Y1 Course Handbook 2013-14

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Psychology 1(PSYL08001/PSYL08007/PSYL08008)

Course Guide

2013-2014

Course Organiser:Dr Richard Shillcock ([email protected])

Teaching Coordinator:Madeleine Beveridge ([email protected])

Course Secretary:

Fiona Graham ([email protected])

Contents1. Course Aims and Objectives2. Intended Learning Outcomes3. Lecture Times and Locations4. Lecture Content5. Readings6. PPLS Undergraduate Student Handbook7. Tutorials

8. Assessment Information9. Learn10. Useful Information

10.1 BPS accreditation10.2 Careers Service10.3 PsychPALS

11. Extended Common Marking Scheme

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language SciencesUniversity of Edinburgh
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1. Course Aims and ObjectivesThe course aims to provide a general introduction to the academic discipline of psychology. Itcovers the Psychology of Memory, Language and Thinking, Social Psychology, DevelopmentalPsychology, Biological Psychology, Research Methods, Differential Psychology and thePsychology of Perception.

Course objectives and transferable skills:

Knowledge and understanding of psychological concepts, theories and findings will beacquired through lectures, tutorials, real-world activities, and your reading. Assessment willbe through a degree examination in Semester 1, a degree examination in Semester 2, andtwo essays written for the tutorial class.

Academic writing skillswill be developed through the course essays, which are written for,and assessed by, your tutor.

Oral communication skillswill be developed through participation in tutorial discussions.

Research design, data analysis and statistical skills will be developed through theResearch Methods lectures.

2. Intended Learning OutcomesOn completion of each section of the lecture course, students should be able to:

Define key psychological concepts and illustrate them with relevant examples.

Understand basic theoretical questions and arguments.

Outline the types of research methods used in addressing these questions.

Summarise some classic and some recent findings.

Discuss how these findings relate to theoretical questions and arguments.

The skills that students should develop during a degree in Psychology are listed below. Thisforms part of the programme specifications for Psychology degrees, which are available athttp://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/undergraduate_degree_programme_specifications.php

Knowledge and understanding of psychological theories, concepts, researchparadigms and research findings, and the ability to make links to the relevant historicalbackground

Research skills, including statistical and other data analysis skills, which will equip youto contribute to psychological knowledge

An awareness of applications and implications of psychological theories and research

The ability to think critically and creatively about theoretical, empirical and appliedissues and their interrelationships

An appreciation of the diverse, wide-ranging nature of psychology and an ability tomake links between different areas of the discipline

An understanding of how psychology relates to other disciplines
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Active-learning skills and transferable skills (e.g. study skills, information retrieval skills,information technology skills, communication skills, groupwork skills).

3. Lecture Times and Locations

Semester 1

Mon/Wed/Fri, 11.10am12.00 noon, David Hume Tower, Lecture Theatre A

Week Date Topic Lecture Staff

1 M 16/9/2013 INTRODUCTION Richard Shillcock

W 18/9/2013 Differential Psychology 1 Ian Deary

F 20/9/2013 Differential Psychology 2 ID

2 M 23/9/2013 Differential Psychology 3 IDW 25/9/2013 Differential Psychology 4 IDF 27/9/2013 Differential Psychology 5 ID

3 M 30/09/2013 Differential Psychology 6 ID

W 2/10/2013 Differential Psychology 7 ID

F 4/10/2013 Perception 1 Rob Mclntosh

4 M 7/10/2013 Perception 2 RMcl

W 9/10/2013 Perception 3 RMcl

F 11/10/2013 Perception 4 RMcI

5 M 14/10/2012 Perception 5 RMcl

W 16/10/2012 Perception 6 RMcl

F 18/10/2012 Perception 7 RMcl

6 M 21/10/2012 Perception 8 RMclW 23/10/2012 Psychology of Memory 1 Robert Logie

F 25/10/2012 Psychology of Memory 2 RL

7 M 28/10/2012 Psychology of Memory 3 RL

W 30/10/2012 Psychology of Memory 4 RL

F 1/11/2012 Psychology of Memory 5 RL

8 M 4/11/2012 Psychology of Memory 6 RL

W 6/11/2012 Essays, Exams, and Your Brain 1 MadeleineBeveridge/ RichardShillcock

F 8/11/2012 Research Methods 1 Andrea Martin

9 M 11/11/2012 Research Methods 2 AM

W 13/11/2012 Research Methods 3 AM

F 15/11/2012 Research Methods 4 AM

10 M 18/11/2012 Research Methods 5 AM

W 20/11/2012 Research Methods 6 AM

F 22/11/2012 Research Methods 7 AM


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EXAMINATION PERIOD: 9-20 DECEMBER 2013


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Semester 2Mon/Wed/Fri, 11.10am12.00 noon, David Hume Tower, Lecture Theatre A

Week Date Topic Lecture Staff

1 M 13/1/2014 Meta-theoretical issues for psychologists 1 Richard Shillcock

W 15/1/2014 Language and Thinking 1 Patrick Sturt

F 17/1/2014 Language and Thinking 2 PS

2 M 20/1/2014 Language and Thinking 3 PS

W 22/1/2014 Language and Thinking 4 PS

F 24/1/2014 Language and Thinking 5 PS

3 M 27/1/2014 Language and Thinking 6 PS

W 29/1/2014 Social Psychology 1 Sue Widdicombe

F 31/1/2014 Social Psychology 2 SW

4 M 3/2/2014 Social Psychology 3 SW

W 5/2/2014 Social Psychology 4 SWF 7/2/2014 Social Psychology 5 SW

5 M 10/2/2014 Social Psychology 6 SW

W 12/2/2014 Social Psychology 7 SW

F 14/2/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 1 Michelle Luciano

6 M 17/2/2014 Innovative learning week*

W 19/2/2014 Innovative learning week

F 21/2/2014 Innovative learning week

7 M 24/2/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 2 ML

W 26/2/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 3 MLF 28/2/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 4 ML

