Course Outline

PSY302 Intercultural and Indigenous Psychologies

Course Coordinator:Barnaby Dixson (bdixson@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology

2026Trimester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

In this course you will learn about the development of intercultural psychology as a distinctive sub-discipline of psychology, including the study of cultures' influence on cognition, learning, language, personality, work, social behaviour and psychopathology. A focus on evolutionary theory is also included. You will also learn about a range of research methodologies that may be used to study behaviour cross-culturally. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the wellbeing needs of Indigenous Australian peoples and on psychologists' ethical responsibilities to adopt culturally safe research and professional practices.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Online lecture content. 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial/workshop - 2 hour 2hrs Week 1 12 times

Course Topics

  • Cross cultural research
  • Enculturation
  • Evolutionary theory
  • Culture and development
  • Culture and language/communication
  • Culture and identity
  • Culture and personality
  • Culture and cognition
  • Culture and gender
  • Culture and emotion
  • Culture and health
  • Australian Indigneous culture

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Understand and explain the socio-cultural bases of human behaviour Knowledgeable
2 Critically evaluate intercultural and Indigenous psychological research Creative and critical thinker
3 Demonstrate an appreciation of cultural and linguistic diversity and develop an appreciation of intercultural communication skills Empowered
Ethical
4 Demonstrate an appreciation of the effects of culture on one's thought and actions Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

PSY200 and PSY201 OR PSY207

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Timely and detailed feedback is provided for each assessment. Feedback is provided both within text and general comments to build scholarly skills. Students are able to seek feedback through face-to-face discussion with the course coordinator. Tutorials will include extended discussion and review of the assessment task requirements and scope.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Oral Individual 30%
15 minutes per group + five minutes of questions
Refer to Format In Class
All 2 Written Piece Individual 50%
2500 words
Week 10 Online Submission
All 3 Examination - Centrally Scheduled Individual 20%
1 hour and 10 minutes
Exam Period Online Submission
All - Assessment Task 1:Oral Presentation
Goal:
1. Develop an oral presentation as a group (2-3 students per group) on a topic (see format section for further details).

2. Each presentation should be 15 minutes long.

3. Deliver an Oral Presentation in person during a workshop.

4. Answer five minutes of questions after your presentations from students and the teacher
Product: Oral
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Submit: Weeks 5 to 12. You will be required to work in groups, to prepare a presentation from the point of view of your chosen culture as to the aetiology, meaning, relevance and importance of a particular cultural tradition and/or behaviour. A list of traditions/behaviours and their corresponding culture to choose from will be given to you in Week 1; you may also choose your own tradition/behaviour with approval from your tutor. You will be given further training during tutorials as to how to structure and deliver your presentation. Although this is a group presentation, you will receive an individualised grade
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
aetiology of the cultural tradition/behaviour is well-researched and coherently described
1 2 3 4
2
the meaning/relevance/importance of the cultural tradition/behaviour is clearly presented
3 4
3
the cultural tradition/behaviour is presented from the point of view of the culture to further highlight its meaning/relevance/importance
1 4
4
presentation skills such as clarity, tempo, presentation aids, props etc
2
Generic Skills:
All - Assessment Task 2:Critical Essay
Goal:
1. To write a critical essay on one of topics provided in Canvas.
Product: Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Word length and style: The review should be no longer than 2500 words excluding the Title Page, Citations in brackets, Abstract and References. It should be presented using APA format in the style recommended by the APA publication manual (2010). The use of subheadings within the essay is permitted.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
A succinct summary statement of the topic to be critiqued
1
2
An evidence-based analysis of each side of the debate
2
3
The quality and relevance of the literature research
2
4
Arguments to support any conclusion/s about which side of the debate appears best supported by the available evidence
2
5
Limitations and future directions of research are presented
2
6
Quality of presentation including: written expression, accurate use of APA publication style, and observance of word length
2
Generic Skills:
All - Assessment Task 3:Examination
Goal:
Complete the final exam for this course on Cadmus.
Product: Examination - Centrally Scheduled
Authorship Statement:
Format:
The questions will be drawn from the set texts and lectures.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Multiple-choice questions: Accuracy
1 4
Generic Skills:

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Required David Matsumoto,Linda Juang,Hyisung C. Hwang 2023 Culture and Psychology 7th Cengage

Specific requirements

Nil

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: