CQUniversity Unit Profile
PSYC13020 Individual Differences and Assessment
Individual Differences and Assessment
All details in this unit profile for PSYC13020 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will introduce you to the principles, processes, applications, and issues pertaining to the development and use of psychological assessment. This unit is presented through a number of themes, covering topics such as origins, ethics and uses of psychological testing; testing in adults, children and vulnerable populations; neuropsychological testing and testing for industry and career development. The psychometric basis of psychological assessment and testing is emphasised. You will focus on a variety of common psychological procedures and tests measuring individual differences. Consideration of individual differences and assessment in an Australian context will be a key component of your studies in this unit.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

96 credit points in CC43, CF59, CL51, CL55, CC13, CA10 or CG93, or admission to CC10.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2024

Adelaide
Bundaberg
Cairns
Online
Rockhampton
Townsville

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Online Quiz(zes)
Weighting: 40%
2. Presentation
Weighting: 20%
3. Written Assessment
Weighting: 40%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student feedback via SUTE.

Feedback

Students commented that some of the lecture recordings were too detailed and could be more engaging.

Recommendation

Review lecture content and associated recordings, and record new videos for those that require updating.

Feedback from Unit coordinator reflection

Feedback

The academic integrity of the written assessment task in this unit is likely to be at-risk for misuse of generative AI (artificial intelligence) by students.

Recommendation

Review and redesign this assessment task so that there is minimal risk of students using generative AI to complete the task. Ensure that expectations around the use of generative AI are made clear to students in the unit profile and on the Moodle site.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Articulate the purposes and principles of psychological assessment and testing
  2. Identify and articulate the knowledge of test construction processes and basic statistics to develop and validate a test of a psychological construct
  3. Apply knowledge of psychometric principles to evaluate the reliability, validity and other relevant features of psychological assessment processes and tests
  4. Locate and use professional standards, ethical codes and sources of information relevant to developers and users of psychological assessments and tests.

This unit addresses Foundational Competencies as specified by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and specifically aligns to:

1.1 Comprehend and apply a broad and coherent body of knowledge of psychology, with depth of understanding of underlying principles, theories and concepts in the discipline, using a scientific approach, including the following topics:

(i) the history and philosophy underpinning the science of psychology and the social, cultural, historical and professional influences on the practice of psychology

(ii) individual differences in capacity, behaviour and personality

(iii) psychological health and well-being

(iv) psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions

(vi) cognition, language and perception

(xi) culturally appropriate psychological assessment and measurement

(xii) research methods and statistics.

1.2 Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.

1.3 Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats.

1.4 Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.

1.5 Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40%
2 - Written Assessment - 40%
3 - Presentation - 20%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Psychological testing and assessment

3rd Edition (2017)
Authors: David Shum, John O'Gorman, Peter Creed, Brett Myors
Oxford University Press
Melbourne Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
ISBN: 9780190305208

This textbook is available in hard copy and eBook versions. 

Binding: Paperback

This textbook is available in hard copy and eBook versions. 

Supplementary

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)

7th Edition (2019)
Authors: American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Washinton Washinton , DC , USA
ISBN: 9781433832161
Binding: Paperback

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Cassy Dittman Unit Coordinator
c.dittman@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 08 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Introduction to Psychological Testing and Assessment

Chapter

Chapter 1 (pp. 14-19)

Chapter 2 (pp. 22-26)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 15 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Origins, Ethics and Best Practice

Chapter

Chapter 1 (pp. 3-13)

Chapter 2 (pp. 27-45)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 22 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Norms and Reliability

 

Chapter

Chapter 3: Test Scores and Norms

Chapter 4: Reliability

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 29 Jul 2024

Module/Topic

Validity and Test Construction

Chapter

Chapter 5: Validity

Chapter 6: Test Construction

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 05 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Clinical Psychology Assessment

Preparing for your Oral Presentation (Sharing Assessment Findings)

Chapter

Chapter 9: Clinical and Mental Health Testing and Assessment

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 12 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 1 Opens: Vacation Week Friday (16 Aug 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Week 6 Begin Date: 19 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Intelligence Testing

Chapter

Chapter 7: Intelligence

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 1 Due: Week 6 Monday (19 Aug 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Week 7 Begin Date: 26 Aug 2024

Module/Topic

Assessment of Children and Adolescents

Preparing for your Psychological Test Evaluation Report

Chapter

Chapter 13: Educational Testing and Assessment (pp. 306-315)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 02 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Neuropsychology Testing and Assessment

