PSY4007
Introduction to Studying Psychology
Portfolio
Date for Submission: Please refer to the timetable on ilearn
(The submission portal on ilearn will close at 14:00 UK time
on the date of submission)
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materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Template: V5
Assignment Brief
As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit a
portfolio assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the
programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting
assignments.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing the module, you should be able to:
1. Describe and discuss historical, ethical, and wider issues within psychology.
2. Explain core theoretical perspectives in psychology.
3. Evidence and reflect upon engagement with development opportunities for
skills for success.
4. Demonstrate a developing academic skillset, including sourcing and
communicating evidence.
Graduate attributes:
Contextually innovative: applying skills of critical, creative and evidenced based analysis
and/or personal reflection to current real-world situations and future challenges.
Through completing this assessment, you should have enhanced key professional
development skills including; independent learning, developing your own working and
learning strategies, time management, information seeking, understanding and
awareness of limitations of theoretical perspectives, and the importance of reflection.
All learning outcomes must be met to pass the module.
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materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Guidance
Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the
module name, the submission deadline and the exact word count of your submitted
document; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list (see referencing section for
more information).You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed
below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in
assessing your work.
You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University
operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the
identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.
Maximum word count: 2,500 words
Please refer to the full word count policy which can be found in the Student Policies
section here: Arden University | Regulatory Framework
The word count includes everything in the main body of the assessment (including in
text citations and references). The word count excludes numerical data in tables,
figures, diagrams, footnotes, reference list and appendices. All other printed
words ARE included in the word count.
Students who exceed the wordcount up to a 10% margin will not be penalised.
Students should note that no marks will be assigned to work exceeding the specified
limit once the maximum assessment size limit has been reached.
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materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Assignment Task
There are FOUR parts to this assignment – you should answer all parts in
order to meet all Learning Outcomes and pass the assessment.
Part 1: Psychological Perspectives (750 words) Learning Outcome 2
Discuss which perspectives in psychology you believe (based on evidence) are most
useful for explaining human behaviour. Choose two perspectives from the following to
discuss:
Psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive, developmental, social, humanistic, biological,
evolutionary, individual differences.
Provide examples and evidence to support your arguments from core textbooks or
published journal articles, and avoid citing/ relying upon websites. To push further, you
can discuss the strengths and limitations of the two approaches you have discussed.
Part 2: Sourcing and Communicating Psychological Evidence (500 words)
Learning Outcome 4
STEP 1: Find a recent (within last 10 years) peer-reviewed journal article about a
psychological topic of your choice. It is recommended that you find a piece of primary
research (where the researchers collected and analysed the study data themselves)
rather than a review article.
STEP 2: Write a summary of the article, including the following key sections (you may
wish to use the sub-headings below to structure your summary):
• Introduction
o What was the study looking at, and why?
o The research question or hypotheses.
• Methodology
o What did the researchers do and how did they do it? This includes the
study design, the participant sample, the measures used, and the
procedure followed.
• Results
o In clear terms, what did the researchers find?
• Discussion and conclusion
o What do the findings mean?
To push further, you can briefly discuss:
o Some of the strengths and/ or limitations of the research.
o How the research might be applied in real-world contexts.
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
STEP 3: After your article summary, provide a full reference that follows either APA or
AU Harvard referencing format (select the formatting appropriate to your programme
of study - Referencing Guide at the bottom of this brief).
STEP 4: Identify where and how you found this source, and whether the source is
appropriate to use in academic work and an explanation of why.
Part 3: Wider Issues in Psychology (750 words) Learning Outcome 1
Choosing one of the below historical studies in psychology:
•
•
•
The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Little Albert Experiment
Milgram’s Obedience Study
Discuss the following:
1. The study’s aim, procedure, and findings (recommended: 150 words).
2. The ethical issues present within the study, and why they are issues
(recommended: 300 words).
3. Modern-day ethical guidelines (BPS/ APA) and how they address the ethical
issues present in your chosen study (recommended: 300 words).
Please find the BPS guidelines here:
• British Psychological Society. (2017). Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/bps-practice-guidelines-2017
• British Psychological Society. (2021). Code of Ethics and Conduct. Retrieved
from https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/code-ethics-and-conduct
Part 4: Reflection on Skills for Success (500 words) Learning Outcome 3
Use one of the reflective models you have learned about on the module (Gibbs’
Reflective Cycle, Driscoll’s Model of Reflection) to write a reflection about your current
and future development in your own academic or professional skillset.
To help you do this, focus upon a single experience regarding your academic and/or
professional development. Some options are highlighted below (note, this is not
exhaustive, and it is recommended that you write about only one experience):
•
•
Engaging with materials from the module, such as for time-management, notetaking, digital skills, evaluation skills etc.
A meeting with one of the module team to discuss a specific academic skill that
you are working on developing.
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
•
•
•
•
•
A meeting with a Professional Development Coach.
A meeting with someone from the Career’s team.
Attending an Academic Skills workshop (or watch the recording afterwards).
You could also engage with the English Language Hub.
Complete some of the Psychology Employability Portfolio (PEP).
It is recommended that you include a SMART goal to conclude your reflections, evidencing
how you will use your reflections to further develop in the future.