8 M 3/3/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 5 ML

W 5/3/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 6 ML

F 7/3/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 7 ML

9 M 10/3/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 8 David Carmel

W 12/3/2014 Biological bases for behaviour 9 DC

F 14/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 1 Alex Doumas

10 M 17/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 2 AD

W 19/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 3 AD

F 21/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 4 AD

11 M 24/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 5 AD

W 26/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 6 AD

F 28/3/2014 Developmental Psychology 7 AD

EXAMINATION PERIOD: 28 APRIL 23 MAY 2014


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*INNOVATIVE LEARNING WEEK (17 - 21 February 2014). Normal teaching slots will be suspended andin their place will be a range of other activities such as master classes, a research day, a science fair, andguest lectures. More information will follow nearer the time so please check the School website where

details will be available on the PPLS Events page : http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013

4. Lecture ContentThe lectures are the core experience of the course. You must attend all the lectures. You will belistening face-to-face to world experts in the various areas of psychology. The lecturers willprovide you with the latest view of research in their field and give you the means to interpret thetextbook. They will also provide you with the specific flavour of Edinburgh psychology Edinburghs particular research strengths and the theoretical positions adopted here. The notesyou take in the lectures will be your best link with the course when you are revising. The lectureslides will be available online but are nota replacement for your own notes taken during thelecture. The slides may contain only very brief indications of what the lecturer talks about; theonly other record of the lecture will be your own notes. Taking detailed notes as a lectureunfolds is one of the key skills you will learn at university. Getting those notes into a more

readable shape later in the day of the lecture will help embed the content of the lecture in yourmemory and will help you revise later in the year.

The lecture slides will usually be available electronically the day before the lecture, but oftennew content is added very late and we cannot always guarantee the slides will be available asearly as this. If English is not your first language it may help to look at the slides before thelecture to familiarise yourself with any unfamiliar technical terms.
http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-18-22-february-2013


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DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGYProfessor Ian Deary ([email protected])

Differential Psychologythe psychology of individual differencesdescribes and explainshow and why people differ from each other psychologically. In other words, it is interested inwhat makes us individuals. The two main topics in differential psychology are personality andintelligence. Differential psychologists also study moods, attitudes, and peoples interests.They study the development of intelligence and personality in children and adults, and howthese change with age. This includes the contribution of genetics and environments todifferences in intelligence and personality. Differential psychologists are also interested inhow intelligence and personality are associated with real life outcomes, such as health, work,and education. These introductory lectures introduce the concepts of personality andintelligence, summarise the history of these topics in psychology, and present findings todemonstrate the current scientific state of the fields. The Psychology Department at theUniversity of Edinburgh contains the largest group of differential psychologists in the UnitedKingdom:

www.psy.ed.ac.uk/psy_research/differential_psychology_research.php

Lecture No Lecture

1 What is differential psychology? The trait approach to personality 1Measuring personality. The concept of a trait. Trait models of humanpersonality: Cattell, Eysenck, The Big Five.

2 The trait approach to personality 2More on trait models of personality. Causes and consequences of personalitytraits.

3 Freud and the psychoanalytic approach to personalityThe psychodynamic approach to personality. Freuds structure of mind andpersonality. Psychoanalytic methods

4

5

Humanistic-phenomenological approaches to personalityThe personality contributions of Maslow, Rogers etc.

Behavioural and social-cognitive approaches to personalityThe personality contributions of Bandura, Mischel etc.

6 Intelligence 1

Models of human intelligence differences, past and present.

7 Intelligence 2Intelligence testing; causes and consequences of intelligence differences

Learning outcomes: by the end of this section, students should be able to:- Understand the material in the lectures and the associated readings.- Understand key psychological approaches to personality and evaluate them.- Outline the types of research methods used in different approaches to personality.- Summarise some relevant studies in personality.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/psy_research/differential_psychology_research.phphttp://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/psy_research/differential_psychology_research.phphttp://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/psy_research/differential_psychology_research.phpmailto:[email protected]


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- Understand the various models of intelligence differences that have been suggested.- Outline the types of research methods used in intelligence.- Summarise some findings with respect to causes and consequences of intelligence.

Main referenceSchacter, D. et al. (2012). Psychology. Chapters 9 and 13.

References for additional readingDeary, I.J. (2001). Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.Funder, D.C. (2010). The Personality Puzzle(5thEdition; earlier editions are OK). Norton.

(Especially chapters 10, 11, 13, 15.)Deary, I. J. (2013) Intelligence.Current Biology, 23, 673-676.


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PERCEPTIONDr Rob McIntosh ([email protected])

These lectures consider why the world seems like it does to us. We will explore the field ofperception, focusing mainly on vision, from the low-level firing of sensory receptors, through theperception of complex forms in 3D space, to visual attention and the use of vision to guideaction. Throughout, there will be an emphasis on key concepts with wide applicability inpsychology, for instance: that the brain has evolved to reconstruct reality in a way that is usefulto us; that we are wired to detect sudden changes, as this is where the important newinformation is likely to be; that the brain employs special mechanisms to separate (interesting)changes in the world from (irrelevant) variations in the pattern of stimulation; that the braincontinuously makes predictions about the world and tests these against sensory evidence; thatspeed is vital, so it uses short cuts and heuristics, which often involve assumptions about theworld; that the brain solves complex problems by breaking them down into simpler sub-problems; and that we can often learn most about how a complex system is organised bystudying situations where it makes mistakes. For this last reason, we will look at manyexamples of visual illusions, which help to illustrate many of the main tricks and short-cuts that

our perceptual systems use.

Lecture No Lecture

1 Introduction to perceptionIntroduction to modules key concepts; sensation and perception;psychophysics; Signal Detection Theory and the foundations of experimentalpsychology.

2 Building blocks of perceptionThe eye and early vision; the receptive field; feature detectors as building blocksof perception.

3 Seeing colour and motionWavelength and colour; retinal trichomacy and opponent-pair coding of colour;colour constancy; direct, induced, and apparent motion; space constancy;distinguishing self- and other-motion.

4 Seeing in depthBuilding a 3D view of the world from a 2D retinal image; what assumptions doesthe brain need to recover depth and what happens when those assumptions arewrong?

5 Seeing form

Gestalt principles of perceptual organisation; figure-ground segregation; lawsand heuristics; top-down and bottom-up influences; special objects and faceperception.

