Availabilities:

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Health and Human Sciences

Pre-requisites

BHS20008 - Quantitative Methods in Psychology

Unit aim

Provides a thorough understanding of gross brain anatomy, neural functioning, and sensory processing for the professional or academic psychologist. This basic knowledge is supplemented with consideration of the neural mechanisms of memory and learning, communication, and behaviour. In addition, students will engage with aspects of recent research findings that relate to these areas.

Unit content

Structures and functions - Psychopharmacology - Development - Vision - Audition - The body senses - The chemical senses - Learning and memory - Emotion - Human communication - Disorders

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.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 describe and discuss the fundamental theories and systems most relevant to psychobiological processes
2 describe the basic anatomy and processes of the central nervous system
3 describe the processes that form the basis of neural functioning and the contributions made to behaviours by chemicals
4 relate neural phenomena and the functioning of sensory systems to their roles in human experience
5 critically analyse experimental data and report on conclusions
6 communicate the substance of psychological explanations in a format consistent with accepted practice in psychology.

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

  1. describe and discuss the fundamental theories and systems most relevant to psychobiological processes
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  2. describe the basic anatomy and processes of the central nervous system
    • GA4:
  3. describe the processes that form the basis of neural functioning and the contributions made to behaviours by chemicals
    • GA4:
  4. relate neural phenomena and the functioning of sensory systems to their roles in human experience
    • GA3:
  5. critically analyse experimental data and report on conclusions
    • GA3:
    • GA6:
  6. communicate the substance of psychological explanations in a format consistent with accepted practice in psychology.
    • GA3:
    • GA6:

Prescribed texts

  • Pinel, J, 2010, Biopsychology, 8th edn (International Edition), Pearson, Boston. ISBN: 9780205030996.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.