Year 11 Science Program

Unit 1 & 2 Psychology

Hedland SHS 2016

Unit 1

Unit description

This unit focuses on a number of concepts that enable students to gain an understanding of how and why people behave the way they do. Students are introduced to the human brain, focusing on the major parts and lobes of the cerebral cortex, and review case studies, illustrating the link between the brain and behaviour. They also explore the impact of external factors, such as physical activity and psychoactive drugs, on individuals’ behaviour. Cognitive processes, such as sensation and perception and selective and divided attention, are investigated. The impact of others on behaviour is also studied. Students examine different types of relationships and look at the role of verbal and non-verbal communication in initiating, maintaining and regulating relationships. Students are introduced to ethics in psychological research and carry out investigations, following the steps in conducting scientific research. They identify the aims of psychological investigations and apply appropriate structure to sequence data using correctly labelled tables, graphs and diagrams.

Unit content

This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.

Self

Biological influences/bases of behaviour

  • functions of the major parts of the brain
  • hindbrain
  • midbrain
  • forebrain
  • left and right hemispheres
  • corpus callosum
  • main features of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
  • structure of the neuron
  • cell body
  • axon
  • dendrites
  • myelin sheath
  • methods for investigating brain function
  • external recordings – electroencephalography (EEG)
  • scanning techniques
  • still pictures – computed axial tomography (CAT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • dynamic pictures – functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), position emission tomography (PET) scan
  • case study – Phineas Gage
  • factors that affect behaviour, emotion and thought
  • physical activity
  • psychological and physiological responses to recreational drugs – cannabis, alcohol and amphetamine

Cognition

  • theories of intelligence
  • general intelligence – Galton, Spearman
  • measuring mental age and intelligence quotient – Binet and Simon, Terman
  • empirical approaches to intelligence – Wechsler
  • multiple intelligences – Gardner
  • emotional intelligence – Golman
  • intelligence testing
  • advantages and disadvantages of group and individual testing
  • the role of sensation and perception in cognition
  • sensory organs and stimuli
  • perception – illusions and distortions of visual perception
  • attention – selected, divided, habituation, dishabituation
  • physiological responses indicating different states of consciousness
  • electrical activity of the brain
  • heart rate
  • body temperature
  • galvanic skin response

Others

Relational influences

  • types of relationships
  • pro-social
  • anti-social
  • determinants of liking
  • proximity
  • similarity
  • reciprocity
  • relationship development in adolescence
  • changing structure of adolescent groups – Dunph

Communication

  • non-verbal communication
  • body language
  • gestures
  • physical distance
  • facial expressions
  • touch and smell
  • effective communication
  • listener/receiver attributes
  • active listening
  • working collaboratively
  • assertive communication
  • the impact of hearing impairment and language delay
  • role of language in initiating, maintaining and regulating interpersonal relationships – Robinson’s social skills

Research methods

Planning and conducting psychological research

  • research terminology
  • experimental, non-experimental
  • scientific, non-scientific
  • sample
  • population
  • ethics in psychology research
  • informed consent
  • confidentiality
  • voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
  • deception in research
  • steps in the scientific method
  • differences between sample and population data
  • experimental research methods
  • independent and dependent variables
  • operational hypotheses
  • controlled and uncontrolled variables
  • experimental and control groups
  • reliability and validity
  • non-experimental (descriptive) research methods
  • case studies, surveys, correlational studies and archival research
  • behavioural variables (not dependent and independent variables) in correlational studies
  • qualitative methods of data collection
  • quantitative methods of data collection – fixed response, rating scales

Processing and evaluating psychological research

  • methods of displaying quantitative data – tables, graphs and diagrams
  • interpretation of the following forms of data:
  • mode
  • mean
  • median
  • range
  • role of probability
  • use of correlation to establish association between variables
  • sources of error in data and ways of reducing them
  • evidence-based conclusions related to the hypothesis

Unit 2

Unit description

This unit introduces students to developmental psychology by looking at the concept of average development and changes expected as people age. They analyse twin and adoption studies to gain insight into the nature/nurture debate and look at the role of play in assisting development. Students explore what is meant by the term personality and examine several historical perspectives used to explain personality such as Freud’s psychodynamic approach. Students investigate the influence of others on self-concept, identity and attitudes. They explore the behaviours observed within groups, such as deindividuation and social loafing, and causes of prejudice. Psychological research methods introduced in Unit 1 are further explored.