NOTE: If you are unsure if something is relevant/ appropriate to reflect upon for Part
4, please contact us (for Distance Learning students, via the email inbox:
psy4007d@arden.ac.uk, and for Blended Learning students, via your class lecturer)
and we will happily advise.
This module is marked using the Arden University Categorical Marking Criteria
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Formative Feedback
You have the opportunity to submit a:
- Plan of all tasks, using bullet-points and notes to show what you intend to write
about for each task (maximum 1000 words),
or
- A draft of two tasks of your choice (maximum 500 words each, totalling 1000
words overall) to receive formative feedback.
The feedback is designed to help you develop areas of your work and it helps you
develop your skills as an independent learner.
If you are a distance learning student, you should submit your work via Turnitin. Please
check your iLearn module pages/forum for the formative feedback deadline and
submission link.
If you are a blended learning student, your tutor will give you a deadline for formative
feedback and further details. If you have a confirmed extension to your summative
(final submission) deadline, please contact your lecturer for information on extensions
to the formative feedback deadline.
Formative feedback will not be given to work submitted after the published date or the
date specified by your tutor (if a blended learning student).
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Referencing Guidance
Guidelines for students studying BSc (Hons) Psychology:
You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate
and wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the APA
system(s).
Follow this link to find the referencing guides for your subject: Arden Library
Guidelines for students studying
BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology
BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology with Foundation Pathways
BA (Hons) Criminology and Law
BA (Hons) Criminology and Law with Foundation Pathways
BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
BA (Hons) HRM and Psychology
BA (Hons) Psychology and Sociology
BA (Hons) Psychology and Sociology with Foundation Pathways
BA (Hons) Psychology and Human Resource Management
BA (Hons) Psychology and Law
BA (Hons) Social Science
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Submission Guidance
Assignments submitted late will not be accepted and will be marked as a 0% fail.
Your assessment can be submitted as a single Word (MS Word) or PDF file, or, as
multiple files.
If you chose to submit multiple files, you must name each document as the
question/part you are answering along with your student number ie Q1 Section A
STUXXXX. If you wish to overwrite your submission or one of your submissions,
you must ensure that your new submission is named exactly the same as the
previous in order for the system to overwrite it.
You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all
sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show
evidence of academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is available
on the A-Z key information on iLearn.)
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning
materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means,
including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about
the use and distribution of programme materials please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Assessment Criteria (Learning objectives covered – all.
Level 4 is the first stage on the student journey into undergraduate study. At Level 4 students will be developing their knowledge
and understanding of the discipline and will be expected to demonstrate some of those skills and competences.
Student are expected to express their ideas clearly and to structure and develop academic arguments in their work.
Students will begin to apply the theory which underpins the subject and will start to explore how this relates to other areas
of their learning and any ethical considerations as appropriate. Students will begin to develop self-awareness of their own
academic and professional development.
Grade
Mark
Generic Assessment Criteria
Bands
First
80%+
Outstanding performance which demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject area and to confidently apply theory
(1)
whilst showing awareness of any relevant ethical considerations. The work shows an outstanding level of competence and
confidence in managing appropriate sources and materials, initiative and excellent academic writing skills and professional skills
(where appropriate). The work shows originality of thought.
70-79%
Excellent performance which demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and apply theory whilst showing some
awareness of any relevant ethical considerations. The work shows a high level of competence in managing sources and
materials, initiative and excellent academic writing skills and professional skills (where appropriate). The work shows originality of
thought.
Upper
60-69%
Very good performance which demonstrates the ability to analyse the subject and apply some theory.
second
The work shows a very good level of competence in managing sources and materials and some initiative. Academic writing
(2:1)
skills are very good, and expression remains accurate overall. Very good professional skills (where appropriate). The work
shows some original thought.
Lower
50-59%
A good performance which begins to analyse the subject and apply some underpinning theory. The work shows a sound
second
level of competence in managing basic sources and materials. Academic writing skills are good, and expression remains
(2:2)
accurate overall although the piece may lack structure. Good professional skills (where appropriate). The work lacks some
original thought.
Third
40-49%
Satisfactory level of performance in which there are some omissions in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and
(3)
ethical considerations. The work shows a satisfactory use of sources and materials. Academic writing skills are limited and
there are some errors in expression and the work may lack structure overall. There are some difficulties in developing
professional skills (where appropriate). The work lacks original thought and is largely imitative.
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means, including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the use and distribution of programme materials
please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.
Marginal 30-39%
fail
Clear fail 29% and
Below
Limited performance in which there are omissions in understanding the subject, its underpinning theory, and ethical
considerations. The work shows a limited use of sources and materials. Academic writing skills are weak and there are errors in
expression and the work may lack structure overall. There are difficulties in developing professional skills (where appropriate).
The work lacks original thought and is largely imitative.
A poor performance in which there are substantial gaps in knowledge and understanding, underpinning theory and ethical
considerations. The work shows little evidence in the use of appropriate sources and materials. Academic writing skills are very
weak and there are numerous errors in expression. The work lacks structure overall. Professional skills (where appropriate) are not
developed. The work is imitative.
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Arden University © reserves all rights of copyright and all other intellectual property rights in the learning materials and this publication. No part of any of the learning materials or this publication may be reproduced, shared (including in private social media groups), stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means, including without limitation electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Arden University. To find out more about the use and distribution of programme materials
please see the Arden Student Terms and Conditions.