Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is critical to further the developmental path to a successful career in the health professions through providing students with competencies in theoretical and practical application of relevant principles, processes, procedures and research techniques. By understanding processes in the mental health context, as well as best practice in the field, graduates will be able to strategically solve individual and social problems.

These strategic problem-solving abilities will be developed through a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence. Furthermore, graduates will be adequately prepared to demonstrate competencies in contributing to the economic well-being of their organisation in a responsible manner. Graduates will be well-prepared with the insight and skills that are required for further specialised study in support of the principles of lifelong learning.

The specific skillsets incorporated into this qualification present a combination which is highly attractive to prospective academic institutions and adds value to the work place. This qualification is designed to graduate students with the ability to think and act strategically, professionally, empathically, and ethically and potentially contribute meaningfully to the mental health industry.

This qualification builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the Psychology undergraduate curriculum. The qualification is designed to be completed in a single year.

The extension of knowledge and competencies occurs at the Honours level in terms of the development of high-level evaluative and research skills. Specifically, this qualification will develop students' skills in research methods, critical analysis and academic discourse in order for them to complete a self-directed research project.

Students will be provided with practical and applied experience in research from developing a proposal through to the completion of a mini-dissertation during which the ultimate goal is to acquire essential research skills needed in both professional and academic contexts. The research component aligns with the requirements of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework, in that 40 Credits are allocated towards this module.

The production of an independent research project will result in the development of skills that are attractive to employers. This particular set of skills includes information-gathering skills; analysis and synthesis skills; methodological skills; statistical reasoning skills; communicating with, and relating to, people from diverse backgrounds; and writing skills.

This qualification is designed to consolidate and deepen the students' expertise in the disciplines of five core and aligned fields within Psychology, namely developmental, community, psychopathology, psychotherapeutic interventions and assessment. All the core and aligned disciplines will have a sustained focus on their utility in the South African context and the contribution that they can make to address the challenges currently faced in South African society.

Accordingly, students will develop an advanced and critical knowledge of the systematic, complex, successive and multifactorial changes that occur across the lifespan. However, the individual's development will not be viewed in isolation and students will be equipped with a strong conceptual and applied understanding of community psychology principles, methodologies and praxis, with a focus on the historical development of community psychology as a socially responsive sub-discipline of psychology that recognises theoretical and methodological diversity within the field and divergence from mainstream approaches to mental health.

As emergent psychology practitioners, the qualification develops the student's practical skills, critical thought and reflexivity so as to allow effective and meaningful community engagement. Capacity for social analysis, theoretical synthesis and methodological application will be developed by calling upon students to devise and evaluate community psychology intervention programmes in response to real-world problems.

Given that the focus of the qualification is on mental health, students need to critically consider, on a theoretical and practical level, the classification, development, treatment and prevention of psychological problems. Students will be sensitised to the impact of culture on the experience and expression of mental illness. Related to this, students will be provided with a succinct overview of the divergent approaches to counselling and psychotherapy, beginning with the basic issues in counselling practice such as values, the therapeutic process and ethical considerations. The student will become familiar with the key concepts of the approaches and will gain a working knowledge of the techniques and procedures of each by applying the theories to a community health context within South Africa. Students will be encouraged to think critically and evaluate each theory from a multicultural perspective, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each when applied to diverse populations. Students will critically engage with the technical, ethical, and multicultural issues that inform the design and implementation of psychological assessment measures.

Students will become familiar with basic psychometric principles, as well as different assessment tools and their functions. Traditional and contemporary theories of child development, intelligence, neuropsychology, and personality are examined. Course content is structured across different contexts of assessment, namely early child development, cognitive and scholastic assessments, career counselling, clinical diagnostics, and organisational management. The focus is primarily on critical perspectives to provide a foundation for future postgraduate studies in which students focus on the manual administration of assessment tools.

