Module 1: Personal Profile

Question 1

What are the six graduate attributes of the 4th year psychology program?

Answer 1

1. Knowledge and Understanding of psychology; major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in the core topics of psychology
2. Research Methods in Psychology; Understand, apply and evaluate basic research design, data analysis and interpretation
3. Critical Thinking Skills
4. Values in Psychology; empirical evidence; tolerate ambiguity; act ethically and professionally; sociocultural and international diversity
5. Communication Skills
6. Learning and Application of Psychology

Question 2

What were the key findings of Morris et al (2013) graduate attributes study?

Answer 2

• Aims: examine student perceptions of GAs and Psychological Literacy
• Results:
  
  • Highest perception of importance for both GA and PL psyc majors + specialist units > psyc majors > non majors
  • GA awareness, development and importance correlated with PL importance and development
  • Effect of specialist units may be that those taking it are already highly motivated and high achievers

Question 3

What are the top 5 NACE employablity skills discussed by Helms (2011)?

Answer 3

1. Communication Skills (Verbal and Written): Developed writing papers and making oral presentations.
2. Strong Work Ethic: Tied first place with communication. Demonstrated in attendence, punctuality, due dates. Quantity and quality of work product, optional extra courses etc
3. Teamwork Skills (Working with others); Developed in and out of course. Classroom participation, group projects, clubs and societies.
4. Initiative; Seeking out opportunities to get more experience, go above the minimum and be self-guided in learning. Leadership opportunities in clubs and societies.
5. Interpersonal Skills (Relating to others); Encourage others, participate in the classroom, openness to feedback

Question 4

What are the 5 main functions of the Psychology Board of Australia?

Answer 4

1. Registering psychologists and provisional psychologists
2. Developing standards, codes and guidelines for psychology
3. Handling notifications, complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings
4. Assessing overseas trained practitioners
5. Approving accreditation standards and accredited courses

Question 5

What are the different types of psychology registration?

Answer 5

• General Registration; achieved through a masters+, or upon completion of an exam.
• Provisional Registration; Apply after 4 year course, used in 4+2, 5+1 pathways while being supervised
• Non-practicing registration; while working overseas, taking leave or retired but maintaining title of ‘psychologist’
• Specialist Registration; aka ‘endorsement’, a registrar program completed with supervised practice allows title of “clinical” “occupational” etc.

Question 6

What are some of the supportive organisations in psychology?

Answer 6

• AHPRA and PsyBA; focus on regulation and registration
• Australian Pychology Society; Offers membership at all levels across Aus. Organises networking, confernces, advice on professional issues etc.
• Australian Association for CBT; non profit support for professionals
• Australian Clinical Psychology Association;

Question 7

What is Personal Development Planning?

Answer 7

• Process of tracking learning experiences, progress, achievements and next steps
  
  • Continuous improvement of skills and planning using metacognitive processes.
• Monash Career Connect; offers many activities, readings, assessments and resources
  
  • Employability skills reflection
  • Cover Letter feedback
  • Resume feedback

Question 8

What is Reflection?

Answer 8

• Reflection is the process of sorting through ideas, feelings, thoughts, etc to gather new insights.
• Reflection enables you to:
  
  • Understand your learning processes
  • Understand how you are using that learning
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses
  • Identify goals and how far they are
  • Become aware of barriers
  • Identify what action to take

Question 9

What are Watton et als tips for reflection?

Answer 9

• Reflect regularly, after any milestone
• Use tools, guides and prompts to enable depth
• Consider different/new perspectives
• Be honest with yourself
• Look for patterns or themes, link between contexts
• Consider and use feedback
• Think positively

Question 10

According to Locke and Latham, through what four mechanisms do goals affect performance?

Answer 10

• Directing attention and effort: behaviourally and cognitively, focus goal related info, improve on goal related feedback
• Increasing effort: high goals lead to greater effort than low goals
• Persistance: Hard goals prolong time spent in effort, although there is trade off in time vs intensity of effort (ie rapid work)
• Increasing available information: goals affect action by leading to arousal, discovery, use of knowledge.

Question 11

What factors did Locke and Latham find that moderate the effectiveness of goal setting?

Answer 11

• Goal Commitment: This is most important when goals are difficult and require prolonged effort. Two factors influence goal commitment:
  
  • Importance of outcome; public commitment, inspiration, personal connection, payment, etc
  • Self-efficacy (belief it can be done); role models, adequate training
• Feedback; Monitoring progress to adapt to needs. Feedback aids motivation through a dual cycle of meeting and increasing effort (Bandura)
• Task Complexity; goals are more effective in simple than complex tasks due to limits on the ability to discover appropriate strategies.
  
  • Can be overcome by breaking down goals into specific parts
  • Feedback can moderate complexity via error management.

Question 12

What is Hollands model of vocational interests?