6 Functional specialisation of higher visionThe modular organisation of higher vision; selective visual deficits followingbrain damage; vision for perception and vision for action.
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7 A spotlight on attentionSelective attention and eye movements; automatic and voluntary attention;attention to objects.

8 More than meets the eyeNon-visual modalities; perception as a multimodal activity; synaesthesia.

Learning outcomes: by the end of this section, students should be able to:

- understand the concept of evolutionary utility in accounting for human perceptual capacities- appreciate that psychological phenomena may be studied at different levels of analysis- describe the low-level mechanisms underlying perception of colour and form- appreciate top-down (knowledge-driven) and bottom-up (data-driven) mechanisms in attentionperception- understand the concept of perceptual constancy, and to be able to cite examples- understand the importance of cross-modal interactions in perception.

Main referenceSchacter , Gilbert & Wegner.Psychology (2012), Chapter 4: Sensation & Perception.

Additional referencesMore depth on covered topics can be found in: Goldstein, E. B. Sensation and perception(7thedition); and in Palmer, S. Vision Science.


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PSYCHOLOGY OF MEMORYProfessor Robert Logie ([email protected])

Lecture No

1 What is memory, and how is it studied by cognitive psychologists?Memories and memory systems, selective memory deficits following braindamage.

2 Working MemoryKeeping track moment to moment, working memory as a mental workspace,working memory components, evidence from neuropsychology andneuroimaging.

3 Organising and RememberingMemory for events and memory for knowledge, impact of expertise and memorystrategies on recall. Improving memory and memory training.

4 ForgettingPatterns and causes of forgetting. Remembering and forgetting intentions -prospective memory and absent-mindedness

5 Memory for Important EventsFlashbulb memories. Eye-witness memory

6 The Malleability of MemoryChanging and implanting memories, memory as reconstructions and falsememories.


- define key psychological concepts about human memory and illustrate them withrelevant examples

- understand basic theoretical questions and arguments about the cognitive psychology ofhuman memory.

- outline the types of research methods that cognitive psychologists have used to addressquestions about human memory.

- summarise some classic and some recent findings about human memory, along with

examples of how those findings have implications for learning and memory in differentaspects of everyday life.

- discuss how these findings relate to theoretical questions and arguments, as well as tothe application of those findings to the use of memory in everyday life

ReferencePasser et al, Psychology: the science of mind and behaviour (2009), chapter 8.


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ESSAYS, EXAMS, AND YOUR BRAINMadeleine Beveridge ([email protected])Dr Richard Shillcock ([email protected])

By this point, you should have chosen and begun thinking about your psychology essay forSemester 1. In addition, exams (in Psychology and your other subjects) will not be far away.However, different people learn best in different ways how do you know what works best foryou? In this single lecture on applied psychology, we will use psychological theories andresearch findings to explore general good practice, and then look at why certain strategies maywork better for you than others. This will be an interactive session, with a range of exercisesdesigned to highlight how you can apply psychology to your individual learning in the real world.

Lecture No Lecture

1 Exams, and Your Brainhe best way to learnfor you? What is happening in your brain when youow can you use your thinking style most efficiently?

Learning outcomes: From this single lecture, students should:

- be able to describe some basic learning techniques, and understand why these workdifferently for different people

- have a clearer idea of what strategies you can use to write essays and prepare forexams (in various academic disciplines)

Main referencen/a


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RESEARCH METHODSDr Andrea Martin ([email protected])

Lecture No Lecture

1 What is an experiment?In which we examine the various methodologies used by psychologists toestablish facts about human behaviour.

2 Probability what is it and how do we measure it?If we observe something once, how sure can we be that it will happenagain?

3 Types of dataHow do we decide what kind of experiment to run? What kinds ofmeasurements can we make?

4 Generalising from data: correlationsHow can we generalise about relationships between observations?

5 DistributionsPatterns of results, and why averages tell you very little.

6 The normal distributionAn idealised distribution of experimental data.

7 Generalising from data: comparing meansHow can we compare results found in different circumstances?


- understand key methodological concepts, including experimental hypotheses and testability- understand key statistical concepts, such as probability, samples and distributions,correlations, and the normal distribution- appreciate when qualitative methods might be preferable to a quantitative approach- define key terms such as Independent and Dependent Variables and illustrate them withrelevant examples- outline, in principle, how we arrive at a statistical inference that two means are different

Main reference

Schacter et al,Psychology (2012). Chapter 2.


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METATHEORETICAL ISSUES FOR PSYCHOLOGISTSDr Richard Shillcock ([email protected])

At this halfway point in the course, you should have had plenty to think about. Psychology is abroad discipline, containing strikingly different subdisciplines. There will be radically differenttypes of psychological investigation still to come in this second semester. However, we will takethis opportunity of this single lecture to ask some questions about what we can and cannot do inPsychology, how we can draw conclusions from the very different forms of investigation thatpsychologists employ, what our theories should look like, what progress has been made, whatareas of Psychology have thrown up fundamental disagreements between psychologists, whatoverall trends there are in our field, and what relations are like with bordering disciplines.

Lecture No Lecture

1 Metatheoretical issue for psychologistsThe nature of Psychology and what psychologists do

Learning outcomes: From this single lecture, students should:

- be able to frame, and attempt to answer, questions of a more fundamental nature aboutPsychology as a discipline

- have a clearer idea of where Psychology has come from and where it is going

Main referenceSchacter et al,Psychology (2012). Chapter 1.


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LANGUAGE AND THINKINGDr. Patrick Sturt ([email protected])

Lecture No Lecture

1 Introduction to language

The nature of language and how it is studied

2 Speaking 1The problem of speaking, fluency and speech errors, the tip-of-the-tonguestate and anomia

3 Speaking 2Models of speaking, testing these models, the nature of dialogue

4 Concepts and categorizationHierarchies of concepts, prototypes, concept combination

5 Language and thoughtHow are they related, colour categories across cultures

6 Decision makingDeduction and induction, probabilistic reasoning, problem solving

Learning outcomes: By the end of this section, students should be able to:

- appreciate why psychologists are interested in the nature of language and how it is used- understand how people speak and why they sometimes experience difficulty with it- assess theories of how people categorize the world- understand theories of the relationship between language and thought

- understand some of the basic mechanisms underlying thinking and why thinking

sometimes appears to go awry

Main referenceSchacter et al,Psychology (2012). Chapter 7.


