ASSESSMENT 2 BRIEF
Subject Code and Title HPSYSD101 The Evolution of Psychology
Assessment Task Annotated Bibliography
Individual/Group Individual
Length 2,000 words (+/- 10%)
Learning Outcomes The Subject Learning Outcomes demonstrated by successful
completion of the task below include:
b) Examine the significant figures, events and ideas present in
the history of psychology.
c) Identify and relate the key proponents of psychology in the
context of social, cultural and historical events.
d) Communicate knowledge of psychological research using
academic writing conventions.
Submission Due by 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday end of Module 4.1 (Week 7).
Weighting 40%
Total Marks 100 marks
Assessment Task
For this assessment, you are required to explore and evaluate current academic sources discussing
significant figures, events and ideas in the history of psychology. You are to then critically evaluate
and analyse five (5) peer-reviewed journal articles or book chapters on this topic and construct a
2,000-word (+/- 10%) annotated bibliography.
Please refer to the Instructions for details on how to complete this task.
Context
Compiling an annotated bibliography allows you to critically evaluate the literature on a topic of
interest by providing an overview of selected academic sources. This assessment is designed to help
you to map academic sources related to significant figures, events and ideas present in the evolution
of psychology.
Reviewing the history of psychology and the historiographic debate concerning the discipline’s
progress from philosophical foundations to its scientific areas will allow you to establish a sound
foundation for understanding this discipline. Through the process of identifying and evaluating
relevant academic sources, you will develop proficiency in applying this knowledge in future
professional situations where the ability to analyse and synthesise information will be highly valued.
The information and sources you employ in this assessment will lay the foundation for your final
assessment (Assessment 3: Biographical Case Study Essay) in this subject.
Instructions
Your annotated bibliography should contain a brief overview and evaluation of the literature on a
particular psychological school, figure or debate that contributed to the evolution of psychology into
a scientific discipline. To complete this assessment task, you must use five (5) academic references,
including peer-reviewed journal articles or book chapters, selected from those available in the library.
Please follow the steps below to create your annotated bibliography:
Step 1: Select a topic
You need to select a topic that you want to research and explore. This can be a particular psychological
school, figure or debate in the psychology histography. Note: in the next assessment (Assessment 3:
Biographical Case Study Essay), you can use and build upon the literature you have reviewed for this
assessment.
Step 2: Library Research
Draw upon the skills you have acquired from the academic skill session offered in Module 3.1 to search
for academic sources via Torrens library.
For guidance on how to create an annotated bibliography, you can utilise the following resources:
Torrens University Australia. (n.d.). Library how-to videos.
Torrens University Australia. (n.d.). Annotated bibliographies [Video].
Step 3: Select five sources
Identify five (5) sources from your library search. Consider the following in selecting the sources that
you want to include:
- Does the source cover your selected topic in depth or only tangentially?
- Have you selected a range of sources that will provide a variety of perspectives on the topic
you have selected?
Step 4: Compile your annotated bibliography
Your annotation of each source should be approximately 400 words, including the citations.
Construct your annotated bibliography using the following structure:
a) Citation: The citation should be formatted according to the current APA 7th guidelines (see
b) Summary:
HPSYSD101_Assessment 2_20240603
Page 2 of 7 - What is the article about?
- What are the main arguments or ideas presented by the author(s)?
- Describe the research methodology used in the source. If a methodology is not specified,
note it in your annotation.
c) Relevance of resource: - How does the source relate to your selected topic?
d) Evaluation of resource: - How does this source contribute to your understanding of the evolution of psychology as a
scientific field? - What are the strengths or limitations of the source?
- How does the source compare to the other sources you have used? Does it agree with or
contradict your other sources?
e) Conclusions made by author(s): - What are the conclusions made by the author(s)?
Step 5: Format your assessment - Use 1.5 line spacing, a wide left margin, a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman, Calibri
or Arial), left-align the body text and include page numbers. - Your assessment must be written in your own words. Please do not use direct quotations
unless necessary (if used, they must be formatted/cited in APA 7th style), instead, try to
paraphrase the relevant information. - Academic sources are required, as detailed on page 2 of the Torrens University Australia
Academic Writing Guide. - In-text citations are included within the word count; however, the reference list is not
included in word count.
Please refer to the Assessment Rubric for the assessment criteria.
Referencing
It is essential that you use APA 7th edition for citing and referencing the sources that you use. Please
see the Academic Skills webpage for more information on citing and referencing guidelines.
