Postgraduate Psychology

Accurate processing and reasoning with numbers and numerical concepts

Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts are essential for the completion of academic tasks and for the provision of safe and effective clinical practice.

• Accurately score and interpret test data
• Perform accurate statistical analysis

Verbal communication in English to a standard that allows fluid, clear, and comprehensible two-way discussions, tailored to the local English-speaking audiences.

Effective verbal communication, in English, with university students and staff is required for effective learning and for safe and effective clinical practice.

• Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately and appropriately in time-constrained academic and clinical environments
• Convey spoken messages accurately and effectively in academic and clinical situations, such as explaining a client treatment plan
• Present information formally to, and engage in developing discussions with a wider audience, including tutorial participation, clinical presentations and case conferences
• Build rapport with clients and clinical colleagues

Non-verbal communication skills that enable respectful communication with others.

The ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues, to communicate with congruent and respectful non-verbal behaviour, and to be sensitive to individual and/or cultural variations in non-verbal communication is essential for effective communication with colleagues and clients, and for safe and effective clinical practice.

• Recognise client cues in facial expression, appearance, behaviour, posture, movement
• Deliver information to a distressed client incorporating non-verbal behaviour that matches the nature of the information

Ability to produce English text to a standard that provides clear and professional-level communication, with language usage and style tailored to the targeted recipients.

Effective communication in English text is required to demonstrate applied skills in academic writing conventions and in sustained and organised academic argument, and in safe and effective clinical practice.

• Communicate complex academic and clinical perspectives in writing
• Summarise and appropriately reference a range of literature in assessments
• Prepare clinical reports that are appropriate to the purpose and audience, and are completed in a timely manner
• Use precise and appropriate language and formatting to construct both handwritten and electronic clinical reports in a time constrained environment

Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments and to meet client care needs.

Elements in the learning environment are delivered by visual means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to learn effectively and to provide safe and effective clinical practice.

• Process visual information from wall-posted information, handwritten, print and electronic sources
• Monitor the broader environment for client safety including observing multiple people and events simultaneously
• Detect visual changes in a patient's posture, movement, and other responses to clinical treatments

Ability to interact with auditory inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments and to meet client care needs.

Elements in the learning and clinical environments are delivered by auditory means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required for effective learning and for safe and effective clinical practice.

• Acquire information aurally in learning environments
• Detect and discriminate alarms and emergency calls over PA systems, and urgent verbal information for client care
• Follow developing discussions with colleagues and clients for clinical treatment decisions

Strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to meet client care needs.

A wide range of physical client care actions in a time-constrained environment is required to provide safe and effective practice.

• Move readily around colleagues, between work areas and clients, and around varying surfaces and levels in a clinical setting, to complete tasks within shift time-frames
• Safely retrieve, move and utilise stock and equipment from reasonable storage positions at a range of heights

Manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to meet client care needs.

A wide range of fine-motor manual tasks in a time-constrained environment are required to provide safe and effective practice.

• Prepare and perform assessment and treatment techniques
• Contribute to both handwritten and electronic clinical records

Sustained physical, cognitive and psychosocial performance sufficient to engage in learning opportunities and to perform safe an effective clinical practice.

A range of complex, multi-component or extended academic tasks carried out over a period of time and in a time-constrained environment is required to achieve learning outcomes and to provide clinical practice.

• Sustain study practices and class participation to sufficiently engage with the learning workload for a study period, and for the degree, within a constrained time-frame
• Maintain sufficient concentration to focus on a task to completion
• Sustain a working posture, associated manual tasks, cognitive engagement, performance level and emotional control for the full duration of a client care process e.g. providing assessment and treatment to a client
• Successive and extended client sessions with minimal breaks
• Sustain performance for durations that are manageable within overall shift- planning for client care

Behaviour that adapts to changing situations sufficiently to maintain academic standards, safe and effective clinical practice, and instigates self-care consistent with professional expectations.

Behavioural adaptation is required to manage personal emotional responses as an individual and within teams in changing and unpredictable environments, including emergency situations and times of human distress. Students will also be required to adapt their behaviour appropriately during times of additional stressors in their own lives, whether this adaptation involves ways of continuing to engage with their role or withdrawing for self- care for a period.

• Adjust ways of working within teams of varied backgrounds and opinions to facilitate effective academic and clinical decisions
• Manage own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with changing responses of individuals and groups in academic and clinical settings
• Be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback
• Maintain respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads
• Adjust to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care while maintaining a focus on academic achievement and a focus on the client