ECOSYSTEMIC
PSYCHOLOGY
PYC4808 - Assignment 6
Answers and Guide
2023
Perfectionist Notes
PRIVATE TUTOR FOR HONOURS IN PSYCHOLOGY - UNISA
helping you achieve your best results
,Table of Contents
SECTION A........................................................................................................................................... 1
1. Instructions.................................................................................................................................. 1
SECTION B ........................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Case Study and Assignment Questions ....................................................................................... 2
3. Summary of the journal article.................................................................................................... 4
SECTION C: PAST ASSIGNMENT WITH ANSWERS .................................................................... 5
SECTION D......................................................................................................................................... 19
4. Questions and answers analysed ............................................................................................... 19
4.1. Question 1 ............................................................................................................................. 19
4.2. Question 2 ............................................................................................................................. 27
4.3. Question 3 ............................................................................................................................. 34
4.4. AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE SUMMARIES: ........................................................... 44
SECTION E: ........................................................................................................................................ 53
5.1. Question 4: ............................................................................................................................ 53
5.2. APA 7TH EDITION REFERENCING GUIDE ..................................................................... 53
SECTION F ......................................................................................................................................... 63
6. TEXT REFERENCING OF THE ECOSYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY TEXTBOOK 2022: .... 63
7. What to include in your introduction and conclusion ............................................................... 64
, Property of Perfectionist Notes
Plagiarism/distribution/selling/illegal use of these documents will be prosecuted
SECTION A
1. Instructions
Assignment 6 is the final assignment for PYC4808
Counts 35% towards your final mark.
This assignment is marked out of 100
1.1. Document Structure
Cover page
Table of contents
Assignment content (answers to the questions) (Maximum of 10 pages)
References
Plagiarism declaration (at the end or the second page)
1.2. Document Format
Arial 11 or Times New Roman 12 font
Double Line spacing (2; this is according to APA 7 formatting)
Margins set to 2.54 cm or “normal” (this is according to APA 7 formatting)
Include page numbers
1.3. Points to remember
Assignment 06 requires you to apply your theoretical and conceptual knowledge of
Ecosystemic psychology to a case scenario.
Please number your answers according to the assignment questions. Do not create
your own numbering structure. Therefore, do not number your introduction and
conclusion. Just number the answers to the assignment questions
Submit your assignment in PDF on myUnisa.
APA 7th edition referencing guidelines. You must provide both in-text referencing
and a reference list.
There is no new reading material needed for this assignment. Review all previous
work covered, in order to answer the questions of assignment 6, which is largely
aimed at you applying what you have learnt (MyUnisa - University of South Africa,
2023).
1|Page
, Property of Perfectionist Notes
Plagiarism/distribution/selling/illegal use of these documents will be prosecuted
SECTION B
2. Case Study and Assignment Questions
Case Scenario
Covid-19 has brought about many new challenges across various contexts. In order to slow the
infection rate, a national lockdown was enforced, which on one hand was aimed at protecting
the population from the effects of Covid-19 and slowing down the spread, with new terminology
such as "lock-down, self-isolation, social distancing, flatten the curve....new normal" surfacing
(Pillay & Barnes, 2020). On the other hand, the solution to the problem created many individual,
familial, social, community, educational, occupational, financial and other challenges. Reflect on
the changes that took place both in the country, but within the context of academia, teaching
and learning. You may even find it helpful to write a page of your own personal challenges and
insights gained over the last two years with regards to the changes we have all experienced, to
varying degrees.
Once you have thoroughly reflected on the above, answer the questions below, in relation
to you as a student at Unisa.