Unit content

This unit builds on the content covered in Unit 1.

This unit includes the knowledge, understandings and skills described below.

Self

Developmental psychology

  • aspects of human development across the life span
  • cognitive
  • physical
  • social
  • emotional
  • nature/nurture debate
  • twin studies
  • adoption studies
  • role of play in physical, cognitive, emotional and social readiness and skill development

Personality

  • definition of personality
  • historical perspectives
  • psychodynamic – Freud
  • trait – Eysenck, Allport
  • humanistic – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
  • approaches to measuring personality
  • projective – Rorschach, thematic apperception test (TAT)
  • non-projective – self-reports

Others

Social psychology

  • definition of a group and its purposes
  • individuals and groups
  • self-concept and group membership
  • social identity
  • behaviour within groups
  • cooperation
  • competition
  • deindividuation
  • social loafing
  • brainstorming
  • impact of group size
  • social categorisation
  • stereotypes
  • social values and behaviour

Culture and values

  • attitude formation – Tripartite model
  • tools for measuring attitudes
  • observational methods
  • qualitative self-report methods – interviews and focus groups
  • quantitative self-report measures – rating scales
  • racism
  • causes of prejudice
  • reducing prejudice
  • cultural influences on attitudes
  • individualistic cultures
  • collectivist cultures

Research methods

Planning and conducting psychological research

  • research terminology
  • experimental, non-experimental
  • scientific, non-scientific
  • sample
  • population
  • ethics in psychology research
  • informed consent
  • confidentiality
  • voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
  • deception in research
  • steps in the scientific method
  • differences between sample and population data
  • experimental research methods
  • independent and dependent variables
  • operational hypotheses
  • controlled and uncontrolled variables
  • experimental and control groups
  • reliability and validity
  • non-experimental (descriptive) research methods
  • case studies, surveys, correlational studies and archival research
  • behavioural variables (not dependent and independent variables) in correlational studies
  • qualitative methods of data collection
  • quantitative methods of data collection – fixed response, rating scales

Processing and evaluating psychological research

  • methods of displaying quantitative data – tables, graphs and diagrams
  • interpretation of the following forms of data:
  • mode
  • mean
  • median
  • range
  • role of probability
  • use of correlation to establish association between variables
  • sources of error in data and ways of reducing them
  • evidence-based conclusions related to the hypothesis

Psychology Program

Term 4, 2015

Week / Content / Resources / Assessment
6 – 7 /
  • Course structure / assessment policy
  • ‘What is psychology’
  • Difference between psychologist and psychiatrist
Functions of the major parts of the brain:
-Hindbrain
-Midbrain
-Forebrain
-Left and right hemispheres
-Corpus callosum
Main features of the four lobes:
-Frontal lobe
-Parietal lobe
-Occipital lobe
-Temporal lobe / Fletcher & Garton textbook pg. 2 – 5, 11 - 13
Workbook pg. 3 – 5, 42 – 43
Activities:
Introduction to psychology clip
Meet your master – getting to know your brain clip
Parts of brain ppt
Cut and paste brain w/s
Function of brain handout
Lobes of the brain ppt
Other resources:
‘What is psychology’
Hackett Workbook pg. 1 – 9
Psychological research and theories
Hackett workbook pg. 177 – 178
8 / Structure of the neuron
-Cell body
-Axon
-Dendrites
-Myelin sheath
Phineas Gage case study / Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 13 – 14
Workbook pg. 6 - 9
Activities:
Nerve cell ppt
Nerve cell pipe cleaner activity
Neurons YouTube clip
Phineas Gage handout
Phinease Gage YouTube clip / Task 1
Critical review: brain size
9 / Methods for investigating brain function
- External recordings – electroencephalography (EEG)
- Scanning techniques:
*still pictures – computed axial tomography (CAT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
*dynamic pictures – functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), position emission tomography (PET) scan / Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 15 – 17
Workbook pg. 12 - 16

