Year 12 – Psychology
Level: Year 12 (Stage 2)
Assumed knowledge: None
This subject sits between the life sciences and the humanities with two consequences. Psychology aims to describe and explain both the universality of human experience and individual and cultural diversity. It does this through the systematic study of behaviour, the processes that underlie it, and the factors that influence it. Through such study, students come to better understand themselves and their social worlds.
Semester 1: Topics Covered:
- Introduction to Psychology, with an emphasis on investigations and research
- Social Cognition, studying the behaviour of individuals within a societal context
- Learning, studying the way in which individuals learn
Semester 2: Topics Covered:
- Altered States, specifically studying the biological states of sleep and stress
- Personality, studying the differences in people’s personalities and the impact
- Healthy Minds, with an overview of mental illness as well as preventative steps to good mental health
- Folio (40%) consisting of an assignment OR test for each topic.
- Investigations (30%) - one collaborative and one individual investigation
- Exam (30%) - a two hour SACE exam