1. Unit 1 Psychology
Ms Hughes

2. Textbook 2016

3. Student Activity Manual 2016

4. Important websites
Wikispace: mshughespsychology.wikispaces.com VCAA: Both websites are found on the course outline.

5. Course Outline Unit 1 Psychology is divided into three Outcomes:
Outcome 1: How does the brain function?
Outcome 2: What influences psychological development?
Outcome 3: Student-directed research investigation

6. Outcomes Each outcome has one or two major assessment tasks (SACs).
For each of these tasks the minimum pass is 40%.
If you do not meet the 40% requirement you will sit a redemption to get a pass.

7. Outcome 1: How does the brain function?
SAC 1: Test (on chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4)
SAC 2: Visual Presentation (Brain Case Study)

8. Outcome 2: What influences psychological development?
SAC 3: Test (on chapters 5 and 6)
SAC 4: Media Response (movie)

9. Tests Each test will be divided into two sections:
Section A: Multiple choice questions
Section B: Short answer questions

10. Exam At the end of the semester there will be an exam.
Like the Outcome tests, the exam will be divided into two sections:
Multiple choice
Short answer

11. What is Psychology?
Psychology: the systematic study of behaviour and mental processes, including cognition, emotion and perception.

12. Behaviour: any observable action an organism makes.
Cognition: thinking.
Perception: giving meaning and understanding the world.

13. Four Goals of Psychology
The main focus of psychology is behaviour. To better understand behaviour there are four goals or steps that psychologists follow. When investigating everything from visual perception to personality a psychologist will use these steps:

14. Describe the behaviour: what is the behaviour being observed?
Understand the behaviour: why does the behaviour happen?
Predict the behaviour: when will the behaviour occur next?
Control the behaviour: how can the behaviour be changed?

15. Case Study: Indiana Jones
Describe
Understand
Predict
Control

16. Outcome 1: How does the brain function?
Weighs approximately 1.5kg
It has a wrinkled, convoluted appearance to increase the surface area
Unfolded the brain would cover two A3 sheets
The outer layer of the brain is made up of ‘grey matter’ (neuron cell bodies)
The inner brain is made up of ‘white matter’ (nerve fibres insulated by the white, fatty substance myelin)

17. The brain versus heart debate
Which is more important?

18. Ancient Egypt
The heart: - Believed to contain the mind and soul and was the source of wisdom, emotion, memory, personality and the life forces.

20. Canopic Jars

21. Canopic Jars Held the four organs important for the Afterlife: Liver
Lungs
Stomach
Intestines
The heart remained within the body and the brain was discarded as it was considered useless.

22. Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek philosophers and physicians took opposing sides of this debate.
Alcmaeon and Galen believed in the ‘Brain hypothesis.’
Empedocles and Aristotle believed in the ‘Heart hypothesis.’

23. Alcmaeon of Croton
Dissected dead animals and proposed that the brain was the centre of mental processes.

24. Empedocles
Believed the heart was the centre of the body and that the blood contained our soul and thoughts.

25. Brain versus Heart?
Whilst it is now agreed that the BRAIN is the source of all mental processes and behaviour, the heart cannot be forgotten, as changes to the function of the heart can affect thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

26. Mind-Body Problem
Are our mind and body two separate entities, or are they parts of the one whole?

27. René Descartes “I think, therefore I am.”
The physical body (matter) and the mind (soul) interact and influence one another.
“Mind over matter.”

28. Pineal Gland
The mind and body interact through the Pineal Gland located at the centre of the brain.

29. Pineal Gland
Is actually part of the Endocrine System and is responsible for releasing the hormone Melatonin, important in Sleep.

30. The mind-body problem remains
Whilst it is well established that mental processes occur in the brain (a physical structure), does it follow that the ‘mind’ is simply part of the activity of the brain?
Or is the mind separate from the brain?