Term 1, 2016

Week / Content / Resources / Assessment
1-3 / Planning and conducting psychological research
research terminology
- experimental
- non-experimental
- sample
- population
ethics in psychology research
- informed consent
- confidentiality
- voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
- deception in research
steps in the scientific method
differences between sample and population data
experimental research methods
- independent and dependent variables
- operational hypotheses
- controlled and uncontrolled variables
- experimental and control groups reliability and validity
Processing and evaluating psychological research
  • methods of displaying quantitative data – tables, graphs and diagrams
  • interpretation of the following forms of data:
  • mode
  • mean
  • median
  • range
  • role of probability
  • use of correlation to establish association between variables
  • sources of error in data and ways of reducing them
  • evidence-based conclusions related to the hypothesis
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 139 – 144, 147 – 149, 153 –161
Workbook pg. 157 – 163
Activities:
Research methods ppt
Research methods VCE workbook pg. 2 – 17, 36 – 39
Activities:
Research method ppt
Research method handouts
Scientific design worksheets
Research methods VCE workbook pg. 22 – 29 / Task 2
Investigation: memory
4-5 / Non-experimental (descriptive) research methods
* case studies, surveys, correlational studies and archival research
* behavioural variables (not dependent and independent variables) in correlational studies
* qualitative methods of data collection
* quantitative methods of data collection – fixed response, rating scales / Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 145 –147
Workbook pg. 164 – 177
Research methods VCE workbook pg. 18 – 22
Other resources:
Research method ppt
Fletcher and Garton pg. 58, 60, 320 – 322
6 / Factors that affect behaviour, emotion and thought
  • Physical activity
  • Psychological and psychological responses to recreational drugs – cannabis, alcohol and amphetamine
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 18 – 21
Workbook pg. 17 – 22
7-8 / The role of sensation and perception in cognition
  • sensory organs and stimuli
  • perception – illusions and distortions of visual perception
  • attention (consciousness) – selected, divided, habituation, dishabituation
Physiological responses indicating different states of consciousness
  • electrical activity of the brain
  • heart rate
  • body temperature
  • galvanic skin response
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 24 – 32
Activities:
perception ppt
sensation and perception clip
altered states clip
Workbook pg. 32 – 38
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 265 – 266, 417 – 421
Hackett workbook pg. 115 – 119
9-10 / COGNITION
  • theories of intelligence
  • general intelligence – Galton, Spearman
  • measuring mental age and intelligence quotient – Binet and Simon, Terman
  • empirical approaches to intelligence – Wechsler
  • multiple intelligences – Gardner
  • emotional intelligence – Golman
  • intelligence testing
  • advantages and disadvantages of group and individual testing
Work on assessment – due second week of next term. / Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 34 – 40
Workbook pg. 24 – 32
Activities:
Cognition ppt
Cognition clip
Controversy to intelligence clip
Work on assessment – due second week of next term.
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 19 – 22, 97, 180 – 189, 260 – 267, 416 – 420
Hackett workbook pg. 17 – 23 / Task 3
Cognition and research methods test
Task 4
Consultancy brief – intelligence

Term 2, 2016

Week / Content / Resources / Assessment
1-2 / Relational influences
  • types of relationships
  • pro-social
  • anti-social
  • determinants of liking
  • proximity
  • similarity
  • reciprocity
  • relationship development in adolescence
  • changing structure of adolescent groups – Dunphy model
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 43 – 54
Workbook pg. 53 – 58
Activities:
Behaviour ppt
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 122 – 136, 291 – 296, 441 – 452
Hackett workbook pg. 126 – 129
View: Bend it Like Beckham / Task 5
Pro and anti social behaviour essay
3-4 / Communication
  • non-verbal communication
  • body language
  • gestures
  • physical distance
  • facial expressions
  • touch and smell
  • effective communication
  • listener/receiver attributes
  • active listening
  • working collaboratively
  • assertive communication
  • the impact of hearing impairment and language delay – deafness and autism
  • AUSLAN sign language
  • role of language in initiating, maintaining and regulating interpersonal relationships – Robinson’s social skills
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 57 – 71
Workbook pg. 60 – 66
Activities:
Communication ppt
Learning to communicate ppt
Sign language clips
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 56 – 59, 140 – 142, 299 – 306, 221 – 226
Hackett workbook pg. 38 – 40 / Task 6
Relational influences and communication test
5 / Revision for Exams / Workbook pg. 39 – 40, 67, 179 – 186
6 / EXAMS – Task 7
7 / Developmental psychology
  • aspects of human development across the life span
  • cognitive
  • physical
  • social
  • emotional
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 74 – 80
Workbook pg. 84 – 92
Activities:
Developmental psychology ppt
Human growth and development – life stages (internet: prezi)
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 26 – 32, 422 – 428
Hackett workbook pg. 24 – 25
VCE textbook pg. 211, 180 – 190, 167 – 180, 191 – 198, 199 – 208
8 /
  • nature/nurture debate
  • twin studies
  • adoption studies
  • intelligence as measured by the intelligence quotient (IQ)
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 81 – 85
Workbook pg. 93 – 95
Activities:
Twin studies and adoption ppt
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 30 – 32
9 /
  • role of play in physical, cognitive, emotional and social readiness and skill development
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 85 – 87
Workbook pg. 96 – 98
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 269 – 270 / Task 8
Developmental psychology test
10 / COUNTRY WEEK

Term 3, 2016

Week / Content / Resources / Assessment
1-3 / Personality
  • definition of personality
  • historical perspectives
  • psychodynamic – Freud
  • trait – Eysenck, Allport
  • humanistic – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
  • approaches to measuring personality
  • projective – Rorschach, thematic apperception test (TAT)
  • non-projective – self-reports
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 91 – 101
Workbook pg. 98 – 110
Activities:
Introduction to personality clip
Measuring personality clip
Rorschach and Freud clip
Work on assignment
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 32 – 41, 196 – 201, 113 – 118, 431 – 436 / Task 9
Consultancy brief - personality tests
4-5 / Social psychology
  • definition of a group and its purposes
  • individuals and groups
  • self-concept and group membership
  • social identity
  • behaviour within groups
  • cooperation
  • competition
  • deindividuation
  • social loafing
  • brainstorming
  • impact of group size
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 105 – 114
Workbook pg. 118 – 124
Activities:
Groups ppt
Social influences clip
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 44 – 50, 363 – 367
Hackett workbook pg. 29 – 32, 33 – 36
6 /
  • social categorisation
  • stereotypes
  • social values and behaviour
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 114 – 119
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 237 – 242, 242 – 244, 74 – 76 / Task 10
Social psychology test
7-8 / RECAP - Planning and conducting psychological research
*research terminology
- experimental, non-experimental
- sample
- population
*ethics in psychology research
- informed consent
- confidentiality
- voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
- deception in research
* steps in the scientific method
* differences between sample and population data
* experimental research methods
- independent and dependent variables
- operational hypotheses
- controlled and uncontrolled variables
- experimental and control groups reliability and validity / Workbook pg. 188 – 189, 192 – 195
Other activities:
Long term memory task
Reaction rates task / Task 11
Investigation – Group influences
9-10 / CULTURE AND VALUES
  • attitude formation – Tripartite model
  • tools for measuring attitudes
  • observational methods
  • qualitative self-report methods – interviews and focus groups
  • quantitative self-report measures rating scales
/ Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 123 – 126
Workbook pg. 124 – 129
Activities:
Attitudes ppt
View: Coach Carter (introduction to prejudice)
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 74 – 78, 311 – 322, 385 – 395, 230 – 236

Term 4, 2016

Week / Content / Resources / Assessment
1-2 /
  • racism
  • causes of prejudice
  • reducing prejudice
  • cultural influences on attitudes
  • individualistic cultures
collectivist cultures / Fletcher & Garton textbookpg. 127 – 135
Activities:
Prejudice and racism ppt
Prejudice and discrimination clip
View: Watch Remember the Titans
Other resources:
Fletcher and Garton pg. 69 - 70 / Task 12
Racism and prejudice essay
3 / Revision for Exams / Workbook pg. 110 – 111, 130 – 131
4 / EXAMS – Task 13