Psychology

Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1 provides an introduction to the psychological concepts, theories and neural mechanisms that explain how we sense, perceive, learn, think and remember. Students are introduced to the research methods used in psychology for answering questions and solving problems related to human behaviour. Students apply their knowledge and skills in a team-based project that addresses a contemporary problem and communicate their findings in a team-based presentation. They learn how to build an evidence-based argument and communicate this in an individual literature review or empirical report.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2 focuses on the development of the individual and their interaction with their environment and considers what the consequences are, both when this interaction proceeds smoothly and when it does not proceed smoothly.

The subject comprises five core topic areas: Human Development; Social Psychology; Personality Psychology; Clinical Psychology; and Quantitative Psychological Research Methods. In presenting these topics, the subject aims to provide students with knowledge of major theories, historical trends and empirical findings.

An understanding of some basic issues in human development is complemented with an examination of the nature and development of personality and human interaction in social groups and cultural settings.

Moreover, the subject provides opportunity for students to develop and apply a range of fundamental skills in areas of critical thinking, psychological research methods, and communication of psychological knowledge.

A common research-centred framework is adopted and the statistical tools that support this framework are introduced and developed as an integral part of the course.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject studies the relationship between brain mechanisms and behaviour. Its major aim is to develop an appreciation of the neurobiological basis of psychological function and dysfunction via three approaches. The first emphasises a top-down method that links psychological functions to their biological substrates. Neuroscientific research techniques and what they can reveal about psychological function are emphasised. These techniques are presented within an historical context. The second approach emphasises a bottom-up approach including the topics of brain genetics and development, neurons and neural circuits, neurotransmission and neurotransmitter substances, and the structurofunctional properties of selected brain regions. Neurobiological principles are illustrated using conditions with abnormal neuronal function. The third approach combines the top-down and bottom-up approaches to demonstrate how combining knowledge of cognitive theory and structurofunctional properties of the brain enables diagnosis and interpretation of pathological conditions.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial and assessment structure of this subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of, and practical experience with, the appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate hypotheses in Biological Psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Mental processes such as attention, memory, language and categorisation form the basis of our creative human cognitive abilities. An understanding of these cognitive abilities and the methods used by cognitive psychologists to study them provides an essential foundation for ongoing study in psychology. Classic and current research findings will be discussed to reveal what is known about the workings of the human mind.

Specific topics may include: Perceptual processes and their role in cognition; the nature and function of selective attention; categorization, similarity and the mental representation of knowledge; the structure, function and organisation of the human memory system; human learning and decision making.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial and assessment structure of this subject to provide an understanding of and practical experience with the experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate theories in cognitive psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject is a second-year core subject of the psychology major. In this subject, we explore a sub-discipline of psychology (developmental psychology) that focuses on the changes and continuities in how people think about and interact with the world around them. We explore cognitive, biological, social, and emotional perspectives of developmental psychology across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. We incorporate contemporary theories with historical accounts of development. Alongside learning theories of developmental psychology, students will conduct research that interrogates some of those theories, using a specific statistical analysis (chi-squared test of independence). In doing so, they will have an opportunity to experience developmental research, including how ethical considerations shape research with young people, and how the scientific method contributes to theory development and scientific knowledge. Students find developmental psychology useful for better understanding their own development, and for supporting their academic, professional, and clinical pathways in a variety of ways, depending on their interests. Developmental psychology can inform scholarly pathways that investigate human nature, professional pathways that shape policy, and clinical pathways that influence education or childhood mental health.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject examines human individuality and relatedness, the core themes of personality and social psychology. Its focus is on how we are unique individuals but also connected to others. The personality section investigates the nature and structure of individual differences, how these differences are assessed, and how they can be explained psychologically and biologically. The social psychology section examines how individuals construct their sense of self and identity, how they perceive and evaluate other people, how they form relationships, and how their behaviour is influenced by their social groups and cultural context.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial, and assessment structure of this subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of, and practical experience with, the appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate theories in Personality and Social Psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject, students will acquire research skills and methods to critically investigate, measure and assess psychological research. In addition, students will acquire an understanding of fundamental principles in the psychological assessment of individual traits and dispositions. Emphasis will be placed on how (a) the skills and techniques being taught are tools for gathering evidence relating to real-world problems that are typically encountered in the psychological sciences and (b) meaningful inferences can be generalised beyond the particular sample data at hand. Topics to be covered may include research design, implementation, and evaluation; techniques for measuring human behaviour, emotions, and interactions; the application of relatively simple quantitative models to data in order to identify group differences, associations, and predictions.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This Capstone subject draws together students’ undergraduate experiences in psychology by emphasising links between the science and practice of psychology in contemporary life.

