Recommended Study Sequence

Psychology is a field of scientific inquiry that uses a set of scientific techniques and methods to explain and understand the causes of behaviour. As a profession, psychology applies its knowledge to practical problems in human behaviour. This unit covers a range of topics in psychology at an introductory level includiing: the history of psychology, intelligence, social psychology, developmental psychology, personality, and abnormal psychology.

This unit provides an overview to the biological processes of the human body, an outline to the primary theories of biology and its scientific method. Topics covered include: the chemistry of life, the molecular basis of life, the cell and an introduction to the major organ systems of the human body, including structure and function. The course is laboratory based and students will be introduced to the biological concepts necessary for a thorough understanding of abnormal, cognitive, learning and neuro-physiological psychology.

This unit instructs students in the practical techniques required for planning, conducting and presenting research, with particular reference to research issues encountered in psychology. The primary focus is not on statistical issues, but on essential skills and knowledge in scientific investigation. Topics covered include scientific method, research design and process, internal and external validity, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, nonexperimental and survey research, critical literature reviews, identifying research problems and formulating hypotheses, measurement, sampling, ethical issues, data collection and statistical analysis, and writing research proposals and reports according to the conventions of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Psychology is a field of scientific inquiry that uses a set of scientific techniques and methods to explain and understand the causes of behaviour. As a profession, psychology applies its knowledge to practical problems in human behaviour. This unit covers a range of topics in psychology at an introductory level including memory, perception, learning, and the workings of the brain.

This unit follows on from Biology for Psychology (101187) and provides a thorough grounding in genetics. The unit is presented in three modules. The first module reviews Mendelian genetics and extensions of Mendelian genetics. The second module is concerned with the structure and function of DNA and mRNA. The basic processes of genetic control of metabolism via the transcription and translation of genetic information are discussed. The final module involves a thorough analysis of human population genetics. Recent advances in somatic and germ-line genetic engineering are reviewed along with their ethical implications.

This unit introduces psychology students to the basic aspects of reasoning and argument, with particular emphasis on psychological and scientific thinking. It aims to help students develop the skills needed to understand and evaluate psychological research and the processes of scientific reasoning, and to present their own ideas and arguments effectively. Topics covered include: barriers to critical thinking; nonrational forms of persuasion; the structure of arguments; the concepts of knowledge, belief, truth, validity, soundness, values; linguistics sources of confusion; evaluating arguments; formal and informal fallacies in reasoning; deduction and induction in science; arguments related to enduring debates and worldviews in psychology.

This unit is driven by the scientific method with a focus on experimental design and related data analysis. Although some of the methods and techniques are dealt with in passing in earlier units, a more complete approach is adopted here. Research design and methodology issues, statistical concepts and techniques, computer analysis of data, and communicating research findings are all features of this unit.

This unit explores a range of issues and controversies in social and developmental psychology. The focus within social psychology is on the cognitive and social competencies and behaviours of the individual, acquired and expressed in interpersonal settings. Within developmental psychology, the focus is on understanding the processes of change across the lifespan through studying aspects of physical, cognitive, social, moral, emotional and personality development. The unit covers key theoretical developments, research methodologies, and application to current social and developmental issues.

This unit is restricted to students enrolled in Course 1500 Bachelor of Psychology only. The focus of this unit is on understanding the role of the physical environment in human behaviour and experience. It will provide students with an appreciation of the social and physical context of human behaviour through examination of the interaction between people and their natural and built environments. Topics covered will include environmental perception and cognition; enviornmental stressors; the role of the natural environment; person-environment fit in the design of buildings, public spaces, artefacts, and machines; electronic and technological environments; future challenges; and individual and cultural differences in interactions with the physical environment.

This unit continues the teaching of research methods and statistics began in the prerequisite unit, Experimental Design and Analysis. It introduces students to non-experimental correlational research design, and develops skills in survey research, including questionnaire design and administration, and survey sampling. Accompanying correlational statistical techniques are taught, together with advanced analysis of variance, and instruction in the use of SPSS. The unit also develops skills in conducting and reporting psychological research.

This unit explores a range of theories, issues and controversies in personality, motivation and emotion. In this unit, students will examine key theoretical developments, research methodologies, and applications to current therapeutic and professional workplace practice. We shall discuss the work of both traditional and contemporary personality theorists, their methods, their techniques, and the therapies associated with them. Issues related to motivation and emotion will also be addressed from a number of different theoretical and applied perspectives. Strong link between personality, and motivation and emotion will be established. Contributions from the field of emotions, clinical, social, and experimental psychology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis will be examined. This unit will upraise awareness in students that responding to the psychological needs of individuals within the community requires the application of elements of all three perspectives.

