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Unit Summary
Unit type
UG Coursework Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Introductory
Former School/College
Unit aim
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
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: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify the fundamentals of human behaviour | |||||||
| 2 | Recognise the psychological factors that influence physical activity participation and the concurrent influence of participation in physical activity on psychological factors | |||||||
| 3 | Demonstrate understanding of current research on the influences that psychological factors have on participation in physical activity for individuals, groups and special populations | |||||||
| 4 | Develop the academic skills of understanding scholarly literature, writing and oral presentation | |||||||
| 5 | Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of academic integrity and academic writing, including knowledge of the SCU policy on academic integrity and academic misconduct | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
Identify the fundamentals of human behaviour
- GA3:
- GA4:
- GA7:
-
Recognise the psychological factors that influence physical activity participation and the concurrent influence of participation in physical activity on psychological factors
- GA4:
-
Demonstrate understanding of current research on the influences that psychological factors have on participation in physical activity for individuals, groups and special populations
- GA3:
- GA4:
-
Develop the academic skills of understanding scholarly literature, writing and oral presentation
- GA3:
- GA6:
- GA7:
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of academic integrity and academic writing, including knowledge of the SCU policy on academic integrity and academic misconduct
- GA3:
Prescribed texts
- Weiten, W, 2013, Psychology: Themes and Variations, 9th edn, Thomson Wadsworth, Australia.
- Weiten, W., 2013, Psychology: Themes and Variations and Applications, 9th edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Belmont, California.