In the lecture series, students engage with topics relating to current applications of psychological research and practice such as the ethical practice of psychology and the measurement of attitudes, behaviour, and behavioural change as related to contemporary issues such as climate change, indigenous cultural respect, drug addiction, and psychological health and wellbeing.

In the research seminars, students work in small groups to design and conduct a research project under the supervision of an academic researcher.

Together, the lecture and research streams prepare students for further studies in psychology or to enter the workplace having developed skills in applying psychological knowledge, conducting research, working collaboratively, and communicating effectively about psychological theories and findings. Students’ achievements are celebrated in a final poster presentation evening at which the research conducted by groups over the semester is presented to peers and academic staff.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Ever since Freud, the unconscious mind has been a critical part of our understanding of the human mind and behaviour. Despite its power to captivate popular imagination, scientific psychology's treatment of unconsciousness has a history of vicissitudes. This subject has three main components: historical background, contemporary theory and research, and applications and implications in contemporary culture and society. First, the subject traces the historical origin and subsequent development of the idea of the unconscious mind in psychological theories and practice. In so doing, Freud's notion of unconsciousness, as well as lesser known, but critically important theorists' contributions are examined and their contemporary implications are discussed. Second, the modern methods used in the contemporary examination of unconscious processes are introduced, and the current understanding of psychological unconsciousness is discussed from neuroscientific, perceptual, cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical perspectives. Third, we survey the uses of the scientific understanding of unconscious processes in a variety of applied contexts and explore implications of the psychological knowledge about the unconscious mind in contemporary culture and society. This includes a critical examination of the evidence for the role of unconscious processes in abnormal human behaviour and discussions about implications of the unconscious mind for identity and responsibility.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject investigates issues of social and emotional development across all life periods of the life-span: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. Students taking this subject will learn about major developmental tasks and issues for each life period, including: identity development, gender and sexuality development, moral development, family and peer relationships, and education.

View detailed information in the Handbook

How can we use the speed of our responses to tell us about the construction of the brain and the mind? How do we remember? How does the detection of noisy signals inform our understanding of faulty eyewitness memory? Perception, Memory and Cognition will cover a series of robust, valuable, and enduring findings illustrating the accumulation of knowledge through experimentation and theory development. From historical studies of response time and perceptual processes through to modern tests of applied decision making, you will learn how theories are tested, discarded, and revised in light of careful experimental evidence. We will discuss a variety of cognitive processes, from the initial stages of stimulus perception all the way through to decision making. The tutorial stream will provide an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of experimental techniques and scientific writing skills.

View detailed information in the Handbook

How does the human brain—a vast, interconnected ensemble of cells—give rise to a mind capable of writing poetry, playing chess, and doing calculus? Understanding the neural underpinnings of the mental processes responsible for such complex activities is the central aim of cognitive neuroscience, the field of study dedicated to an integrated understanding of brain and mind. In this subject, students will be exposed to conceptual, methodological, and ethical issues at the centre of current debates in the field. Specifically, we will explore how brain-behaviour relationships are identified and used to inform models of cognition; methods of measuring and influencing cerebral activity; the neural mechanisms underlying a wide range of mental processes, such as attention, perception, and memory; and the implications of advances in our knowledge of the brain for psychiatric and neurological populations and society at large.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject covers phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions, anxiety, somatisation, depression, dissociation, and changes in memory and cognition, and places them in the context of everyday experiences. It discusses the various factors, processes and mechanisms thought to lead some people who experience such phenomena to develop full-blown disorders. A theoretical basis for this continuum model is provided and students are encouraged to consider mental health issues from this humanistic perspective in comparison to the traditional categorical model.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The subject will provide students with an opportunity to evaluate the relationship between cognitive and neuropsychological typical and atypical development in children.

