Graduate Diploma in Psychological Science

Description 
Psychology is a diverse and thriving science devoted to understanding behaviour and the human mind. In PSYC105 you will receive an introduction to the following areas: positive psychology; wellbeing; visual perception; research methods; learning and behaviour change; forensic psychology; neuropsychology; drugs and behaviour; memory and cognition; and health psychology.

Learning Outcomes

1. Define some of the key terms in the study of brain, behaviour, & cognition.
   
2. Explain why people might behave the way they do, and the mental processes that give rise to their behaviour.
   
3. Practice some of the research techniques that are used to gain scientific knowledge in psychology.
   
4. Demonstrate the ability to read original journal articles and interpret research writing in psychology.
   
5. Demonstrate elementary abilities in handling quantitative data in psychology.
   
6. Demonstrate abilities to write clearly about research procedures and data in a research report.

Description 
Psychology is a diverse and thriving science devoted to understanding behaviour and the human mind. In PSYC106 you will receive an introduction to five major domains: personality, abnormal, social, developmental, and organisational psychology. You will also learn about the different research methods used in each of these domains. 

Learning outcomes 

1. Describe foundational concepts and principles in social, developmental, and applied psychology.
2. Explain and illustrate key psychological theories that account for the influence of social, cultural, and developmental contexts on human behaviour, cognition and mental health.
3. Describe common research methods used in social, developmental and applied psychology, including their strengths and limitations.
4. Interpret research findings from psychological studies in the fields of social, developmental and applied psychology.
5. Apply basic quantitative techniques to psychological datasets, to analyse and interpret psychological data relevant to social, developmental and applied psychology.
6. Describe how cultural context, including te ao Māori context, shapes understanding of interpersonal behaviour, development and wellbeing.

Description 
This introductory course in research methods and statistics equips you to evaluate psychological research by understanding how different study designs address different questions and how to make sense of statistical evidence. We follow a framework of three types of research claims and four validities as the conceptual thread for thinking about the quality of research. The course covers topics on research design, ethical and bicultural principles including Te Ara Tika, and statistical reasoning, all grounded in real examples from the psychological literature. Laboratory sessions build practical skills in data analysis using jamovi and Excel—no hand calculations or maths beyond basic algebra are required. By the end of the course, you will be able to judge what a study can and cannot conclude, and communicate statistical findings using effect sizes, confidence intervals, and precise interpretive language. Completion of PSYC206 is required for all higher-level psychology courses.

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain how psychological science uses empirical methods and statistical reasoning to generate and evaluate frequency, association, and causal claims.
2. Evaluate psychological research by applying the four validities framework (construct, statistical, internal, and external) to assess the strength of empirical claims.
3. Describe common research designs used in psychology, explaining how each addresses different research questions and the conclusions each can support.
4. Explain established ethical principles for human research and Te Ara Tika, and identify ethical considerations across the research process.
5. Analyse quantitative data using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics, interpreting results using effect sizes and confidence intervals to distinguish statistical significance from practical importance.
6. Communicate research methods and results in APA format, using appropriate statistical notation, visualisations, and precise interpretive language.

Description 
This course will examine human development from conception to late adolescence, and will cover neuropsychological, cognitive, biological, behavioural and socio-emotional development. Emphasis will be given to major theoretical influences that have shaped current thinking about child and adolescent development, as well as research methods and techniques that are used to study development. Key developmental issues will be considered in relation to both typical and atypical patterns of development.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand core concepts and findings on biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development. 
2. Describe and integrate major theoretical approaches to understanding human development. 
3. Understand various methods used to investigate developmental changes. 
4. Connect understanding of developmental psychology to modern-day, real-world issues. 
5. Communicate clearly and concisely in written format. 

Description 
This is an introductory course in clinical psychology (also known as abnormal psychology). The main emphasis of this course is on current views, perspectives, and research in this field. Because this is an introductory course, lectures will largely consist of broad overviews of various psychological disorder concepts and selected specific problem areas. Clinical psychology draws upon most basic areas of psychological knowledge (e.g., social, developmental, physiological, cognitive, learning theory). Course readings and lectures aim to apply knowledge from these areas to the understanding of psychopathology. PSYC379 Introduction to Psychopathology is a prerequisite course for the Postgraduate Clinical Psychology Programme at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha/University of Canterbury.

Learning Outcomes

1. Provide students with a basic understanding of the various theoretical views on the concept of abnormality in psychology.
2. Provide students with an introduction to classes of psychopathology phenomena. In the context of this introduction, specific problem areas or forms of psychopathology will be highlighted.
3. Review basic research and empirical findings associated with the specific problem areas or various forms of psychopathology.
4. Sensitise students to differences in the conceptualisation of psychopathology among persons from diverse ethnic, demographic, and socio-economic backgrounds.