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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGYDr Sue Widdicombe([email protected])

Lecture No Lecture

1 The Self in the Social WorldHow do we know ourselves? Self-knowledge and self-awareness; culture andself; self motives; self-esteem; self-presentation and impression management.

2 Social Cognition and Social ThinkingSocial schemata and the construction of reality, the role of preconceptions, beliefperseverance and memory, and heuristics in social judgements; application toclinical judgements and drivers behaviour.

3 Social InfluenceWhy and when do people conform; minority influence and social change; why andwhen people obey; how Milgrams insights have been applied in the real world.

4

5

People in GroupsHow do groups influence our behaviour? Social facilitation, social loafing anddeindividuation. How do groups influence decision making? Group polarization,group think and brainstorming.

Understanding Crowd BehaviourHow do people act as a crowd, for example, during riots or

demonstrations? Is crowd behavior irrational behavior? How can we studycrowd behavior? How can social psychological work on crowds beapplied e.g. to policing crowds.

6 Prosocial BehaviourWhy do people help others? Does altruism really exist? When do othersintervene? Who is most likely to help? Can we increase prosocial behaviour?

7 Relationships: Chemistry or Communication?The need for affiliation; interpersonal attraction; critique of the idea thatrelationships are about chemistry; relationships as active, two-sided processes;relationship skills and strategies; studying relationships.

Learning outcomes: on completion of this section of the course, students should be able to:

- outline some classic and recent studies in social psychology and discuss key theoretical

concepts- discuss, illustrate and assess some of the methods used by social psychologists- appreciate how the methods and findings of social psychological research are used to

support or reject particular theories.

ReferencesSchacter et al,Psychology (2012). Chapter 14.

Additional references


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Hogg, M. A. & Vaughan, G. (2010). Social Psychology(6thedition). Prentice Hall, chapters 4, 7,11 (pp. 426-435),13 & 14.

Baron, R. A., Byrne, D., & Branscombe, N. R. (2012) Social Psychology, (13thedition). PearsonEducation Ltd, chapters 2, 7 & 11.

Duck, S. (1991) Friends, for life: the psychology of personal relationships. (2nd edition).Harvester Wheatsheaf, chapters 3 & 4.Smith, J.R. & Haslam, S.A. (2012). Social Psychology: revisiting the classic studies.London:Sage Publications. Chs.1, 4 & 12.


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BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOURDr Michelle Luciano/Dr David Carmel ([email protected]@ed.ac.uk)

Lecture No Lecture

1 Introduction to the brain

Its structure and major functional regions, and an overview of the techniquesused to study it. (ML)

2 Deficits and diseases of the brainThe effects of brain diseases and lesions on behaviour. (ML)

3 Introduction to neurophysiologyWhy psychologists study biology, and the ways in which our physiology canaffect thoughts and behaviour. (ML)

4 Neural communicationThe structure and function of nerve cells, the major divisions of the nervoussystem as a whole, and chemical signalling within it. (ML)

5 The sensory systemThe neurological bases of the sensory system. (ML)

6 Motivation and hormonesThe effects of some hormones on behaviour. (ML)

7 Genetic underpinnings of behaviourThe influence of genes on behaviour (ML)

8 Consciousness and awarenessPerceptual awareness and consciousness in the human brain, disorders ofconsciousness (DC)

9 Attention: The bottleneck of processingThe perceptual and neural locus attentional selection, disorders of attention (DC)

Learning outcomes: By the end of this section, students should be able to:- summarise the research methods used to study the brain- outline the structure and function of the nervous system- discuss the effect of brain damage on behaviour

- Outline the relation between brain activity and psychological functions.

- discuss biological and environmental influences on behaviour.

ReferencesSchacter et al,Psychology (European edition, 2011).

The Biological Bases lectures will draw quite widely on the whole Psychology 1 textbook. Youshould read all of Chapters 3, 4, 8, and 10 (Neuroscience and Behaviour, Sensation andPerception, Consciousness, and Emotion and Motivation). However, whenever a specific topicheading arises in the lectures, you are advised to look up that topic for more detailed
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information (e.g. a specific sensory system, a specific hormone, a type of neuron etc). Somebiologically oriented textbooks (available in the library) will be discussed for your reference inthe lectures.


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DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGYDr Alex Doumas ([email protected])

Lecture No Lecture

1 The what and why of development

What is developmental psychology and why do we care about development?

2 Theories of development 1: The Piagetian traditionWe cover the historical attempts to provide unifying frameworks forunderstanding human development. Our first topic covers the cognitive theory ofJean Piaget

3 Theories of development 2: The Vygotskian traditionWe cover the historical attempts to provide unifying frameworks forunderstanding human development. Our second topic covers the social contexttheory of Lev Vygotsky

4 Theories of development 3: The information processing traditionWe cover the historical attempts to provide unifying frameworks forunderstanding human development. Our third topic covers the idea thatdevelopment (and psychology broadly) can be understood in terms ofinformation processing devises that perform computations.

5 Perceptual developmentWe cover how the perceptual system changes with development.

6 Conceptual developmentWe cover how childrens concepts change with experience and how this affects

how they reason about the world.

7 Theory of mindWe cover how the ability to understand the thoughts of others changes withdevelopment and the implications for social development

Learning outcomes: By the end of the section students should:

summarise why and how developmental psychologists study developmentalprocesses;

outline the major overarching theoretical perspectives in developmentalpsychology and understand how these perspectives have changed with ourunderstanding of how children develop;

discuss broadly the maturation of the human perceptual system; outline the changes in childrens concepts and the effects of these changes on

childrens reasoning;

understand the importance and relevance of theory of mind and when and how itdevelops.

ReferencesSchacter et al., Psychology(chaps. 11-12)Siegler, Cognitive Development, (chaps. 2-4)


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5. ReadingsThe recommended textbook for the course is Psychology (first European edition) (2012) bySchacter, Gilbert and Wegner (published by Palgrave). You will need your personal copy andyou are strongly encouraged to buy the book (including the online resources package). It isavailable at Blackwells (South Bridge) at a discount.A limited number of second-hand copies of

this book may be available at the Psychology 1 helpdesk, in the lower concourse of 7 GeorgeSquare in weeks 1 and 2. Other readings will be provided online in .pdf form, in the Learn partof MyEd.

