Albany Senior High School/Coursebook/2PSY

What is this course about?
Social Psychology is a study of the human condition. Social Psychology aids and encourages self-reflection, which in turn helps develop personal consciousness and understanding of personal development. Students who understand experiences outside their own individual social and cultural context develop a conscience more suited to the multicultural world in which we live. They also develop an understanding of organisational behaviour.

Social Psychology focuses on the individual and how as individuals we operate in social groups. It is a class which will challenge students and the way in which they think and act. This class sets the scene for understanding society and action in Level 3 Social Anthropology.

What will students learn?
Students will ponder questions such as:

How have ideas about human behaviour and society in general developed over time?

What are the causes and effects of social issues that relate to identity, culture, and organisation?

How does culture influence behaviour?

How do individuals, communities, and societies respond to change?

What is the nature of intelligence? What is truth? Why do good people do bad things?

How does psychology explain how cultural conflict can be addressed?

What sorts of things will students do?
Students will explore approaches in psychology to explaining behaviour, and learn to communicate these ideas.

Students will learn the different fields of psychology and how they apply to psychological practice.

Students will be introduced to the features of psychological research and then carry out and report on their own psychological research activity.

Students will apply sociological and psychological concepts they have learned to explore how conflict can occur through different ideological standpoints on beliefs and culture.

What structure will the year take?
Introduction to Psychology, first two weeks of Term 1. Not assessed

Critical psychological research, Wk 3 - 8 Term 1. AS91844 (Examine different psychological approaches used to explain a behaviour), 6 credits internal.

Psychological fields, Wk 9 - 14 Term 1 and 2. AS91844 (Examine how theory is used in fields of psychological practice), 5 credits internal.

Psychological research, Wk 15 - 22 Term 2. AS91846 and AS91265 (Conduct psychological research with guidance and Conduct an experiment to investigate a situation using statistical methods), 7 credits internal.

Philosophy and Inquiry, Wk 23 - 29 Term 3. AS91280 (Conduct a reflective social inquiry), 5 credits internal.

Students will make a choice from

Psychological Ethics, Wk 30 - 35 Term 3 and Term 4. AS91848 (Examine ethical issues in psychological practice), 3 credits internal.

OR

Cultural conflict, (External pathway) AS91281 (Describe how cultural conflict(s) can be addressed), 4 credits external. (This MUST be done for subject endorsement).

MAXIMUM 27 CREDITS in course