1. Units 1&2 Transition Program for 2014
VCE Psychology
Units 1&2
Transition Program for 2014

2. What is Psychology
Psychology is a systematic study of behaviour and mental processes including perception, cognition and emotion
Structured & Organised
Visible action, talking, covert behaviours
Mental processes of organising sensation into meaningful patterns
State of physiological arousal, changes in facial expression, adaptive behaviour
Thinking, knowing, processing information

3. The Goals of Psychology
Describe Try to describe how people think, feel and act in a given situation.
Explain Try to understand why people think, feel and act in the way they do.
Predict Try to estimate when, where and under what circumstances this behaviour will occur
Control Try to influence the behaviour

4. Why Study Psychology
Psychology is a fascinating science concerned with the study of the mind and behaviour. It has links with a variety of disciplines such as the biological, computer and forensic sciences, as well as with the humanities such as sociology, philosophy and literature.

5. Why Study Psychology
The common factor linking people who study psychology is curiosity and the search for knowledge.

6. Psychology is Exciting !
Is there a relationship between psychological disorders and brain biochemistry?
Why do people dream?
Can one person possess two or more distinct personalities at the same time?
What are the physiological responses to stress?

7. Psychology is Challenging
Does psychotherapy help people overcome psychological problems such as depression and anxiety?
Can we change people's attitudes?
Can the study of cognitive disorders inform our understanding of normal cognition?

8. Psychology is Useful
Psychology has a broad range of real world applications in everyday life, ranging from stress, health, mental illness, education, artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction, to personal development, social interaction and the environment, to name but a few.

9. Psychology and Careers
There are a large number of careers in psychology, but the skills you learn will also readily transfer to many other careers.
These skills include oral and written communication, computer literacy, numeracy, problem-solving and the ability to carry out independent research.

10. Activity: Psychological Myths
As a class discuss the following statements and based on your knowledge or personal experience decide whether each is true or false

11. Answer - True or False?
A person with schizophrenia has a split personality.
FALSE
Schizophrenia literally means "a split mind," and this may be where the misconception of split personality took root. Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, first used the term in 1911 to describe patients whose thought processes seemed disconnected.
Contrary to popular belief, it does not involve a "Jekyll-and-Hyde" type of split personality. Instead, it means that all the attributes that go into the makeup of the human personality - logical thinking, feelings and expression, perception, and relating to others - become separated from one another.

12. By feeling peoples’ faces, blind people who have never seen can visualise how they look in their minds.
FALSE
How people show that they are happy depends on their culture and upbringing.

13. True or false
Some people never dream.
FALSE

14. The best way to ensure that a desired behaviour will persist after training is completed is to reward the behaviour every single time it occurs during training.
FALSE

15. All newborn babies form an emotional attachment to their mothers.
FALSE

16. The high correlation between parenting styles and particular behaviours in children proves that parenting styles cause these behaviours.
FALSE

17. Punishment is the most effective way to encourage ‘good’ behaviour in children.
FALSE
Hypochondriacs are people who pretend to be sick.

18. Most people would not intentionally harm another person even when directed to do so by an authority figure.
FALSE

19. Hypnosis can help people remember things they have forgotten.
FALSE

20. What Will You Study? Unit 1: Introduction Unit 2: Self & Others
AOS 1: What is Psychology?
AOS 2: Lifespan Psychology
Unit 2: Self & Others
AOS 1: Interpersonal & group behaviour
AOS 2: Personality and Intelligence

21. Assessment Tasks: Research investigation Test Essay Oral Presentation
Debate
Data Analysis
Evaluation of Research
Media Response
Visual Presentation eg: poster, concept map
Folio of practical activities

22. Holiday Work
Read & Summarise Unit 1- chapter 1 “Intro to Psychology” & complete the chapter review at the end of the chapter.
Text: Psychology for the VCE student Units 1 & 2. J Grivas & L Carter 5TH EDITION
Notes must be comprehensive & typed on word.
Find out how to use the electronics of the text
Other tasks outlined on pg 4 of booklet.

23. Suggested Workbook set up
Theory – notes
Review questions
ERA’s – experiment write up
Chapter summaries
Assessment tasks