Chapter

Chapter 11: Neuropsychological Testing and Assessment

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 09 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Educational Testing and Assessment

Chapter

Chapter 13: Educational Testing and Assessment (pp. 294-304)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Video Recording - Sharing Assessment Findings Due: Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Begin Date: 16 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Forensic Psychology Testing and Assessment

Chapter

Chapter 12: Forensic Psychological Testing and Assessment

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 23 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Personality Testing

 

Chapter

Chapter 8: Personality

Events and Submissions/Topic

Psychological Test Evaluation Report Due: Week 11 Monday (23 Sept 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Week 12 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2024

Module/Topic

Occupational Testing and Assessment

Chapter

Chapter 10: Organisational Testing and Assessment

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 2 Opens Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 07 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Quiz 2 Due: Review/Exam Week Tuesday (8 Oct 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title
Online Quizzes

Task Description

This assessment task requires the completion of 2 online quizzes, conducted via the PSYC13020 Moodle site. Each quiz contains 40 multiple-choice questions. You will have 90 minutes (1.5 hours) to complete each quiz. Only one attempt per quiz is permitted. Please see below details of content and due dates for each quiz:

  • Quiz 1 assesses weeks 1 to 5. It opens Friday 16th August at 9:00am [AEST] and closes Monday 19th August at 9:00am [AEST].
  • Quiz 2 assesses weeks 6 to 12. It opens Friday 4th October at 9:00am [AEST] and closes Tuesday 8th October at 9:00am [AEST].

Your responses to the quiz questions must be your own work. It is not permissible to use Generative AI tools to assist you with this task.


Number of Quizzes

2


Frequency of Quizzes


Assessment Due Date

Quiz 1 closes Week 6, Monday 19th August at 9:00am [AEST]. Quiz 2 closes Week 13, Tuesday 8th October at 9:00am.


Return Date to Students

Students will be able to view their grade for each quiz upon completion. Correct responses to each quiz will be released as soon as possible after the quiz has closed.


Weighting
40%

Assessment Criteria

For each quiz, one (1) mark will be awarded for each quiz question answered correctly. There will be no negative marking penalty for incorrect answers.

Each quiz is marked out of 40 and weighted at 20% of the final grade.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Identify and articulate the knowledge of test construction processes and basic statistics to develop and validate a test of a psychological construct
  • Apply knowledge of psychometric principles to evaluate the reliability, validity and other relevant features of psychological assessment processes and tests


Graduate Attributes

2 Presentation

Assessment Title
Video Recording - Sharing Assessment Findings

Task Description

Task Overview

An important final step in completing a psychological assessment is to share the assessment results with the client, patient or employee you have been working with. In this assessment, you will apply your knowledge of best practice principles in psychological testing through the demonstration of your ability to interpret the results and verbally communicate the findings from a psychological assessment. 

Task Description

In this assessment task, you are required to provide a video recording of you sharing and integrating a series of assessment findings with a 'client' in a simulated role play. You will be presented with a case study comprising results from a number of assessments. Your job will be to interpret these results, integrate them into a summary, and present this to a person using language and a communication style that is warm, professional and appropriate to the individual who has been assessed.

To assist you with this process, you will be allocated into small groups during Week 4 of term. You will be provided with example case studies and a skills checklist that will give you clear steps to follow in feeding back assessment findings. Using the skills checklist and example case studies, you can work in your small group to practice the process of feeding back assessment findings via role plays. You can also practice the role play for the case study allocated for the assessment. You will then need to video record the final role play for the assessment, with one of your group members acting as the 'client', and submit this via Moodle (ensuring the audio and video is of an acceptable quality). The role play should be between 7 to 9 minutes. 

Note that Zoom is usually the most efficient and compact recording method. Because of the limited allowable file size in Moodle (100mb), please use CQUniversity's ECHO360 system to upload your video by following these instructions on Moodle. 


Assessment Due Date

Week 9 Monday (9 Sept 2024) 9:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Monday (30 Sept 2024)

Marks and feedback will be available 2 to 3 weeks after the due date.


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

The role play will be marked out of 20 and will be worth 20% of your final grade. Your mark will be based on:

  • Adherence to skills checklist (15 marks)
  • Communication and interpersonal skills (5 marks)


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit your video recorded role play in a suitable format (e.g., MP4) using CQUniversity's ECHO360 system.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Articulate the purposes and principles of psychological assessment and testing
  • Locate and use professional standards, ethical codes and sources of information relevant to developers and users of psychological assessments and tests.