Students will develop a set of skills that are asked for by, and can be applied to, almost any job. Adopting a skills approach, the skills that employers seek from a graduate include critical thinking skills (e.g. analyse what is encountered in the workplace); problem-solving skills (e.g. the ability to solve a range of small and large problems that arise daily in the workplace); oral, writing, presentation and interpersonal communication skills; given that success in the workplace requires the ability to manipulate and use information productively, the ability to organise and evaluate information from multiple sources; appreciation of diversity and individual difference; potential for continued learning and professional development in line with lifelong learning; innovation and creativity in the completion of work tasks; and the ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.

The development of a well-rounded and context-focused practitioner is facilitated. Graduates have both theoretical depth and applied skills relevant to further study or to the world of work. Critical learning is facilitated through the exposure to, and application of, specialised learning areas to enable graduates to employ their knowledge and skills in the complex mental health environment, and, to prepare them for future Postgraduate study.

Rationale

There is a great need for psychometrists in South Africa. Psychometry is seen as a scarce skill as legislation requires that all psychological assessment instruments are appropriate to the social and cultural contexts of South Africa. While being mindful of the particular applications within a South African context, students will develop skills that are widely recognised and accepted in international contexts.

The Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology is designed to develop high-level skills in the field of applied psychology. All these skills are scarce and promote employability. The skills include generic high-level literacy, numeracy, computer and information-finding skills. In addition to the generic skills, this qualification offers a range of highly sought after skills, both internationally and in the context of South Africa. These scarce skills include measurement skills (e.g. how to operationalise the measurement of complex processes); environmental awareness (e.g. habit formation and social appropriateness); interpersonal awareness (e.g. the mechanisms of social communication and potential sources of interpersonal conflict); problem-solving skills (e.g. the ability to tackle a range of different types of problems and employ a range of approaches to understanding problems); critical evaluation (e.g. to identify the shortcomings and pitfalls of a particular action); perspectives (e.g. the ability to explore issues from multiple points of view); higher-order analysis (e.g. identifying recurrent patterns in human activity); and pragmatism (e.g. a pragmatic approach to work and problem-solving).

This qualification is designed to academically prepare students for potential admission into further professional qualifications. In order to become a clinical or counselling psychologist, a qualification at Level 9 of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework is required. This qualification will prepare students, both in terms of their research skills and psychological knowledge, for potential admission into a professional qualification. In addition, students will be able to register for an internship as a psychometrist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can be used to admit no more than 10% of a cohort. The formal RPL process is governed by the relevant policies. RPL processes are qualification-specific in that the criteria against which evidence of prior learning must be provided are determined by the learning normally assumed to be in place for qualifications at the relevant Level in the field concerned. Instruments are designed when requests are made. The procedure is governed by the Credit Accumulation and Transfer, Recognition of Prior Learning and qualification Completion Policy.

In addition to RPL, a CAT mechanism exists for access and advance standing for formal learning from a recognised, registered and accredited institution on a registered and accredited qualification. CAT rules as proposed by national policy are applied-no more than 50% of a completed qualification which cannot represent more than 50% of the target qualification will be awarded.

Candidates who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the institution, that they have an appropriate, related qualification or work-based learning, which has taken the candidate to the equivalent of an NQF Level 7 psychology-related qualification, may be considered for admission through an RPL process.

If an applicant applies for an RPL admission, the learning assumed to be in place is assessed against Exit Level Outcomes equivalent to the formal learning required for admission. This would include an evaluation of the content as well as the applicant's cognitive and technical competence. Applicants prepare a portfolio against these stated requirements which is then assessed by a team of experts/academics in line with the policy.

Recognition is awarded for

• Learning, and not for experience per se.
• Learning that is on the level of the specific level descriptors of the qualification.
• Learning that is in line with applied competence and has a balance between theory and practical application appropriate to the subject.

Entry Requirements

• A Bachelor of Arts Degree, Level 7.

Or

• A Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Level 7.

