Scientific Foundations of Psychology

About this subject

• What you'll learn

  1. Apply an understanding of the historical, philosophical and methodological foundations of psychology, including the ethical guidelines governing psychological practice and research to contexts beyond those of psychology itself.
  2. Critically evaluate the research design, analysis and interpretation of a basic investigation in psychology, including identification and description of potential cultural biases arising from psychological research and assessment methods.
  3. Design a basic research study on a behavioural phenomenon and develop a logical and well supported conclusion based on empirical evidence, including potential solutions to resolve issues such as cultural bias.
  4. Identify and use appropriate information sources to support an oral and written argument with appropriate formatting and referencing schemes acceptable to international standards, and demonstrate appropriate ethical conduct (e.g. avoiding plagiarism and collusion) in line with professional expectations.

• Topics covered

• Description

• Assessments

• Textbooks

• About La Trobe University

Entry requirements

Others

Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed PSY1HPM (History, Philosophy and Methodology of Psychological Science) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

Study load

0.125 EFTSL

This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.

Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.

Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.