6. PPLS Undergraduate Student HandbookThe PPLS Undergraduate Student Handbook has more information on student support andacademic guidance; late coursework and plagiarism; illness and disability adjustments, anduseful sources of advice.http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdf

7. TutorialsThere are four tutorials in Semester 1 and four in Semester 2. In order to manage numbers,students are divided into two groups as follows:

SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2

GROUP A Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9 Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9

GROUP B Weeks 4, 6, 8, 10 Weeks 2, 4, 8, 10*

*Note: Week 6 (Semester 2) is Innovative Learning Weekand there is no formal teaching.

Tutorial sign-up must take place by noon on Monday, week 2 . This is done via Learn.Please note this requires prior matriculation, registration and logging on via the MyEd portal. Ifyou are having problems signing up via LEARN, the Teaching Coordinator is available in roomG6, Psychology building, at the following:

Monday (week 1) 12-2Friday (week 1) 12-2

Please ensure you select a tutorial slot that does not clash with your other classes (acrossboth semesters), or any further work commitments.

Please note:1. Participation in tutorials is part of your formal assessment . You must attend all the

tutorials.

2. You MUST participate in tutorial discussions. This means that you must prepare thematerials that have been assigned.

3. The tutorial is not simply support for the lecture course . If you are having problemswith a particular part of the course, you must warn the tutor in advance. Some tutors may usesuch queries as exercises for the whole group, rather than simply answering the query.
http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/documents/PPLS_Student_Handbook_FINAL.pdf


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4. If you are going to miss a tutorial for any reason, you must contact the CourseSecretary ([email protected]) in the PPLS Undergraduate Teaching Office as soon aspossible to explain the reason.

About the tutorials:The tutorial series aims to:- Complement the lecture series- Develop students understanding of psychological research- Develop key study skills in psychology

Each of the 8 main lecture blocks of the course will have one tutorial. This tutorial will be basedaround a key reading and discussion question(s) set by the lecturer for that block. These areoutlined below. Students are expected to come prepared to participate in the tutorial. You will berequired to bring along a brief written report of the article you read for the tutorialthis includesthe first tutorial. You will find details in the Tutorial Workbook. You will also find a brief guide torreading and analysing research papers which may be of use to you, on page 4 of the TutorialWorkbook. The Tutorial Workbook is available to view and download on the central virtual

learning environment Learn, but you can pick up a paper copy of this from the ground floor inthe Dugald Stewart Building. Copies will be kept on the counter above the pre-honoursPsychology drop box 3. This drop box is where you will submit your essays and real worldactivities, so it is important that you know where it is. Please do not ask staff in the teachingoffice for copies of the Workbook.

In addition to each tutorial you will be set short study skills tasks each fortnight, which should becompleted before the next tutorial. You will also be expected to complete three Real-WorldPsychology tasks each semester six in total) this will involve you working alone or in a smallgroup to answer a specific problem or question. These activities are designed to orient you as tohow psychological theory is relevant in various real-world contexts. The six activities relate tothe Differential, Perception, Memory, Language and Thinking, Social Psychology, and

Developmental sections of the course, respectively. The Differential activity involves completingsome questionnaires online, and must be completed beforeProfessor Dearys first lecture. Allthe other activities are to be completed and submitted before the end of Week 11 in the relevantsemester.

Details of the study skills tasks and the Real-World Psychology tasks are available in theTutorial Workbook, and also on Learn.

In week 3, the department will be organising a lab session, in which students can get their firsttaste of conducting psychological research. Timings and sign up details will be announcedshortly.

The topics and readings for the tutorials are as follows (see Tutorial Workbook for more details)


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Semester 1:1. Differential PsychologyReading:Deary, I. (2008). Why do intelligent people live longer? Nature, 456, 175-176.

2. PerceptionReading:Pinker, S. (1997). How the Mind Works. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. Chapter 5 (TheMinds Eye).

3. MemoryReading A:Wells, G.L. & Olson, E.A. (2003). Eyewitness testimony. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 277-295.Reading B:Logie, R.H. & Maylor, E.A. (2009).An internet study of prospective memory across adulthood.Psychology and Aging, 24, 767774.

4. Research MethodsReading TBA

Semester 2:1. Language and ThinkingReading:Bowers, J.S., Mattys, S.L., & Gage, S.H. (2009). Preserved implicit knowledge of a forgottenchildhood language. Psychological Science, 20, 1064-1069.

2. Social PsychologyReading A:

Rochat, F. & Modigliani, A. (1995). The ordinary quality of resistance: From Milgrams laboratoryto the village of Le Chambon. Journal of Social Issues, 51,195-210.

Reading B:Burger, J.M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey today?AmericanPsychologist, 64 (1),1-11.

3. BiologicalReading:Franz, E.A., & Fahey, S. (2007). Developmental change in interhemispheric communication:evidence from bimanual cost. Psychological Science, 18,1030-1031.

4. Developmental psychologyReading: TBA

8. Assessment Information8.1 Forms of assessment

Your final mark is based upon exams, essays, and tutorial and research participation.


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(Note: single-semester visiting students are required to submit one essay and take one exam inthe relevant semester. Tutorials are a general requirement, but you are not required to take partin research participation)

EXAMS

There are two examinations, one at the end of each semester. Each lasts 2 hours andconsists of 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) based on material covered that semester (i.e.lectures and the relevant chapters of the course textbook).If you miss either exam for good reason (e.g. on medical grounds), you can take the Augustexam as a first sitting. Students who fail the course are required to take this as a re-sit exam. Inexceptional circumstances, individual cases will be considered by a special committee.

The August (re-sit) examlasts 2 hours and consists of essay questions. It is in two sections,each one covering material from one of the semesters. Students who failed the course mustanswer questions from both sections. Students taking the exam as a first sitting must answerquestions from the section relating to the exam they missed.