Biological Psychology is a rapidly expanding area of study as knowledge of the brain and its impact on behaviour increases. An understanding of the biological basis of behaviour is crucial in explaining areas of psychology such as abnormal behaviour, learning, memory, sexual behaviour and biological rhythms. This unit provides the foundation necessary for later study of these topics. The control of behaviour in a complex organism involves components that can register information from the environment, integrate that information and produce responses. Information about the body's internal state and features of the environment must be coordinated in order to choose a course of action. Mechanisms underlying these processes are explored in this unit. In particular two communication systems within the body permit these processes to occur. The first of these systems involves nerve cells and the second is a system of chemical messengers called hormones. In the second part of this unit we will study sensory and perceptual processes. By asking "how is it that we come to know the world" we attempt to answer fundamental questions asked by philosophers from Aristotle, to Descartes, and the British Empiricists. The first experimental psychology laboratory was established by Wundt in 1879 to investigate the subjective experience of stimuli; in essence, perceptions. The objects and events of our environment combine to create a wealth of potential information. Much of the information is irrelevant at a particular time but some of it is essential. The human system is equipped with specialised sensory meachinery for capturing the information and translating it into the language of the nervious system. In this way, the information is "digested" by the brain culminating in an awareness of the objects and events of the environment. The awareness then guides people's actions in the world. A fundamental question then in the study of perception is: how are electrical signals processed and interpreted by the nervous system to create perceptions? After examining the biological bases of sensing and perceiving, we will explore the way this relatively raw information is processed into the complex perceptions of colour, depth, size, distance and speech, which constitute the fundamental basis of our experience of the world.

This unit provides an overview of the origins and historical development of psychology. It examines the major landmarks in the history of psychology, focusing on important individuals, schools of thought, and recurrent ideas and themes. Historical conceptual problems are related to areas of controversy within contemporary psychology, and an insight is provided into the philosophical underpinnings of the various new movements and major theoretical conflicts within psychology today. The unit also provides a critical appraisal of psychology's status as a science, and explores the limits of psychological inquiry.

For most living organisms, learning and remembering are integral to the organism's survival. For animals, this means the ability to remember where food is located and learn where predators may be lurking. For humans, it also means the ability to learn to talk, read, write, drive a car, and operate a computer. Even if humans did somehow survive until now without the ability to learn or remember, our lives would be empty movements from one moment to the next without any past or future, and we would be doomed to repeat the same behaviours, whether or not those behaviours were useful. Learning and cognition are critically important and are at the core of our experience of life. This unit is concerned with the experiemental analysis of human behaviour. Definitions, assumptions and basic phenomena associated with the study of learning and cognition are described and evaluated in terms of their ability to account for various aspects of human behaviour and experience. The practical work highlights important concepts introduced in the lecture program.

This unit examines the bases of psychological assessment and the issue of psychological abnormality. It covers the theory of psychological measurement and applications to selected intelligence and personality measures. In addition, students learn about different causal and treatment models of abnormaility and their application to a range of psychological disorders. DSM diagnostic criteria are applied to illustrative cases. The development of integrated models of abnormality, including biological, psychological and social factors, is a significant theme of the unit.

This unit builds on the information studied in Biological Psychology and Perceptual Processes (100022.1). It provides information on the neural and hormonal substrates of (a) learning, memory and cognition; (b) motivational and emotional behaviours; (c) states of consciousness; and (d) disorders of the human brain. Many of these topic areas have been studied in other units. Neuroscience extends the information obtained in those units by describing the biological basis in detail.

This elective unit builds on concepts and theories introduced in Human Learning and Cognition (100016). Methods, theories and practical approaches are applied to the analysis of behaviour, tasks and the solving of problems in workplace, operational and educational settings. Principles from cognitive psychology and learning are applied to the analysis and improvement of software, product and instructional design. Human attention, memory, and cognitive workload are examined in the context of complex operating environments such as hospitals, power plants, air traffic control, airplane cockpits, and driving. We consider ways to maximise human performance by studying human problem solving and creativity.