Question 1
In view of the above excerpt, as a student of Unisa, a Open Distance Learning Education
Institution, provide a first order cybernetic analysis of Unisa as a system. In your answer,
describe the context as a first order cybernetic thinker, and apply at least five (5) first order
cybernetic principles/concepts to your analysis. (25
marks)
Question 2
In view of the above excerpt, as well as your answer for question 1, include yourself in the
observed, and provide a second-order cybernetic analysis of Unisa as a system. In your answer,
describe how a second-order cybernetic thinker would contextualise Unisa, and apply at least
five (5) second order principle/concepts to your analysis (25 marks)
Question 3
Second order cybernetics can be viewed as a meta-perspective. In line with this premise, answer
the questions below:
2|Page
PSYCHOLOGY
PYC4808 - Assignment 6
Answers and Guide
2023
Perfectionist Notes
PRIVATE TUTOR FOR HONOURS IN PSYCHOLOGY - UNISA
helping you achieve your best results
,Table of Contents
SECTION A........................................................................................................................................... 1
1. Instructions.................................................................................................................................. 1
SECTION B ........................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Case Study and Assignment Questions ....................................................................................... 2
3. Summary of the journal article.................................................................................................... 4
SECTION C: PAST ASSIGNMENT WITH ANSWERS .................................................................... 5
SECTION D......................................................................................................................................... 19
4. Questions and answers analysed ............................................................................................... 19
4.1. Question 1 ............................................................................................................................. 19
4.2. Question 2 ............................................................................................................................. 27
4.3. Question 3 ............................................................................................................................. 34
4.4. AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE SUMMARIES: ........................................................... 44
SECTION E: ........................................................................................................................................ 53
5.1. Question 4: ............................................................................................................................ 53
5.2. APA 7TH EDITION REFERENCING GUIDE ..................................................................... 53
SECTION F ......................................................................................................................................... 63
6. TEXT REFERENCING OF THE ECOSYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY TEXTBOOK 2022: .... 63
7. What to include in your introduction and conclusion ............................................................... 64
, Property of Perfectionist Notes
Plagiarism/distribution/selling/illegal use of these documents will be prosecuted
SECTION A
1. Instructions
Assignment 6 is the final assignment for PYC4808
Counts 35% towards your final mark.
This assignment is marked out of 100
1.1. Document Structure
Cover page
Table of contents
Assignment content (answers to the questions) (Maximum of 10 pages)
References
Plagiarism declaration (at the end or the second page)
1.2. Document Format
Arial 11 or Times New Roman 12 font
Double Line spacing (2; this is according to APA 7 formatting)
Margins set to 2.54 cm or “normal” (this is according to APA 7 formatting)
Include page numbers
1.3. Points to remember
Assignment 06 requires you to apply your theoretical and conceptual knowledge of
Ecosystemic psychology to a case scenario.
Please number your answers according to the assignment questions. Do not create
your own numbering structure. Therefore, do not number your introduction and
conclusion. Just number the answers to the assignment questions
Submit your assignment in PDF on myUnisa.
APA 7th edition referencing guidelines. You must provide both in-text referencing
and a reference list.
There is no new reading material needed for this assignment. Review all previous
work covered, in order to answer the questions of assignment 6, which is largely
aimed at you applying what you have learnt (MyUnisa - University of South Africa,
2023).
1|Page
, Property of Perfectionist Notes
Plagiarism/distribution/selling/illegal use of these documents will be prosecuted
SECTION B
2. Case Study and Assignment Questions
Case Scenario
Covid-19 has brought about many new challenges across various contexts. In order to slow the
infection rate, a national lockdown was enforced, which on one hand was aimed at protecting
the population from the effects of Covid-19 and slowing down the spread, with new terminology
such as "lock-down, self-isolation, social distancing, flatten the curve....new normal" surfacing
(Pillay & Barnes, 2020). On the other hand, the solution to the problem created many individual,
familial, social, community, educational, occupational, financial and other challenges. Reflect on
the changes that took place both in the country, but within the context of academia, teaching
and learning. You may even find it helpful to write a page of your own personal challenges and
insights gained over the last two years with regards to the changes we have all experienced, to
varying degrees.
Once you have thoroughly reflected on the above, answer the questions below, in relation
to you as a student at Unisa.
Question 1
In view of the above excerpt, as a student of Unisa, a Open Distance Learning Education
Institution, provide a first order cybernetic analysis of Unisa as a system. In your answer,
describe the context as a first order cybernetic thinker, and apply at least five (5) first order
cybernetic principles/concepts to your analysis. (25
marks)
Question 2
In view of the above excerpt, as well as your answer for question 1, include yourself in the
observed, and provide a second-order cybernetic analysis of Unisa as a system. In your answer,
describe how a second-order cybernetic thinker would contextualise Unisa, and apply at least
five (5) second order principle/concepts to your analysis (25 marks)
Question 3
Second order cybernetics can be viewed as a meta-perspective. In line with this premise, answer
the questions below:
2|Page