NOTE: Exam times and venues are decided by Academic Registry. Details can be found onthe Academic Registry website after these have been decided. Dates, times and locations willthen be posted on the department noticeboard and on Learn. Please do not contact theCourse Secretary about this informationshe will pass on the information as soon as she isinformed.

ESSAYS

There are 2 essays (one per semester) of up to 1200 words in length. Both essays contribute toyour final mark. Guidelines on writing essays can be found in the Tutorial Workbook. Anannotated example of an essay, plus further guidelines, will be provided.

Essay titlesSemester ONE (Answer ONEof the following four questions)

Deadline 2pm, Friday 22November 2013(week 10, semester 1)

1. Is intelligence one thing or many?

2. Why are there different approaches to the study of human personality?

3. Why are psychologists so interested in visual illusions?

4. What are perceptual constancies, and why are they an important design feature of thehuman perceptual system?

Semester TWO (Answer ONEof the following four questions)

Deadline 2pm, Friday 21 March 2014(week 10, semester 2)

1. What types of evidence are most informative for studying how peopleproduce language?


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2. To what extent is thought affected by language?

3. Has our understanding of altruism been constrained by the research focus on bystanderapathy?

4. In Asch's line judgement studies, some participants did not conform at all and most did notconform to the erroneous judgement every time. Should our study of conformity take moreaccount of resistance?

EssaysubmissionAll essays must be word-processed, and submitted in two forms by the deadline:

1. One hard copyshould be placed in the box marked PRE HONOURS PSYCHOLOGY 1 onthe ground floor of the Dugald Stewart Building. You must attach an essay coversheetwhich includes a declaration of own work statement (copies of these will be on top of theessay box).

2. An electronic copymust be submitted via Turnitin, the plagiarism detection software. Alink to Turnitin will be available via Learn.

Penalties for late submissionFor each working day that work is late, the mark will be reduced by 5%. This penalty applies upto five working days, inclusive. On day 6, those who have submitted neither version whatsoever(electronic OR hard-copy) receive a mark of zero. Those who have submitted one version only(electronic OR hard-copy) lose a further 10% on day 6, and no further marks thereafter. In total,therefore, you will forfeit 35% of your grade if you fail to submit BOTH hard and electroniccopies, and this failure is taken very seriously.

Essay return

Essays are returned after they have been marked and moderated, and feedback has beenprovided for each of them. This will be done as quickly as possible, but please bear in mind thatthere are usually well over 300 of them. We aim to return them within 3 weeks. The CourseSecretary will inform you of the return date by email, and will return them to you on the specifieddate and time.

IMPORTANT1. Plagiarism, the unacknowledged use of others work, is a serious offence, and may bea disciplinary matter. It is essential that you read the section on plagiarism in the PPLSUndergraduate Student Handbook to avoid this.

2. You are expected to submit work on time. This is not only considerate to staff and fellow

students but also an ability valued by employers, who typically ask about this when requesting areference for a graduate.

To avoid late submission:- start working on essays as early as possible. All deadlines are given above so you can

plan ahead. Bear in mind you may have more than one deadline around the same time.- complete the essay at least 48 hours before the deadline to allow time for proof-reading,

possible problems in printing and electronic submission. Bear in mind that demand oncomputers and printers is often high around the time of a deadline.


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- save your work frequently and back it up.

TUTORIAL AND RESEARCH PARTICIPATION

The final part of your assessment is based upon tutorial and research participation. Absencefrom a tutorial without good reason, or a failure to participate in the tutorial, will lead to a

deduction of points from your overall mark.

You are also expected to participate in departmental research, contributing 8 hours of researchparticipation over the year for course credit (preferably including at least lab-based experiment -i.e., not an online questionnaire). This will give you first-hand insight into the research process.This is organised via a web-based system (http://www.subjectpool.com/), and set out in Learn.Failure to register, or to turn up, will lead to a deduction of points from your overall mark. Anyqueries about research participation should be emailed to: [email protected] all theexperiments available require native-English speakers, and English is not your first language,you can still acquire research participation marks by unobtrusively accompanying a friend whois taking part in an experiment, and watching and listening to the debriefing afterwards. Youmust contact the researcher beforehand to let them know that you will be accompanying your

friend. Make sure your presence is recorded.

8.2 How your work is assessedEach candidate will be awarded a single grade for the course at the end of the year. Thecourse grade will be awarded on the basis of a combination of two examinations, marks fromtwo coursework, and tutorial/research participation. The two degree examinations are basedupon Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). Since there is a scaling procedure that takes accountof the possibility that some correct answers may be obtained by guessing, you are advised toanswer all the questionsin multiple-choice examinations even if you are unsure about someof your answers.

8.3 How to calculate your Course MarkThe various components of the course are weighted as follows:

Semester 1 exam = 30%Semester 2 exam = 30%Two Tutorial essays (equally weighted) = 25% (i.e., each essay is 12.5%)Tutorial report submission (8 tutorials) = 4%Research participation (8 hours) = 5%Real-world Psychology (6 activities) = 6%(NB 0.5% penalty deducted per tutorial or hour of research missed)

Single-SemesterVisiting Students: your mark is weighted as follows:

Exam (for relevant semester) = 70%Tutorial essay = 30%

8.4 Timetable for return of coursework and exam marks

Item of work Submission deadline Return date*

Essay 1 2pm, Friday 22 November 2013(week 10, semester 1)

Friday 13 December 2013
http://www.subjectpool.com/http://www.subjectpool.com/http://www.subjectpool.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.subjectpool.com/


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Essay 2 2pm, Friday 21 March 2014(week 10, semester 2)

Friday 25 April 2014

Semester 1 exam marks(posted on coursenoticeboard)

N/A By end of January 2014(Note: final marks for Semester 1visiting students will be returned to

Academic Registry after the ExamBoard at the end of January)

*Timing may be later for a student who has an extension granted for coursework. Otherwise,work will be returned on or before the date shown; if this date changes the class will be notified.

Note: All the above marks are provisional until confirmed by the Exam Board in June. Thesemarks, together with Semester 2 exam marks, are returned to Academic Registry after theExam Board meeting, and will be available on MyEd shortly afterwards.