Or

• A comparable Bachelor's Degree.

Or

• An appropriate Advanced Diploma.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

• Research Project in Psychology, 40 Credits.
• Developmental Psychology, 16 Credits.
• Community Psychology, 16 Credits.
• Psychopathology, 16 Credits.
• Therapeutic Interventions, 16 Credits.
• Psychological Assessment, 16 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge and engagement in the area of clinical and counselling psychology.
2. Understand research theories, methods and techniques, and to apply this knowledge in order to conduct an independent research project.
3. Demonstrate the skills of interrogating multiple sources of knowledge in psychology, and evaluating both this knowledge and the process of psychological knowledge production.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of selecting, applying and transferring standard psychological techniques to a range of unfamiliar problems.
5. Demonstrate specialised skills in order to identify, analyse and address complex and abstract psychological problems through the systematic use of psychological knowledge and methods.
6. Identify and address ethical issues based on critical reflection and the suitability of mental health value systems in specific psychological issues.
7. Critically review information, synthesise data, manage and evaluate processes in psychological contexts in order to develop creative responses to psychological problems and issues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate knowledge of historical development of community psychology and insight into formative academic and social forces.
• Critically discuss the various factors that contribute holistically to the development of specific psychological problems, as well as the treatment and/or management of various mental illnesses, including prevention approaches.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the different therapeutic approaches and their key concepts.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of the psychometric principles that guide test development and usage.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, methodologies and principles of research.
• Differentiate between a range of research designs and their application within a specialised field.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate critical understanding of community psychology methodologies and interventions and proficiency in concept operationalising and application.
• Identify the techniques and procedures related to the various psychotherapeutic approaches.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Demonstrate critical understanding and an analysis of the core concepts and principles of community psychology and public health.
• Evaluate and apply various models of mental illness, including the multipath model, the DSM and a traditional African understanding, in order to describe, assess and classify abnormal behaviour.
• Evaluate and apply various therapeutic interventions to particular case studies within the South African context.
• Assess and analyse the relationship between psychological theories and the design of assessment measures.
• Critically evaluate the sequence of development and the relevant underlying processes within a lifespan framework.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Critically review different models of community psychology.
• Evaluate the model's efficacy and congruence with the discipline's ideological aims.
• Integrate various written sources, including the DSM criteria, into a coherent, critical discussion of a given topic.
• Critically evaluate the suitability and fairness of assessment measures and administration procedures within multicultural contexts.
• Critically discuss the various controversial debates within developmental psychology about the nature and causes of change.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Self-reflect and demonstrate better understanding of the self and development towards a personal style of counselling.
• Engage with broader critical and ethical debates surrounding the role of psychological assessment and the reporting of test results in different functional contexts.
• Analyse and critically evaluate cultural issues that have an impact on development within a South African context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Report critically and analytically on data collected through a research process.
• Synthesise conceptual and methodological diversity into coherent responses to complex real-world problems and case studies.
• Synthesise and evaluate all aspects of development.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment Methods and Instruments.

Formative Assessment

Learning and assessment are integrated. Continual Formative Assessment is required so that students are given feedback on their progress in the achievement of learning outcomes. The scheme of work includes assignments, real-world briefs, tests and an integrated programme portfolio based on the learning material. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and limited numbers of outcomes.

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning in relation to the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification. Such judgement must include integrated assessments which test the students' ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are represented by the Exit Level Outcomes as a whole. Examinations, projects, reports or equivalent assessments, such as a portfolio of evidence, assess a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed. Summative Assessment also tests the students' ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a module.

Integrated Assessments will be Designed to Achieve

• An integration of the achievement of Exit Level Outcomes in a way which demonstrates that the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved.
• The evaluation of student performance which can provide evidence of applied competence.
• Criterion-referenced assessment which is clearly explained to, and understood by, the students and which can be applied in the Recognition of Prior Learning.