Psychology

Unit 1-4

Rationale

VCE Psychology provides students with a framework for exploring the complex interactions between biological, psychological and social factors that influence human thought, emotions and behaviour. In undertaking this study, students apply their learning to everyday situations including workplace and social relations. They gain insights into a range of psychological health issues in society. In VCE Psychology, students develop a range of inquiry skills involving practical experimentation and research, analytical skills including critical and creative thinking, and communication skills. Students use scientific and cognitive skills and understanding to analyse contemporary psychology-related issues and communicate their views from an informed position.

VCE Psychology provides for continuing study pathways within the discipline and leads to a range of careers. Opportunities may involve working with children, adults, families and communities in a variety of settings such as academic and research institutions, management and human resources, and government, corporate and private enterprises. Fields of applied psychology include educational, environmental, forensic, health, sport and organisational psychology. Specialist fields of psychology include counselling and clinical contexts as well as neuropsychology, social psychology and developmental psychology. Psychologists also work in cross-disciplinary areas such as medical research or as part of ongoing or emergency support services in educational, institutional and industrial settings.

Aims

This study enables students to:

Apply psychological models, theories and concepts to describe, explain and analyse observations and ideas related to human thoughts, emotions and behaviour
Examine the ways that a biopsychosocial approach can be applied to organise, analyse and extend knowledge in psychology

and more broadly to:

Understand the cooperative, cumulative, evolutionary and interdisciplinary nature of science as a human endeavour, including its possibilities, limitations and political and sociocultural influences
Develop a range of individual and collaborative science-investigation skills through experimental and inquiry tasks in the field and in the laboratory
Develop an informed perspective on contemporary science-based issues of local and global significance
Apply their scientific understanding to familiar and unfamiliar situations, including personal, social, environmental and technological contexts
Develop attitudes that include curiosity, open-mindedness, creativity, flexibility, integrity, attention to detail and respect for evidence-based conclusions
Understand and apply the research, ethical and safety principles that govern the study and practice of the discipline in the collection, analysis, critical evaluation and reporting of data
Communicate clearly and accurately an understanding of the discipline using appropriate terminology, conventions and formats

Structure

The study is made up of four units.

Unit 1: How are behaviour and mental processes shaped?
Unit 2: How do internal and external factors influence behaviour and mental processes?
Unit 3: How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?
Unit 4: How is wellbeing developed and maintained?

Each unit deals with specific content contained in areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and is complemented by a set of key science skills.

Entry

There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Students must undertake Unit 3 prior to undertaking Unit 4. Students entering Unit 3 without Units 1 and/or 2 may be required to undertake additional preparation as prescribed by their teacher. Units 1 to 4 are designed to a standard equivalent to the final two years of secondary education. All VCE studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curriculum.

Unit 1: How are behaviour and mental processes shaped?

In this unit students examine the complex nature of psychological development, including situations where psychological development may not occur as expected. Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary knowledge from Western and non-Western societies, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, has made to an understanding of psychological development and to the development of psychological models and theories used to predict and explain the development of thoughts, emotions and behaviours. They investigate the structure and functioning of the human brain and the role it plays in mental processes and behaviour and explore brain plasticity and the influence that brain damage may have on a person’s psychological functioning.

Unit 2: How do internal and external factors influence behaviour and mental processes?

In this unit students evaluate the role social cognition plays in a person’s attitudes, perception of themselves and relationships with others. Students explore a variety of factors and contexts that can influence the behaviour of individuals and groups, recognising that different cultural groups have different experiences and values. Students are encouraged to consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s experiences within Australian society and how these experiences may affect psychological functioning.

Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understandings of human perception and why individuals and groups behave in specific ways. Students investigate how perception of stimuli enables a person to interact with the world around them and how their perception of stimuli can be distorted.

Unit 3: How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?

The nervous system influences behaviour and the way people experience the world. In this unit, students examine both macro-level and micro-level functioning of the human nervous system to explain how it enables a person to interact with the world around them. They explore how stress may affect a person’s psychological functioning and consider the causes and management of stress.

Students investigate how mechanisms of memory and learning lead to the acquisition of knowledge, the development of new capacities and changed behaviours. They consider the limitations and fallibility of memory and how memory can be improved. Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system and to the understanding of biological, psychological and social factors that influence learning and memory.

Unit 4: How is wellbeing developed and maintained?

Consciousness and mental health are two of many psychological constructs that can be explored by studying the relationship between the mind, brain and behaviour. In this unit, students examine the nature of consciousness and how changes in levels of consciousness can affect mental processes and behaviour. They consider the role of sleep and the impact that sleep disturbances may have on a person’s functioning.

Students explore the concept of a mental-health continuum and apply a biopsychosocial approach as a scientific model to analyse mental health and disorder. They use specific phobia to illustrate how the development and management of a mental disorder can be considered as an interaction between biological, psychological and social factors. Students examine the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of consciousness, including sleep and the development of an individual’s mental functioning and wellbeing.

Assessment

Satisfactory Completion:

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on the teacher’s decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit. Demonstration of achievement of outcomes and satisfactory completion of a unit are determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.

Levels of Achievement

Units 1 and 2:

Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement in Units 1 and 2 are a matter for school decision.

Units 3 and 4:

The VCAA specifies the assessment procedures for students undertaking scored assessment in Units 3 and 4. The student’s level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 will be determined by School-assessed Coursework (SACs) and/or School-assessed Tasks (SATs) as specified in the VCE study designs, and external assessment.

The VCAA will report the student’s level of achievement on each assessment component as a grade from A+ to E or UG (ungraded). To receive a study score, the student must achieve two or more graded assessments and receive S for both Units 3 and 4. The study score is reported on a scale of 0–50; it is a measure of how well the student performed in relation to all others who took the study.

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Psychology are as follows:
Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework: 20 %
Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework: 30 %
End-of-year examination: 50 %

Key skills required

The development of a set of key science skills is a core component of the study of VCE Psychology and applies across Units 1 to 4 in all areas of study. The key science skills are:

Develop aims and questions, formulate hypotheses and make predictions
Plan and undertake investigations
Comply with safety and ethical guidelines
Conduct investigations to collect and record data
Analyse and evaluate data, methods and scientific models
Draw evidence-based conclusions
Communicate and explain scientific ideas

Scientific investigation

Students undertake scientific investigations across Units 1 to 4 of this study. Scientific investigations may be undertaken in groups, but all work for assessment must be completed individually.