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Unit of Study PSYC1006 - Principles of Behaviour in Physical Activity (2022)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Provides an understanding of behavioural theory within the physical activity arena as applied to individuals, groups and special populations. The fundamentals of human behaviour will provide a theoretical background on which to interpret an understanding of the psychological factors that underlie and sustain participation in performance based activities and exercise and health related domains.

Unit content

Physical Activity and Exercise Behaviour:

  • Psychological benefits of exercise
  • Exercise and improved mental health
  • Exercise adherence and determinants

The Evolution of Psychology:

  • The development of Psychology
  • Research and professional aspects

Research in Psychology:

  • The scientific approach
  • Experimental research
  • Descriptive and correlational research
  • The role of statistics  

Biological basis of behaviour:

  • Communication in the nervous system
  • Organisation in the nervous system
  • The brain and behaviour
  • Heredity and behaviour
  • Evolutionary basis of behaviour

Personality: Theory, Research and Assessment:

  • Nature of personality
  • Psychodynamic perspectives
  • Behavioural perspectives
  • Humanistic perspectives
  • Biological perspectives

Learning:

  • Classical conditioning
  • Operant conditioning
  • Observational learning
  • Self control through behaviour modification

Motivation and Emotion:

  • Theories and concepts
  • Motivation of hunger and eating
  • Sexual motivation and behaviour
  • Achievement
  • Theories of emotion

Development across the lifespan:

  • Prenatal development
  • Childhood
  • Adolescence
  • Adulthood

Stress, coping and health:

  • The nature of stress
  • Health impairing behaviour

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour
Session1
Session1
Gold Coast
Session1
Session1
Lismore
Session1
Session1

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

identify the fundamentals of human behaviour

recognise the psychological factors that influence physical activity participation and the concurrent influence of participation in physical activity on psychological factors

demonstrate understanding of current research on the influences that psychological factors have on participation in physical activity for individuals, groups and special populations

develop the academic skills of understanding scholarly literature, writing and oral presentation

demonstrate an understanding of the principles of academic integrity and academic writing, including knowledge of the SCU policy on academic integrity and academic misconduct

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Weiten, W, 2017, Psychology: Themes and Variations and Applications, 10th edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Belmont, California.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.