This unit is designed to provide an introduction to Depth Psychology, its historical and intellectual context and to show how it relates to contemporary psychology. The unit will focus on the major theories, issues and questions that go to constitute the psychoanalytic traditions. Theoretical issues in psychology have been gradually making a "comeback", partly as a result of the postmodernist focus on identity and ideology, and its questioning of the adequacy of "traditional empiricism". As a result contemporary psychology is currently experiencing a number of "revolutions" (e.g., what is consciousness, do dreams matter, emotional wellbeing, renewed cognitive, meaning).

The unit introduces and defines the concepts of superstition and the paranormal, which remain strong themes in modern society. The development and manifestations of superstitious and paranormal belief are examined with reference to learning, cognitive and personality factors. In addition, putative reasons for the experience of seemingly irrational and bizarre events (e.g., ghost and UFO visitations) are examined with particular reference to neuropsychological variatins within the population.

This unit acquaints students with major issues in the psychology of language. It examines different approaches to research and theory on questions such as: the acquisition and development of language; the relationship between language and thought; bilingualism and multilingualism; the neurophysiological underpinnings of language; patterns of language breakdown and communication disorders; social aspects of language; reading and writing; the language of music; non-verbal communication; language in non-human animals; the focus on language in more recent research fields including speech technology.

Cross-Cultural Psychology is a particularly challenging area of study, as it addresses issues in most of the major areas of psychology. This unit concentrates on the study of human behaviour and experience as it occurs in different cultures and/or is influenced by cultural factors.

Consumer Psychology is the study of how people relate to and involve with products and services that they purchase or use. It attempts to describe, predict, explain, and/or influence consumer responses to products and service-related information and experiences. It contains a broad range of theoretical, conceptual, and methodological perspectives. It is indeed the psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media) and what leads to buying behaviour. By understanding the consumer, we will be able to make informed decisions and apply appropriate marketing and advertising strategies.

This unit examines, at an advanced level, the factors that influence psychological functioning in social environments. The unit considers the latest theories, research and applications in areas such as impression formation, attitudes and behaviour, stereotyping and prejudice, social cognition and emotion, attributional processes, and intergroup processes. Emphasis is placed upon the role of contemporary research and theory in increasing our understanding of social phenomena and the relevance of this work to everyday life. The unit offers students an opportunity to develop research skills through the practice of planning and conducting research into the social bases of behaviour.

Structured around an overview of lifespan development including diversity, this unit focuses on the holistic nature of growth and development from birth to early adulthood, 0 - 18 years. Opportunities to observe and interact with individuals in a variety of settings will enable student's to apply observation techniques, become familiar with individual differences and atypical development and apply developmental theories and principles in the interpretation and nurturing of an individual's development. A critical focus of this unit will be on the implications in applied settings for nurturing development and promoting the individual's well being.

Motivation and learning will be pivotal themes used to explore the diverse range of learners and learning styles which engage learners actively in developing knowledge and maximising potential. The study of motivation and learning will not only introduce the student to educational psychology but also illustrate how educational psychology underpins and informs pedagogy. Concepts of individual differences and different ways of processing informatin will underpin this unit. Theories of learning and motivation will be analysed in order to develop students' abilities of critical reflection, synthesis, application and evaluation of pedagogical principles derived from these theories to their future work environments.

This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between psychological theory and principles and practices of human behaviour that occur within the workplace environment.

Religion is an important aspect of cultural diversity within Australia. Since a person's religion or spirituality is shaped by psychological processes, and personal religion/spirituality affects an individual's psychological functioning, it is an important focus of psychological inquiry. The objective of the unit is to allow students to reflect on the complexity of religion and spirituality, to evaluate psychological accounts of religion, understand the impact of religiosity upon physical and mental health, and to explore different approaches to therapy with religious clients.

Health Psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with the inter-relationship between psychological factors and physical health. It addresses such issues as the possible role of psychological characteristics in health maintenance and promotion, and in the development of illness. Other aspects include reactions to illness, the contribution of psychology to treatment, and explicit means by which health-relevant behaviours might be modified. This unit provides an introduction to Health Psychology and covers theoretical and research issues, the nature and management of stress and pain, issues concerning the receipt of health care and a selection of specific health problems.

This unit exposes students to advanced psychological methods. This will provide a strong basis for postgraduate studies and further strengthen applied research skills. The first half year will focus on qualitative methods. It will be assumed that students have not been exposed to these methods previously and this component of the unit will begin with an introduction to the topic before progressing to the major qualitative methods. The second half year will focus on quantitative methods and aims to extend and challenge some of the common statistical methods taught in earlier units.

