Stage 1 Psychology A

SACE CREDITS: 10 credits

KEY CONTACT: Sarah Shillabeer and Kerry Pinchbeck

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND:
Successful completion of Year 10 Science is required. Successful completion of Year 10 Psychology is desirable but not required.

COURSE CONTENT:
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour, thoughts and feelings. Psychology can be undertaken in semester 1 and 2 to make up a full year program, or can be studied as independent semesters.

Science inquiry skills: An exploration of how research is conducted in psychology with a focus on the methods, and types of data collected. Students will also learn about the ethical constraints which guide research involving humans and animals.

Emotions: Emotions fuel our behaviour and determine what we pay attention to; they affect how we learn and what we remember. Emotions regulate our relationships, binding us to some people and repelling us from others. Students will explore several different theories about how an individual experiences an emotion. Students will learn about psychological disorders that can result when emotions cannot be regulated.

Neuropsychology: The structure of the brain and how it affects behaviour. Students will investigate how drugs such as alcohol affect the developing adolescent brain.

Cognitive psychology: Students study Memory processes with a focus on how accurate our memories really are. Students will investigate the accuracy of memory by evaluating relevant topics within the media, for example life case studies of wrongfully convicted criminals, how memory can be assessed and to what extent do memory techniques work in learning environments.

ASSESSMENT:
1. Design and Deconstruct Investigations Folio
2. SHE (Science as a Human Endeavour) Task
3. Skills and Applications Tasks (possible assessment tasks include posters, presentations, tests, essays, reports, exam)

COMPLETION OF THIS SUBJECT LEADS TO: Stage 2 Psychology

SUBJECT COSTS: Nil