paper.
Criteria:
Content: 30
Marks from this category will be awarded for identifying and explaining the paper’s most important assumptions, limitations, and contributions to our understanding of the topic, and on the appropriateness of the follow-up study in addressing the flaws and extending on the contributions of the critiqued study.
Organisation/Clarity: 15
In order for the content of your ideas to be understandable and persuasive to the reader, they need to be laid out in a coherent way and expressed in a clear and concise style. Logical, clear structure and grammatically correct and well-arranged sentences will earn marks in this category.
Insight/creativity: 15
Critiquing a published paper is not straightforward – seeing its flaws or unique strengths requires a deep understanding of research methods and insight into how the critiqued paper compares with an ideal standard. Designing a follow-up study requires not only understanding the flaws of the study under review, but also creativity in being able to invent a new design/measures/procedure that would improve and extend the study. Marks in this section will be awarded based on the degree of insight and creativity displayed in the critique and the proposed study.
Submission guidelines
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.
Applications for extension should be submitted before the due date. Applications for extension after the due date will only be accepted in exceptional cases (e.g. severe illness, hospitalization, or for compassionate reasons). 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 7 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.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 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 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Introduction and Overview of the Seminar |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Seminar |
Student seminars |
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: