What does the course entail?

Psychology is all about understanding how and why people think, feel and behave the way they do. It looks at big questions that actually matter in real life—like what shapes who you become, why people act differently in certain situations, and how your thoughts and emotions influence your decisions. What makes psychology different from just “guessing” about people is that it’s a science. Psychologists use evidence from carefully planned research to test ideas and figure out what’s really going on, rather than relying on opinions or assumptions.

In this course, you’ll learn how scientific thinking connects with real-world behaviour. You’ll explore interesting topics about people while also building skills in analysing evidence and applying what you learn to everyday situations. Psychology is useful for a wide range of future pathways—not just health-related careers, but also areas like education, business, marketing, media, and working with people in general.

PREREQUISITES: HOLA recommendation

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What will be covered in this course?

YEAR 11
UNITS 1 & 2

In this unit, you’ll be introduced to personality and intelligence—what makes people think and act differently. You’ll explore key theories from psychologists like Freud, Eysenck and Spearman, and what they say about how we develop.

You’ll also look beyond the individual to understand how other people and culture influence behaviour. This includes how relationships form, how communication works (both verbal and non-verbal), and how social factors shape who we are.

You’ll learn about the brain and how it affects thoughts, emotions and behaviour, as well as how we develop over time. This includes looking at nature vs nurture, stages of development, and how things like culture and group size can influence attitudes and behaviour.
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Assessment Structure
Students will be assessed using the following assessment types:

• 30% Project
• 40% Response
• 30% Investigation

YEAR 12
UNITS 3 & 4

This unit expands on personality theories studied in Year 11. Students apply knowledge and understandings to explore how personality can shape motivation and performance and how personality testing is used in vocational contexts. Students are introduced to different states of consciousness and the role of sensation, perception and attention in organising and interpreting information. Relational influences, including factors which determine friendships and conflict resolution, are explored.

We explore brain function and scanning techniques to illustrate the link between the brain and behaviour. Students learn about Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and the role of nature and nurture. The impact of the environment on individuals is examined through the study of behaviours observed in groups, causes of prejudice and ways of reducing prejudice.
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Assessment Structure
Students will be assessed using the following assessment types:

• 15% Externally Set Task
• 20% Project
• 40% Response
• 25% Investigation

 

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Head of Learning Area: Mrs Michelle Prasad
Contact Number: 9591 4218
​Contact Email: [email protected]