Answer 12

• Six interest types arranged hexagonally according to their correlations.
• Realistic: Doers. Practical, hands-on, problem solvers
• Investigative: Thinkers. Analytical, curious, introspective, independent
• Artistic: Creators. Imaginative, open, introspective
• Social: Helpers. Sociable, empathetic, responsible
• Enterprising; Persuaders; ambitious, agreeable, extroverted
• Conventional; Organisers. orderly, persistent, practical

Question 13

According to Hogan and Blake, what do personality measures and vocational interests tell us about occupations?

Answer 13

• Vocational Interest Measures; how much a person will like an occupation
  
  • Measure the Actors View; a person’s identity (goals, values, aspirations)
• Personality Measures; the social skills and drives necessart to succeed once in the occupation
  
  • Measure Observers View; a person’s behaviours and reputation

Question 14

How does Hollands Vocational measure relate to personality?

Answer 14

• Holland’s model describes personality within environments; fit between a person and their coworkers/ability to get ahead in career.
  
  • Robust and systematic relationship to big 5
• Correlation to Big 5: small to moderate but consistent correlation patterns
  
  • Extroversion; +enterprising,-investigative
  • Conscientiousness; +convention
  • Agreeableness; +social
  • Openess; + artistic, +invest, +social, -conv
  • Neuroticism; unrepresented.
• Hogan: Holland Hexagon works on 2 dimensions
  
  • Sociability; Bisects E/S and R/I
  • Conformity; Artistic vs Convention

Question 15

What are Super’s four age related career stages and Life rainbow?

Answer 15

• Career Stages
  
  • Exploration (15-24) of world and preferences
  • Establishment (25-44) of career and progression
  • Maintenance (45-64) and development
  • Disingagement (65+) retirement planning
• Roles in the life rainbow:
  
  • Student (up to 60)
  • Recreationist (whole life)
  • Citizen (from 20)
  • Worker (25-65)
  • Homemaker (26+)

Question 16

What are Schein’s 8 Career anchors?

Answer 16

• Managerial Competence
• Technical competence
• Security
• Autonomy/Independence
• Entrepreneurial creativity
• Challenge
• Service/Dedication to a cause
• Lifestyle integration

Question 17

What is Kidd’s four-stage model of career counselling?

Answer 17

• Building the relationship
  
  • Contracting the client
  • Establishing a working alliance
• Enabling client’s self understanding
  
  • Helping deepen insights
  • Assess capability, values, interests
• Exploring new perspectives
  
  • Confront self defeating behaviour
  • Challenging, information provision
• Forming strategies and plans
  
  • Setting goals
  • Reviewing progress

Question 18

What are six different instruments used in vocational assessment?

Answer 18

• Ability tests; estalish client’s level of ability in key skills. eg. verbal, numerical
• Personality questionaires; explored client’s preferred behaviours in workplace. eg IPIP
• Interest inventories; Explore client preferences for activities associated with specific professions. eg Holland RIASEC
• Strengths questionaires; Focus on client key strengths. eg strengthoscope
• Values questionaires; Identify work that matches client values and reward style
• Composite questionaires; Eplore a range of factors including the above

Question 19

What are the roles of a mentor and mentee in a coaching relationship?

Answer 19

• Role of Mentor
  
  • Offer support, guidance, advice
  • Share experiences/expertise
  • Provide a safe and empowering environment
  • Offer constructive feedback
• Not the role of a mentor:
  
  • Fix problems for mentee
  • Tell mentee what to do
• Characteristics of a good Mentor
  
  • credibility, enthusiasm, sensitivity, motivating, active listener
• Role of Mentee
  
  • Drive the relationship
  • Identify desired outcomes
  • Set concrete achievable goals

Question 20

What is the GROW model of coaching meetings?

Answer 20

• Goal: What is the goal of the meeting, motivations and challenges
• Reality: what progress has been made, what actions taken?
• Options; what options of support are available, what benefits and costs are there to alternatives?
• Wrap Up; What is the new plan and timeline, how will it be measured?

Question 21

What is Mindfullness?

Answer 21

• Mindfullness is being present and paying attention to the moment
  
  • Mindfullness is hardest when stressed or busy
• Puppy Analogy
  
  • Our minds wander easily, usually causing trouble when left unattended (worry, rumination)
  • Don’t be angry with a puppy; lead it gently and slowly train it, be patient.

Question 22

What are the benefits of Mindfulness?

Answer 22

• Mental Health
  
  • Depression relapse prevention
  • Reduced anxiety
  • Better emotional regulation
  • Better sleep
  • Greater emotional intelligence
• Neuroscience
  
  • Structural and Functional changes in brain
  • Preservation of brain cells/demential reduction
  • Reduced amygdala activity
  • Enhanced attention
  • Mood regulation and increased dopamine
• Clinical/health
  
  • Pain management/symptom control
  • Reduction of inflammatory chemicals
  • Reduced allostatic load
  • Metabolic benefits
  • Reduction of age-related illness
• Performance
  
  • Sport
  • Leadership
  • Reduced rates of burnout
  • Academic (all levels incl children)