Graduate Attributes

3 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Psychological Test Evaluation Report

Task Description

Task Overview

This assessment involves you applying your knowledge of best practice principles in psychological testing through the demonstration of your ability to select and evaluate psychometrically sound and appropriate psychological tests in an applied context. The task requires you to apply your knowledge of professional standards and ethical codes relevant to psychological testing, as well as to use your knowledge of psychometric principles to evaluate the normative sample, reliability, and validity of psychological tests.

Task Description

In this assessment, you will imagine you have been contracted by a hypothetical workplace (e.g., clinic, organisation, agency or educational institution) to provide a written report evaluating and recommending psychometric tests to be used with their clients or employees. Two workplace scenarios will be provided on Moodle, and you can choose one of those scenarios to base your report. Each scenario will present a psychological construct the workplace wants to measure. Your task is to select, describe and critically compare three psychometric tests that measure that psychological construct. 

You will prepare a written report for the workplace that critically evaluates and compares the psychometric properties and applicability of the selected psychometric tests, considers the cross-cultural applicability of the tests and discusses relevant ethical and professional issues in the administration of the tests. Your report should conclude with recommendations regarding the implementation of the tests in the workplace. 

The report should be presented in a professional manner, using clear and concise language, well-structured and logical paragraphs, grammatical and coherent sentences and APA 7 formatting. The word count for the report is 1500 words (+/- 10%), and you should include a minimum of 8 references (inclusive of the references for the 3 tests included in your report). The report should include the following sections:

  • Introduction
  • Test Description and Administration
  • Normative Samples
  • Psychometric Properties
  • Cross-Cultural Applicability
  • Ethical and Professional Considerations
  • Conclusions and Recommendations 

Please refer to the Moodle site for permissible uses of Generative AI tools for this assessment task. Remember that it is plagiarism to directly copy and paste material produced by Generative AI tools into assessments. For guidance on using Generative AI in assessments, please access the resources developed by the Academic Learning Centre (ALC): GenAI Student Resources (ALC) and Referencing Guidelines for Large Language Models or AI in Assignments (ALC). If you have questions about Generative AI material and plagiarism, please speak with your unit coordinator and/or contact an ALC advisor. 


Assessment Due Date

Week 11 Monday (23 Sept 2024) 9:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)

Marks and feedback will be available 2 to 3 weeks after the due date.


Weighting
40%

Assessment Criteria

The assessment will be marked out of 100 and will be worth 40% of your final grade. A detailed marking rubric is available on Moodle. Your mark will be based on: 

  • Introduction (10 marks): provide a description of the purpose and context of the report; a definition of the construct to be measured; and statement of the tests selected for evaluation in the report.
  • Description of Psychometric Tests and their Administration (15 marks): provide a comparison of the selected tests including: a) their purpose, intended use, target population and structure; b) their administration procedures; and c) any costs or fees attached to the tests.
  • Normative Sample (10 marks): provide a description and critical comparison of the normative sample/s of the selected tests, with consideration of the context for test administration.
  • Psychometric Properties (20 marks): provide a critical comparison of the evidence for the reliability and validity of the selected tests.
  • Cross-Cultural Applicability (10 marks): evaluate and compare the selected tests in terms of their applicability for use with diverse cultural groups or contexts, through consideration of relevant normative or psychometric information.
  • Ethical and Professional Considerations (10 marks): discuss relevant ethical and professional issues for test administration, scoring and interpretation, with consideration of the context for test administration. 
  • Conclusion and Recommendations (10 marks): provide a summary of the key findings of the evaluation with consideration of the benefits and limitations of each test and provide recommendations for the use of the tests in the workplace. 
  • Quality of written communication skills, presentation style and adherence to word count (10 marks).
  • Adherence to APA 7th ed. formatting (5 marks).


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit via the Moodle assessment submission portal.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Articulate the purposes and principles of psychological assessment and testing
  • Identify and articulate the knowledge of test construction processes and basic statistics to develop and validate a test of a psychological construct
  • Apply knowledge of psychometric principles to evaluate the reliability, validity and other relevant features of psychological assessment processes and tests
  • Locate and use professional standards, ethical codes and sources of information relevant to developers and users of psychological assessments and tests.


Graduate Attributes

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?