Psychology Unit 3 - How Does Experience affect behaviour and Mental Processes?

Prerequisites

Due to an increased emphasis on scientific research and inquiry skills, students are strongly advised to complete Psychology Units 1 and 2 before undertaking Psychology Unit 3.

Course Description

In this unit students investigate the contribution that classical and contemporary research has made to the understanding of the functioning of the nervous system and to the understanding of biological, psychological and social factors that influence learning and memory.

Students investigate how the human nervous system enables a person to interact with the world around them. They explore how stress may affect a person’s psychological functioning and consider stress as a psychobiological process, including emerging research into the relationship between the gut and the brain in psychological functioning.

Students investigate how mechanisms of learning and memory lead to the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new and changed behaviours. They consider models to explain learning and memory as well as the interconnectedness of brain regions involved in memory. The use of mnemonics to improve memory is explored, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ use of place as a repository of memory.

Areas of Study

How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?

In this area of study students explore the role of different branches of the nervous system in enabling a person to integrate, coordinate and respond to internal and external sensory stimuli. Students apply their understanding of neurotransmitters in the transmission of neural information across a neural synapse to produce excitatory and inhibitory effects and explore the effect that neuromodulators have on brain activity. The interaction of gut microbiota with stress and the nervous system in the control of processes and behaviour is also explored.

Students evaluate the ways in which stress can affect mental wellbeing, by considering stress as a psychobiological process. They compare the explanatory power of different models that explain stress as well as exploring strategies for coping with stress and improving mental wellbeing.

How do people learn and remember?

Learning and memory are interdependent processes that demonstrate the acquisition of skills and knowledge through experience across the life span. In this area of study students evaluate models to explain learning and apply their knowledge of learning to a range of everyday experiences and contemporary social issues.

Students explore memory as the process by which knowledge is encoded, stored and later retrieved, as illustrated by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin’s multi-store model of memory, including how information passes through distinct memory stores in order for it to be stored relatively permanently. Students explore the interconnectedness of brain regions in storing explicit and implicit memories and the role of semantic and episodic memory in cognition. They consider the use of mnemonics to increase the encoding, storage and retrieval of information and develop an understanding of the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives in understanding memory and learning.

Practical Work

Practical work is a central component of learning and assessment and may include activities such as experiments, fieldwork, simulations and other direct experiences as described in the scientific investigation methodologies. A minimum of 10 hours of class time should be devoted to student practical activities and investigations across Areas of Study 1 and 2.

Assessment

Outcomes	Assessment Tasks	Marks Allocated
Outcomes	(school-assessed coursework)	Marks Allocated
Analyse how the functioning of the human nervous system enables a person to interact with the external world, and evaluate the different ways in which stress can affect psychobiological functioning.	One task selected from: analysis and evaluation of at least one psychological case study, experiment, model or simulation analysis and evaluation of generated primary and/or collated secondary data comparison and evaluation of psychological concepts, methodologies and methods, and findings from three student practical activities analysis and comparison of two or more contemporary media texts. NOTE: Each task type can be selected only once across Units 3 and 4. For each task the time allocated should be approximately 50–70 minutes for a written response and 10 minutes for a multimodal or oral presentation.	40
Apply different approaches to explain learning to familiar and novel contexts and discuss memory as a psychobiological process.	One task (which is different from the type of task completed for Outcome 1) from the list above.	40
Total Marks		80

Overall Final Assessment

Graded Assessment	Title	Assessment	Exam Duration	Contribution to Study Score (%)
1	Unit 3 Coursework	School-assessed		20
2	Unit 4 Coursework	School-assessed		30
3	Written Examination	November	2.5 hours	50