This unit equips students with the skills needed to design and develop a research project, to operationalise their research question, to select and undertake the appropriate methods of analysis, and to effectively present results. The program is one year long, and is taught on the assumption that students have a statistical competence in multi-way analysis of variance, bivariate regression analysis, and basic non-parametric procedures. This includes demonstrated computational ability using the statistical package SPSS.

Theory and Practice of Psychological Assessment and Intervention has been designed to develop practitioner competence by providing you with both relevant practical as well as theoretical input regarding the administration, scoring, and interpretation of some of the more frequently used standardised measures within an assessment context. In this unit, the scientific and ethical underpinnings of psychological testing and assessment are initially advanced in order to provide a general context for the employment of standardised psychological tests. Emphasis will then be placed on familiarising you with i) the processes that practitioners go through during a testing session and ii) current research employing the standardised tests presented in this unit. The unit will provide you with a foundation in psychological testing and assessment, allowing you to make informed use of some testing data and psychological reports. A further aim of the unit is to familiarise students with the principles of evidence based practice in psychological interventions.

In this unit students study and critically evaluate the psychological theories and procedures that underlie contemporary approaches to the assessment and treatment of addictive behaviours. The emphasis is on social learning theory conceptualisations of addictive behaviours and cognitive-behavioural models of assessment and treatment. This material is at an advanced level, building on students' psychological knowledge from their first three years of study.

In 1913, the year when Jung left the psychoanalytic movement, he used the term 'analytical psychology' to identify what he called a new psychological science seen by him as having evolved out of psychoanalysis. At a later date, when he was firmly established in his own write, he referred to the 'psychoanalytic method' of Freud and the 'individual psychology' of Adler, and said that he preferred to call his own approach 'analytical psychology' by which he meant a general concept embracing both, as well as other endeavours.

This unit applies performance enhancement strategies in a variety of situations. It includes acquiring theorethical knowledge and practice of mental skills, as well as the design, implementation, and evaluation of a performance enhancement program. Although the focus of performance psychology has previously been on the elite sport performer, emphasis will be placed on the use of strategies and techniques in a variety of performance related activities.

Forensic Psychology is where psychological knowledge and research is applied to the components of the legal and justice systems. Law and psychology can be seen as two significant points on the same axis in the quest to understand the meaning of human behaviour. Recently there has been increased interest in the interface between psychology and the law. The legal system and the law itself provide a fruitful domain of study for psychologists and this topic is now recognised as a major area in applied psychology since most of the fundamental assumptions underlying the legal and justice systems are psychological in nature. This unit provides students with practical skills to work in the many settings in which forensic psychologists work within the law and justice administration including probation and parole, policing, juvenile justice, the courts, and corrections. Specifically it aims to introduce students to psychological practice and current issues in various forensic settings.

This academic unit is designed to show how both Jung and Freud were great believers in the direct connection between a particular psychological theory developed, for example Jungian or Freudian theory, and the particularity of the person involved (one's personal psychology). They saw the specificity of how a person lived in 'place' with a particular history as being a determinant in the 'personality' of the theory (its character and sense of direction). "…our way of looking at things is conditioned by what we are" (Jung CW 4, p.335). Life stories, case studies, narrative plots … these have become the hallmark of depth psychology. It is a though there is no psychological experience without the 'story' that supports its. The story/biography is both its context and its source of meaning.

This unit provides an introduction to basic counselling and consultation skills. Students are provided with a theoretical overview of the 'helping relationship' and have opportunities to learn and practice basic counselling skills. There is a focuse on specific approaches such as solution focused and narrative therapies together with a range of ways of working with young children, adolescents, teachers and families. The unit provides structured opportunities to reflect on personal and professional development with the counsellor role.

The aim of this unit is to develop an advanced level of theoretical and empirical knowledge in core topics of psychology, and an awareness of how this knowledge underpins evidence-based approaches to psychological intervention. The unit fosters an appreciation of how psychology as a scientific discipline based on sound research provides the foundation for psychological intervention and practice. Skills in the critical evaluation of knowledge and research are developed.

This unit equips students with the skills needed to design and develop a research project, to operationalise their research question, to select and undertake the appropriate methods of analysis, and to effectively present results. The program is one year long, and is taught on the assumption that students have a statistical competence in multi-way analysis of variance, bivariate regression analysis, and basic non-parametric procedures. This includes demonstrated computational ability using the statistical package SPSS.

