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Introduction to Psychology I
UndergraduateMAQ-PSYX1042019
Course information for 2019 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Explore how psychology informs human behaviour, learning and motivation. Study the connections between psychopathology and personality. Form your foundations in psychology research methods and essay writing. Discuss ethics. Start thinking critically.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- -
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Introduction to Psychology I
About this subject
Please note: This subject is available in Macquarie Semester 3, which is an intensive semester that spans only 5 intensive teaching weeks with weekly assessment tasks, plus a mid-semester recess and an examination period. Students are advised to enrol in only one or two subjects in Semester 3. Students who would prefer to take the subject over 13 teaching weeks should enrol in the Semester 1 offering.
At the completion of this unit students will have gained;
- Research and Study skills (developed through planning research assignments, achieving study goals, and meeting deadlines).
- Communication and Interpersonal skills (developed through written assignments, interactions in tutorial groups, and working with class members on assignment tasks).
- Team skills developed as a result of working with a small number of fellow students on a group project.
- Information Technology Skills (developed through practical assignments and experience with the web-based elements of the course).
- Critical Thinking skills (developed through discussion of competing theories and application of the scientific method to understand psychological phenomena).
- Appreciation of Ethical Issues (developed in class discussion of ethical issues in research and exposure to actual participation in research).
- Unit Introduction and History and Methods in Psychology
- History and Motivation
- Motivation
- Learning
- Social Motivation
- Personality
- Psychological Problems
- Biological Bases of Behaviour
- Examination Preparation
Please note: This subject has reached its capacity for Semester 3, 2019.
This unit introduces students to the discipline of psychology through a focus on the physiological bases of behaviour; learning; motivation; the nature of personality and psychopathology; and cross-cultural and Indigenous psychology. The unit conveys information about substantive material, and assumptions of theory associated with the science and profession of psychology through lecture and tutorial/practical classes. The unit introduces students to research methods in psychology through a series of methodology lectures. A further important aim of the unit is to develop students' competency in critical thinking and essay writing in psychology.
- Research Participation (5%)
- Weekly research design quizzes (10%)
- Tutorial Assessment (10%)
- Lecture quizzes (week 7 and week 13) (10%)
- Essay 1250 words (25%)
- Invigilated Exam (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
Explore Macquarie courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 11
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 10
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
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.
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