What is ATAR Psychology all about?
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour. It aims to answer important questions such as what motivates people and what factors influence their development.
Whilst there are other disciplines that also aim to understand human behaviour, psychology uses the scientific method. This allows for exploration into the complexities of human behaviour based on evidence gathered through planned investigations.
Who should select these units in Year 11?
A student would need to have a genuine interest in brain anatomy and the reasons behind why we do what we do. Students should also be willing to use statistics through surveys and social experiments in order to make conclusions about why people behave in certain ways.
Students wanting to select ATAR Psychology will need to have successfully passed the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) in Year 10 or prequalified by achieving Band 8 or higher in the Year 9 NAPLAN. Students should also be competent in writing English essays.
Pathway
This course will lead to ATAR Psychology (Units 3 and 4) in Year 12.
Areas of Study
UNIT 1 – Self and others
- Brain anatomy
- Intelligence
- Relationships
- Communication
- Research methods
UNIT 2 – Self and others
- Human development
- Personality
- Social psychology
- Prejudice
- Cultural values
- Research methods
To provide for different learning styles a variety of assessment tasks are used. For each course of study tasks are selected from:
- Tests
- Essays
- Research reports
- Oral presentations
- Exams
- Scientific report
What is ATAR Psychology all about?
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour. Year 12 Psychology builds on the knowledge and skills gained in the year 11 course.
Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do, and why we remember some things but not others? What makes people form relationships with certain people? How can good people do horrible things? This course allows students to explore how different factors influence people’s behaviour by using investigations and experiments.
Who should select these units in Year 12?
A student would need to have enjoyed year 11 ATAR Psychology, and have a genuine interest in brain anatomy and the reasons behind why we do what we do. Students should also be willing to use statistics through surveys and social experiments in order to make conclusions about why people behave in certain ways.
Students wanting to select this course will need to have successfully passed year 11 ATAR Psychology.
Pathway
This course will lead to university entry and can assist towards your ATAR score for your course of choice. ATAR Psychology will also provide you with analytical and writing skills that will help you in tertiary education.
Areas of Study
UNIT 1 – Self and others
- Brain anatomy
- Memory
- Learning
- Relationships
- Research methods
UNIT 2 – Self and others
- Communication
- Human development
- Social psychology
- Personality
- Research methods
To provide for different learning styles a variety of assessment tasks are used. For each course of study tasks are selected from:
- Tests
- Essays
- Research reports
- Oral presentations
- Exams
- Scientific reports
