Motivation and emotion/About

Yuma (Ngunnawal for hello).

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as Traditional Custodians of the land on which the Canberra Bruce campus stands. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and to their enduring culture and contribution to Canberra and the region.

I also acknowledge other Indigenous peoples who maintain a cultural connection with this land.

First Nations peoples hold deep relationships with Country—including with plants, animals, and natural systems—knowledges we need as we face the challenges of living sustainably in an era of human-induced climate change.

A warm welcome to all Indigenous students—we are committed to fostering a culturally safe and supportive learning environment for you.

Welcome also to international students, especially those newly arrived on exchange. I encourage everyone to connect with and support our foreign friends as they navigate a new country and culture.

To students who have travelled from interstate or changed universities—welcome to Canberra and to the UC community.

And to everyone else, in all your diversity: whoever you are, you are welcome and belong here.

Let's engage with openness, share ideas, and support one another as we explore the psychological science of motivation and emotion.

This unit covers theories of motivation (such as brain processes, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, goal-setting, and the self) and emotion (including biological and cognitive perspectives, core emotions, and emotional regulation) and considers their application to everyday life.

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Identify the major principles of motivation and emotion;
2. Integrate theories and current research towards explaining the role of motivation and emotions in human behaviour; and
3. Critically apply knowledge of motivation or emotion to an indepth understanding of a specific topic in this field.

The learning outcomes are mapped to the assessment items:

This unit fosters the following University of Canberra graduate attributes:

1. Professional:
   1. communicate effectively;
   2. display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload;
   3. employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills;
   4. use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems;
2. Global citizen:
   1. adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries;
   2. communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings;
   3. make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives;
3. Lifelong learner:
   1. adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas;
   2. evaluate and adopt new technology.

The graduate attributes are mapped to the assessment items as shown in this table:

Through this unit, many skills are likely to be developed which can be incorporated into resumes and professional portfolios such as:

• Demonstrated ability to use professional knowledge to address applied psychological problems.
• Confidence in written and verbal communication of ideas using collaborative, online platforms.
• Capacity to learn new technologies for addressing novel problems.

If you don't feel able to declare such skills by the end of the unit then considered then prioritise them as targets for further professional development (e.g., through internship).

Consider including your book chapter as a work example (artefact) in your e-portfolio.

• Psychology 101 OR 11399 Understanding People and Behaviour AND
• Psychology 102 OR Foundations of Psychology OR
• Permission of unit convener

This unit is offered in ON-CAMPUS and ONLINE REALTIME delivery modes:

• Weekly lectures are delivered online and recorded
• Weekly tutorials are delivered on-campus, online, and recorded

• See timetable 2025
• Enrol in ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE REALTIME
• Allocate to a tutorial group (on-campus, virtual, or asynchronous/recorded)

• 3.5 hours of virtual and on-campus drop-in consultation available each teaching week (Weeks 1–7, 9–13)
• 30 mins before and after lectures and tutorials
• Feel free to pop-in, hang out, and chat—no question is too silly, big, or small

Days, times, and locations:

• Wed (Virtual Room)
  • 10:00–10:30
  • 12:30–13:30
  • 14:30–15:00
  • 17:00–17:30
  • 18:30–19:00
• Thu (On-campus, 12B16)
  • 12:30–13:00
  • 14:00–14:30

Engagement by attending lectures and tutorials is strongly recommended but not compulsory.

Non-engagement is likely to make successful completion of the assessment more difficult because:

• Lectures and tutorials discuss content which is assessed in the exam
• Tutorials develop skills for the major project (topic development and book chapter) assessment exercises

If you're unable to attend your scheduled tutorial, attend a tutorial at a different time or access the online recording.

This table estimates the time required to complete the major activities in this unit. Plan to allocate approximately 10 hours per week over 15 weeks.

A headset and webcam is recommended for virtual tutorials and virtual drop-in.

Required information technology skills (wiki editing) will be taught in the unit.

1. UCLearn
2. Wikiversity

The major project (topic development and book chapter) provides a deep dive into a specific topic of interest, while the exam assess breadth of knowledge.

Reach out and join in: Discussion Drop-in Teaching team Wikiversity editing

Previous students have generally indicated high levels of satisfaction with this unit, with several students reporting that this was the best unit of their degree. For example, one student wrote:

Many students also find the major project challenging. For example, one student wrote:

So, get involved in tutorials to help build your skills. And seek help for any questions you have.

For more details about student evaluation, see evaluation.

Activity

1. Assessment
2. Discussion
3. Pearls of wisdom

Admin

1. Evaluation
2. Staff

Content

1. Lectures
2. Readings
3. Schedule
4. Tutorials
5. Unit outline
6. Wikiversity

1. Unit description (7124)