This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
SOSC A121
Psychology for Everyday Life
Welcome to SOSC A121 Psychology for Everyday Life! This is a one-semester, 5-credit foundation-level course in the Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSSC), Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours (BSSCH), Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology Studies (BSSCPS), and Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Psychology Studies (BSSCHPS) programmes. This course covers the psychological concepts, theories, and findings that are essential for everyday life.
SOSC A121 is delivered using a custom textbook, supplemented by a Study Guide and face- to-face sessions.
Course aims
This course aims to provide you with the fundamental principles of psychology for adjustment, and of the psychological topics relevant to your personal development. It should also provide you with an experience of learning psychology that facilitates your further understanding of psychology. During the course, you will be required to apply the theories you have learned.
Course learning outcomes
Upon completion of SOSC A121 Psychology for Everyday Life, you should be able to:
In the custom textbook approach, different learning modules have been carefully selected by the course team from a textbook on psychology for everyday life and organised into a volume specifically designed for SOSC A121 students.
In addition to the custom textbook, you will be working through the course using a Study Guide produced by HKMU. The Study Guide leads you along your study pathway unit-by- unit, providing commentary on each textbook chapter, and supplementary self-learning and self-assessment opportunities.
The third main reference for learning resources is HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE). There, you will have access to materials such as the introductory video, and you will be able to discuss topics with other students and your tutor on the course discussion board. This course is further supported by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of tutorials and a day school.
To start off, you should watch the introductory video for the course that you can find on the OLE. Then turn to the Study Guide for further guidance through the course.
The custom textbook
The title of the custom textbook is SOSC A121 Psychology for Everyday Life. The chapters are selected from the following textbook:
Weiten, W, Dunn, D S and Hammer, E Y (2018) Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century, 12th edn, Cengage Learning.
The Study Guide will indicate at which point you should read each chapter of the custom textbook.
The Study Guide
The Study Guide sets out your study pathway through the custom textbook and other course learning resources. It is divided into five units, and serves as a guide to the textbook chapters, helping you to organise major ideas. It also contains activities and self-tests to facilitate your learning and revision. You will therefore need to keep it by your side as you work through the course.
E-Library E-Reserve Readings
In the Study Guide, you may be instructed to read articles in the E-Library E-Reserve. To read these items, go to the University's E-Library homepage and click on 'E-Reserve'. Log in, click 'Accept/Agree' on the Copyright Restrictions page, fill in the 'Course Code' box, and click 'Search'.
Alternatively, you may access the readings via a hyperlink in the online course materials.
The Online Learning Environment (OLE)
A dedicated area for SOSC A121 students has been set up on HKMU's OLE. You will need to log on regularly to the OLE to access the course discussion board and online learning components.
Face-to-face support
You will be supported throughout the course by regular face-to-face meetings in the form of tutorials and a day school. Basically, every unit will be covered by a tutorial, while the day school will be arranged around the end of the course. Details of the date and time of these sessions can be found on the Course Schedules page on the OLE.
This course is designed to assist you in moving easily from the stated objectives, through the study units, readings and materials to the assignments. During the course, you will have your progress assessed with written assignments. The assessment items are outlined in the following table.
| Assessment item | Weighting | |
| Assignment 1 | 20% | |
| Assignment 2 | 40% | You will complete 2 out of these 3 assignments |
| Assignment 3 | 40% | |
| Assignment 4 | 40% | |
| Total | 100% | |
Assignments
It is compulsory to complete Assignment 1, and two out of the three remaining assignments for this course. You will be expected to apply concepts and techniques acquired during the course when completing assignments.
Assignment 1, worth 20%, evaluates materials covered in Unit 1. Assignment 2, worth 40%, evaluates materials covered in Units 2 and/or 3.
Assignment 3, worth 40%, evaluates materials covered in Units 3 and/or 4.
Assignment 4, worth 40%, evaluates materials covered in Units 4 and/or 5.
You will be graded on your score of Assignment 1 and two out of the three remaining assignments (i.e. 20% + 2 × 40% = 100%).
How to submit assignments
You must use word processing software (such as Microsoft Word) to prepare the assignments. The Assignment File gives you details on how to submit your assignments. Please also read the Student Handbook for HKMU's policy on late assignments. Assignments must reach your tutor by the due date shown on the OLE. If you are unable to submit your assignment on time for some good reason, you should ask, before the due date, your tutor or Course Coordinator for permission to submit it late. In general, you are expected to submit your assignments via the OLE. Assignments will be returned to you, marked and with commentary, as soon as possible.
Examination
There is no examination in this course.
The following table gives a general overview of the course structure. It suggests the amount of time you should allow for completing units and provides a broad schedule for you to plan your work. This estimation includes time for reading the units and custom textbook, completing activities, self-tests and assignments, and attending tutorial sessions.
| Unit | No. of weeks | Assessment (end of unit) |
| 1 Self-understanding | 3 | Assignment 1 |
| 2 Interpersonal communication | 3 | |
| 3 Friendship and love | 3 | Assignment 2 |
| 4 Career and work | 3 | Assignment 3 |
| 5 Psychology and physical health | 4 | Assignment 4 |
SOSC A121 provides you with an understanding of the psychological concepts, theories, and findings that are essential for everyday life. Upon completion, you should be able to achieve the intended learning outcomes through guided deliberation, feedback on coursework and assessment.
