6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit
School of Psychological Sciences
Coordinator(s)
Associate Professor Joanne Fielding (Australia)
Dr Vanlal Thanzami (Malaysia)
Unit guides
Synopsis
Continuation of first-year psychology topics: developmental psychology and biological psychology. Developmental psychology encompasses physical, cognitive, and social-emotional changes across the life span and how these are shaped by macrosystems such as culture, and microsystems such as peers and the family. Biological psychology includes states of consciousness, mental disorders and addiction, mechanisms and disorders of learning and memory, and the regulation of emotional and motivated states. The laboratory program complements the lectures, and provides further training in research techniques, report writing, oral presentations and teamwork.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- learn how human behaviour, both simple and complex, is underpinned by physiological and neural processes;
- acquire an understanding of the interplay between local and distal, and familial and cultural, factors in determining the course of development from birth through to old age; and
- develop more advanced skills in report writing.
Assessment
- Examination (Multiple-choice) (2 hours) (45%)
- Biological lab report (2,000 words) (20%)
- 7 x Online assessments (25%)
- Oral presentation (10 mins) (10%)
Workload requirements
Attendance at labs, tutorials or weekend schools is required in order to successfully complete in-class activities and related assessment tasks.
See also Unit timetable information
Chief examiner(s)
Off-campus attendance requirements
Participation in (live) online lab classes: 1 x 2 hour bi-weekly.
Online lab classes are live (i.e., real-time), web-based classes run by teaching staff that replace traditional lab classes and tutorials. These interactive classes provide students with an opportunity to apply and explore concepts in an active, engaging manner, whilst at the same time developing practical skills in effective communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Participation in online lab classes is required in order to complete associated assessments. It is common practice, where possible, to schedule at least two participation options for off-campus students in each core unit of psychology.