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Unit Summary
Unit aim
Introduces four central areas of psychological interest: sensation and perception; biological bases of behaviour; stress, coping and health; and learning. The unit focuses on the influence of biological processes and experience in the regulation of individual behaviour. This unit lays the foundation for Introduction to Psychology II, which is focussed on the social milieu. In addition the unit introduces students to writing for psychology.
Unit content
Sensation and Perception:
- The senses
- Perception
- Attention
Biological bases of behaviour:
- Basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology
- Core structure and function of the central nervous system
- Neurotransmitters
- Neuroplasticity
Stress, coping and health:
- Understanding stress and stress responses
- Health psychology
- The promotion of healthy behaviour
Learning:
- The role of learning in behaviour
- Reward and punishment
- Modification of behaviour
Writing for Psychology:
- Introduction to literature research
- Developing an academic argument
- Avoiding plagiarism
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: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | express an understanding of material presented through self-managed reading, active listening, note-taking and enquiry |
| 2 | engage with previously published literature and communicate analysis through critical writing |
| 3 | identify key figures, experiments and models of behaviour from the history of the discipline. |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- express an understanding of material presented through self-managed reading, active listening, note-taking and enquiry
- engage with previously published literature and communicate analysis through critical writing
- identify key figures, experiments and models of behaviour from the history of the discipline.
Prescribed texts
- Bernstein, DA, Pooley, JA, Cohen, L, Gouldthorp, B, Provost, SC & Cranney, J, 2018, Psychology: Australian and New Zealand edition , 2nd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne. ISBN: 9780170386302.