8.5 FeedbackFeedbackYou will get many feedback or feedforward opportunities in your courses. Feedback could be inthe form of written or spoken comments on a draft or submitted essay or write-up, or in the formof self-generated or peer feedback, small group discussions or quizzes within lectures, etc.Feedforward might include a discussion of how to write an essay, or prepare for an exam.

Feedback is essential to learning and it takes many forms. We strongly encourage you to use allforms of feedback, including:

Asking and answering questions in lectures, classes or talks

Asking questions of your Course Organiser or lecturer in their office hours

Discussing your work with lecturers and examiners on Psychology's dedicated Feedback

Days (third year students) Actively participating in your tutorials

Talking about your ideas outside class with fellow Psychology students

Participating in PsychSoc discussion groups, study-skills events, debates and talks:http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/society/psychologysociety/

Participating in the British Psychological Society, including undergraduate conferences.

If you have any suggestions on how to improve feedback further, please contact either:

Your Tutor (pre-Honours students)

Your Course Organiser

Your Personal Tutor

Tamsin Welch, PPLS Student Support Officer ([email protected] Dr Sue Widdicombe, Director of Undergraduate Teaching ([email protected])

9. LearnYou should regularly check your university email and check for announcements on the courseLearn page, which can be assessed from your MyEd page viahttp://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/

The course Learn page will provide information concerning:. General information and announcement about the course
http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/society/psychologysociety/http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/society/psychologysociety/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/http://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/http://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/http://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/society/psychologysociety/


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. Lecture notes and PowerPoint slides

. Tutorial arrangements

. Information about assessment arrangements

10. Useful Information

10.1 British Psychological Society accreditation (BPS)The Single and Combined Honours degree programmes in Psychology which are listed beloware accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for theGraduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided the minimum standard of a LowerSecond Class Honours is achieved, in addition to successfully completing the research project(Year 4 Dissertation in Psychology). This is the first step towards becoming a CharteredPsychologist.

If you intend to practice as a professional psychologist, you first need to obtain anundergraduate degree that confers eligibility for GBC. Then you would need to undertake furthertraining in the form of a relevant postgraduate degree and supervised practice before you wouldbe eligible to become a Chartered Psychologist and to work independently as a psychologist.

For further information, see:http://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsycholThe following degree programmes are accredited by the BPS as conferring eligibility for GBC:

Single HonoursMA (Hons) PsychologyBSc (Hons) Psychology

Combined HonoursMA (Hons) Psychology & Business StudiesMA (Hons) Psychology & LinguisticsMA (Hons) Philosophy & PsychologyMA (Hons) Sociology & PsychologyBSc (Hons) Artificial Intelligence & Psychology

For Single Honours degrees, all standard pathways, as specified in the relevant DegreeProgramme Table (DPT), are accredited. For Combined Honours degrees, accreditation isconditional on students taking the Year 3 Methodology 1 and Methodology 2 courses,Dissertation in Psychology (Year 4) and a selection of 3rd and 4th year courses which cover allfive of the following core areas of Psychology:

1. Cognitive Psychology

2. Biological Psychology3. Social Psychology4. Developmental Psychology5. Individual Differences

The degrees of students who spend their Junior Honours Year abroad are not automaticallyaccredited by the BPS. However, such students may apply to the BPS for GBC on an individualbasis, after graduation (on payment of the relevant BPS membership fee). If you areconsidering doing this, it is important that you select honours level courses covering the five
http://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsycholhttp://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsycholhttp://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsycholhttp://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsycholhttp://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/benefits-belonging/membership/chartered-member-cpsychol/chartered-member-cpsychol


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core areas and also a course covering similar material to the Year 3 Methodology 1 and 2courses (as well as taking the Dissertation in Psychology).

The following honours degree programmes are not accredited as conferring eligibility for GBC:Individual Subject Combinations (ie Combined Honours programmes other than those listedabove)

BMedSci (Hons) PsychologyMA Cognitive Science (Humanities)

10.2 Making the most of University - Support from your University Careers ServiceYour University Careers Service is here to support you from Day 1, not just in your final yearwhen you are moving on from your undergraduate studies. We can support you in finding part-time and vacation work and volunteering opportunities to help you add value to your universityexperience, alongside your studies.

Whilst studying to gain the best degree you can is your priority, its also a good idea to take

advantage of the wide range of opportunities open to you as an undergraduate. These includevolunteering, taking on a role with a student society or club, study abroad, group projects, parttime work, summer jobs, delivering presentations, work shadowing, to name but a few. Gettinginvolved with activities outwith your studies has many advantages. You can:

- Develop and demonstrate skills and attributes, such as teamwork, communication, time-management, customer service etc. Employers will be looking for evidenceof relevant skillsfrom all areas of your life, not just your studies, when you come to apply for work.

- Broaden your horizons new experiences can change your perspective, provide newinsights, alter your outlook, encourage you to consider different opportunities anddirections.

- Discover your strengths what youre good at, what you enjoy, how you can use these

strengths to your advantage in the workplace.- Gain experience relevant to your future career direction, for example working on the student

newspapers or radio if interested in journalism or broadcasting.

Careers Service support includes:- Part time and vacation opportunities via our SAGE (Student and Graduate Employment)

database- Support with applications and interviews for part-time and vacation work- Volunteering opportunities nationwide and abroad- Talking through your immediate and future plans with a Careers Adviser.

Find out more via our websitewww.ed.ac.uk/careers,or call in and see us on the 3 rdfloor of the

Central Library Building to browse our information resources.

And finallylook out for notices and emails about Careers Service activity in PPLS. Plans for2012/13 include monthly drop-in sessions for quick career queries in DSB, the annual alumnievent in February, a PPLS careers blog and sessions for specific year groups.We look forward to working with you during your time at Edinburgh.

10.3 PsychPALS
http://www.ed.ac.uk/careershttp://www.ed.ac.uk/careershttp://www.ed.ac.uk/careershttp://www.ed.ac.uk/careers


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Peer support is available through PsychPALS (Peer Assisted Learning Scheme). This student-run scheme consists of a series of fortnightly student-led talks during the first semester intendedto help Y1 students make the transition from school/college to university. Designed to providepractical help, topics include how to search for articles online, and tips on how to writepsychology essays. See the notice board in the Psychology building concourse for moreinformation andhttp://psychsoc.tripod.com/psychpals.html.