This unit equips students with the skills needed to design and develop a research project, to operationalise their research question, to select and undertake the appropriate methods of analysis, and to effectively present results. The program is one year long, and is taught on the assumption that students have a statistical competence in multi-way analysis of variance, bivariate regression analysis, and basic non-parametric procedures. This includes demonstrated computational ability using the statistical package SPSS.

The unit adopts a lifespan approach to explore the range of counselling and intervention options, which can be used to optimize or enhance people's lives and to facilitate people in reaching their maximum potential at different stages of the lifespan.

The unit adopts a lifespan approach to explore the range of counselling and intervention options, which can be used to optimize or enhance people's lives and to facilitate people in reaching their maximum potential at different stages of the lifespan.

This unit will provide students with increased understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to begin practice as a psychology consultant. This will involve understanding the dynamics of gaining consulting opportunities, ethical considerations, assessing client needs, understanding the unique demands of a particular performance environment, developing effective communication skills, understanding behaviour change principles, and incorporating evaluation procedures.

This academic unit is designed to provide an opportunity for students to ask provocative questions about madness, health and therapy in familiar cultural contexts and discover some imaginative ways of addressing them. The tradition of Analytical psychology sees the recovery of the imagination as part of its therapeutic task. It is a way of taking seriously the place and function of dreams and ideals as a source of social inspiration. The focus of the unit is thoroughly psychological, but our purposes are less about the goal of 'sanity' via the clinic than the struggle to consider the health of diverse aspects of Australian culture. The domains of this work may include contemporary politics, the environment, public policy, intercultural communication, religion, workplaces, arts, law, media and the academy. Distinctions are made between psychotic madness and the madness of borderline states, individual madness and cultural madness, normal madness and the madness of the normal. The mutually shaping relationship of culture and madness will be emphasized.

While law and psychology appear to be antithetical, they can be seen as two significant points on the same axis in the quest to understand the meaning of human behaviour (Elazzi, 1996). This unit provides an overview of applied psychology in the legal context. Specifically it aims to introduce students to psychological perspectives and current issues in various forensic settings. Recently there has been increased interest in the interface between psychology and the law. The legal system and the law itself provide a fruitful domain of study for psychologists and this topic is now recognised as a major area in applied psychology. Most of the fundamental assumptions underlying law-making and the legal process are psychological and reflect a social construction of our world and actions. This unit provides students with an understanding of the contextual framework within which the law and legal system operate and the contribution of psychological knowledge. Students will be exposed to, and gain understanding of, the role and functions of forensic psychologists in a number of legal jurisdictions.

This unit covers a number of important issues related to the development of psychopathology in children and adolescents and provides an introduction to the aetiology, features and implications of a range of disorders, considering a 'risk-resiliency' perspective within a normative developmental framework. Current treatments for childhood disorders, including behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and psychopharmacology will also be considered.

The unit introduces students to a community of research scholars. It allows them to complete a specialised piece of individual research in an area of interest in psychology. Students work closely with supervisors to conduct research and produce a written thesis of 10,000 words. Formulation of the research proposal is supported by training activities such as Honours colloquia.

The aim of this unit is to develop students' awareness, understanding, and critical appreciation of the research process; epistemological frameworks of research; the appropriate interpretation of research data; ethical issues in the conduct of research; and the social, economic, and political context of research. Skills will be developed in the use of quantative and qualitative research designs, methods, and analysis techniques to address research questions in psychology and the behavioural sciences.

Theory and Practice of Psychological Assessment and Intervention has been designed to develop practitioner competence by providing you with both relevant practical as well as theoretical input regarding the administration, scoring, and interpretation of some of the more frequently used standardised measures within an assessment context. In this unit, the scientific and ethical underpinnings of psychological testing and assessment are initially advanced in order to provide a general context for the employment of standardised psychological tests. Emphasis will then be placed on familiarising you with i) the processes that practitioners go through during a testing session and ii) current research employing the standardised tests presented in this unit. The unit will provide you with a foundation in psychological testing and assessment, allowing you to make informed use of some testing data and psychological reports. A further aim of the unit is to familiarise students with the principles of evidence based practice in psychological interventions.

The aim of this unit is to develop students' awareness of contemporary problems and research endeavours in psychology; to foster a critical appreciation of the research process through analysis of recent applied research; to foster a sense of belonging to a research community; and to increase understanding of theoretical developments within a number of areas within mainstream psychology. Skills in the verbal and written presentation of critical appraisals will also be developed.