Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
PSYC100 Foundations of Psychology AND PSYC101 Applications of Psychology
Unit rationale, description and aim
Contemporary religious trends across the globe are rapidly changing. Although science and religion are sometimes seen as mutually exclusive disciplines, the psychology of religion plays a vital role in the formation of communities and the interaction of cultures - therefore understanding the psychological components of religion is necessary to fully understand human functioning and behaviour. In this unit students will learn about the scientific study of religion using psychological theories and methods. The aim of this unit is to explore how religious beliefs and practices are acquired and modified, and the role they play in an individual's life.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Discuss current issues in the psychology and cognitive science of religion |
| LO2 | Describe and evaluate research methods used in the psychological and cognitive science approaches to the study of religion, including conceptualisation and measurement |
| LO3 | Critically evaluate and discuss different psychological (i.e. evolutionary, cognitive, social, phenomenological) approaches to the study of religion |
| LO4 | Apply psychological models to the study of religion and spirituality |
| LO5 | Apply this knowledge of religion and spirituality to human thought and behaviour |
Content
Topics will include:
- History of the Psychological Study of Religion and Spirituality
- Major Theorists and Approaches of the 20th Century
- Biological and Evolutionary Aspects of Religion and Spirituality
- The Cognitive Science and the Neuroscience of Religion and Religious Experience
- Religious and Spiritual development in Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood
- Attachment to God – Attachment Styles and Religion
- The Nature and Patterns of Spiritual Transformation and Conversion
- The Relationship of Religion and Spirituality to Moral and Altruistic Behavior
- The Psychology of Religious Coping and Psychotherapy
- Religion and Spirituality in Aging and Death
- Religion in the Context of Culture
- Issues Creating Conflict between Culture and Religion
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit has the equivalent of three contact hours per week over twelve weeks which involves lectures and tutorials. This mode of delivery is designed to enhance discussion and engagement in the content covered in the unit. The lectures are to aid students with the acquisition and understanding of knowledge while the tutorials are designed to enhance application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of that knowledge. To assist students in their self-directed learning, other learning resources are utilized including: online quizzes and activities; online forums; and lecture recordings.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to successfully complete this unit, students will need to complete and submit all of the assessment tasks listed in the table below. In addition to this, students must obtain an aggregate mark of at least 50% to pass the unit.
In order to best enable students to demonstrate unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies are used including: a learning portfolio which is designed to scaffold students’ understanding and application of the content of the unit; a theoretical paper to demonstrate students’ ability to discuss and consolidate research literature; and a research presentation and paper to demonstrate students’ ability to interpret and discuss research findings, and to consolidate and apply the content covered in the unit.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Learning Portfolio The portfolio contains a variety of questions which allow students to demonstrate the progression of knowledge across the semester. It has been designed to scaffold students' understanding and application of the content of the unit | 35% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Assessment Task 2 Theoretical Paper Students are to demonstrate their skill in locating and evaluating scholarly research and applying the APA referencing system to written work. | 25% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Assessment Task 3 Research Paper and Presentation Students will prepare an APA style research paper to demonstrate their ability to discuss and consolidate research literature, to develop hypotheses and logical argument, to provide a description of the methodology of a study, and to interpret and discuss research findings. Students will give a presentation of the research paper, in the style of a brief conference presentation. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Representative texts and references
Anderson, J. R. (2015). The social psychology of religion: Using scientific methodologies to understand religion. In B. Mohan (Ed.), Constructions of Social Psychology. Baton Rouge, CA: inScience Press.
Emmons, R. A., & Paloutzian, R. F. (2003). The psychology of religion. Annual review of psychology, 54(1), 377-402.
Fontana, D. (2003). Psychology, religion, and spirituality. Wiley-Blackwell.
Hood, R. W., Hill, P. C., & Spilka, B.,. (2018). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach (5th edition). Guilford Press.
Kirkpatrick, L. A. (2005). Attachment, evolution, and the psychology of religion. Guilford Press.
Paloutzian, R. F., & Park, C. L. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality. Guilford Publications.
Sisemore, T. (2016). The psychology of religion and spirituality: From the inside out. Wiley Global Education.
Swan, T. (2007). A brief introduction to the psychology of religion. Essence Publishing.
Wulff, D. M. (1991). Psychology of religion: Classic and contemporary views. John Wiley & Sons.