10.4 Help DeskThis year we have introduced a Help Desk in the lower concourse of the Psychology building, 7George Square. Volunteers will be available to staff the desk between 12 2 each weekday,throughout the semester.
http://psychsoc.tripod.com/psychpals.htmlhttp://psychsoc.tripod.com/psychpals.htmlhttp://psychsoc.tripod.com/psychpals.html


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11. Extended Common Marking Scheme

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/registry/exams/regulations/common-marking-scheme

Extended Common Marking Scheme

Letter

GradeRange Descriptor Degree Class

A1 90-100

Excellent 1stA2 80-89

A3 70-79

B 60-69 Very Good 2.1

C 50-59 Good 2.2

D 40-49 Pass 3rd

E 30-39 Marginal Fail

F 20-29 Clear fail

G 10-19

Bad failH 0-9

These descriptors are guidelines for assessing work on similar criteria across the range of

marks, but they do not provide a formula for generating a mark. It is clear, for example, that apiece of work may be excellent in one respect and substandard in another. Markers will have tomake decisions on aggregate. Note that some descriptors will be more appropriate for essay orproject assessment than for examination answers.

Notable changes from our old criteria include:

(1) More emphasis on scholarly apparatus Failure to acknowledge sources properly via in-text references and bibliography can fail an essay.

(2) A view on irrelevant material. - Students are not at liberty to answer exam questions whichwere not set. Irrelevant answers should normally be assigned a failing mark.

Markers should note that, for those examination scripts with a sticker stating specific learningdifficulties, no penaltiesfor poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be incurred, unlessthese are being directly assessed and are core to an understanding of the course. This requestis a reasonable adjustment under the Disability Discrimination Act and is particularly importantin examination situations, where support for spelling/grammar is unavailable or is not assured.

A1 90-100 ExcellentOutstanding in every respect, the work is well beyond the level expected of a competentstudent at their level of study. It

Shows creative, subtle, and/or original independent thinking
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/registry/exams/regulations/common-marking-schemehttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/registry/exams/regulations/common-marking-schemehttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/registry/exams/regulations/common-marking-scheme


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Demonstrates breadth of knowledge and deep understanding of the subject matter

Draws on a wide, relevant literature base

Demonstrates an excellent standard of synthesis and evaluation and a critical andinsightful analysis of the literature

Is well focused, with concentration on the main issues to be addressed

Presents a compelling case by means of clear logically structured argument ordebate, well supported with evidence

Is written with flair

Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing

Is flawless in grammar and spelling

A2 80-89 ExcellentOutstanding in some respects, the work is often beyond what is expected of a competentstudent at their level of study. It

Shows original, sophisticated independent thinking

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the subject matter

Draws on a wide, relevant literature base Demonstrates critical and insightful analysis of the literature


Presents a strong case by means of clear, logically structured argument or debate,supported with evidence

Shows a good standard of academic writing

Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing

Shows a high standard of grammar and spelling

A3 70-79 ExcellentVery good or excellent in most respects, the work is what might be expected of a verycompetent student. It

Explores the topic under discussion fully

Shows some complex and/or sensitive independent thinking Complexity and orsensitivity is reflected in the argument

Demonstrates a sound understanding of the subject matter

Draws in a wide relevant literature base

Demonstrates critical analysis of the literature


Presents a good case by means of clear logically structured argument or debate,supported by evidence

Shows a competent standard of fluent academic writing

Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing Shows a good standard of grammar and spelling

B 60-69 Very GoodGood or very good in most respects, the work displays thorough mastery of the relevantlearning outcomes. It

Demonstrates a good understanding of the area in question

Draws on adequate references

Demonstrates good synthesis, analysis, reflection and evaluation of the literature


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Concentrates on the main issues to be addressed

Presents an adequate case by means of clear, well structured, logical argumentsupported with evidence.

Has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing of sources

Shows a good standard of grammar and spelling

C 50-59 GoodThe work clearly meets requirements for demonstrating the relevant learning outcomes.It

Shows evidence of sufficient knowledge and understanding of the material

Uses references appropriately to support the argument, though they may belimited in number or reflect restricted reading.

Demonstrates limited critical analysis and evaluation of sources of evidence.

Addresses the area in question clearly and coherently

Has satisfactory structure, presentation, and expression

Has, where appropriate, complete referencing of sources, though there may be

minor flaws in referencing technique

D 40-49 PassThe work meets minimum requirements for demonstrating the relevant learningoutcomes. It

Demonstrates a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding but at a basiclevel, and there may be minor inaccuracies

Lacks detail, elaboration or explanation of concepts and ideas.

Displays limited synthesis and analysis of the literature

Presents a highly descriptive account of the topic with no real critical analysis

Presents a weak argument which is not logically structured or which lacks clarity or

is based on unsubstantiated statements Has, where appropriate, complete referencing of sources, though there may be

flaws in referencing technique.

Has largely satisfactory expression, though there may be minor spelling orgrammatical errors

E 30-39 Marginal failThe work fails to meet minimum requirements for demonstrating the relevant learningoutcomes. It

Does not demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding

Utilises only limited reference sources and offers poor analysis of them

May not adequately address the area in question, because its content is too limitedor because there are some inaccuracies

Presents a poorly structured, poorly developed, or incoherent argument, or noargument at all

Has an awkward writing style or poor expression of concepts

Has incomplete or inadequately presented references

Shows a lack of attention to spelling and grammar.

20-29 Clear failThe work is very weak or shows a decided lack of effort. It


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Displays very poor or confused knowledge and understanding

Does not address the area in question.

Presents no argument or one based on irrelevant and erroneous content

Displays an unacceptable academic writing style and /or presentation

Has incomplete or inadequately presented references, if any

G 10-19 Bad failThe work is extremely weak. It

Displays no knowledge or understanding of the area in question

Presents incomplete, muddled, and/or irrelevant material

Provides no coherent discussion of the area in question

Has incomplete or inadequately presented references, if any

H 0-9 Bad failThe work is of very little consequence, if any, to the area in question. It is incomplete inevery respect

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Y1 Course Handbook 2013-14

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