Contemporary theory and research methods for investigating cognitive and neuropsychological development will be reviewed. The focus will be on the adequacy of research methods for answering questions about typical and atypical cognitive and neuropsychological development. Subject themes will include:

• Characterizing the development of thinking and reasoning abilities.
• Characterizing neuropsychological development in children.
• Understanding links between the adequacies of research questions, research methods and data analyses.
• Understanding the meaning and significance of variability in cognitive and neuropsychological change in children.
• Formulating research questions that investigate typical and atypical development.
• Writing research reports that reflect an awareness of differences in typical and atypical developing children.

The overall aim of the subject is to help students acquire an understanding of the issues associated with identifying typical and atypically cognitive and neuropsychological development in children.

View detailed information in the Handbook

There are more connections in a human brain than there are stars in the universe. This subject focuses on the brain as an integrated system and looks at how its many connected networks achieve coordinated effects, linking the mind to the brain and the body.

In exploring integration across the nervous system, this subject will examine topics such as the effects of neurotransmitters on emotions and behaviour, the nature of sleep and wakeful states and transitions between them, and mechanisms underlying the control of body movement. The connections between social factors and brain function will also be explored, as well as current ethical dilemmas in the field, such as the ethical consequences associated with recent technologies designed to alter our minds, or enhance brain function beyond normal healthy ranges.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject has two components.

Personality: discusses major contemporary issues in the study of personality, and selected areas of contemporary research. Topics will be selected from the neuroscience of personality; personality processes; the emotional and motivational correlates of personality; personality change and stability; trait and type approaches to personality; the interface between personality and abnormal psychology.

Social Psychology: extends the understandings gained in the first two levels of the undergraduate program to consider more advanced theoretical and empirical work in the areas of individual, interpersonal and group processes. Topics will be selected from advanced research in attitudes and social cognition, interpersonal, small group and sociocultural processes.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1 provides an introduction to the psychological concepts, theories and neural mechanisms that explain how we sense, perceive, learn, think and remember. Students are introduced to the research methods used in psychology for answering questions and solving problems related to human behaviour. Students apply their knowledge and skills in a team-based project that addresses a contemporary problem and communicate their findings in a team-based presentation. They learn how to build an evidence-based argument and communicate this in an individual literature review or empirical report.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2 focuses on the development of the individual and their interaction with their environment and considers what the consequences are, both when this interaction proceeds smoothly and when it does not proceed smoothly.

The subject comprises five core topic areas: Human Development; Social Psychology; Personality Psychology; Clinical Psychology; and Quantitative Psychological Research Methods. In presenting these topics, the subject aims to provide students with knowledge of major theories, historical trends and empirical findings.

An understanding of some basic issues in human development is complemented with an examination of the nature and development of personality and human interaction in social groups and cultural settings.

Moreover, the subject provides opportunity for students to develop and apply a range of fundamental skills in areas of critical thinking, psychological research methods, and communication of psychological knowledge.

A common research-centred framework is adopted and the statistical tools that support this framework are introduced and developed as an integral part of the course.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject studies the relationship between brain mechanisms and behaviour. Its major aim is to develop an appreciation of the neurobiological basis of psychological function and dysfunction via three approaches. The first emphasises a top-down method that links psychological functions to their biological substrates. Neuroscientific research techniques and what they can reveal about psychological function are emphasised. These techniques are presented within an historical context. The second approach emphasises a bottom-up approach including the topics of brain genetics and development, neurons and neural circuits, neurotransmission and neurotransmitter substances, and the structurofunctional properties of selected brain regions. Neurobiological principles are illustrated using conditions with abnormal neuronal function. The third approach combines the top-down and bottom-up approaches to demonstrate how combining knowledge of cognitive theory and structurofunctional properties of the brain enables diagnosis and interpretation of pathological conditions.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial and assessment structure of this subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of, and practical experience with, the appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate hypotheses in Biological Psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Mental processes such as attention, memory, language and categorisation form the basis of our creative human cognitive abilities. An understanding of these cognitive abilities and the methods used by cognitive psychologists to study them provides an essential foundation for ongoing study in psychology. Classic and current research findings will be discussed to reveal what is known about the workings of the human mind.

Specific topics may include: Perceptual processes and their role in cognition; the nature and function of selective attention; categorization, similarity and the mental representation of knowledge; the structure, function and organisation of the human memory system; human learning and decision making.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial and assessment structure of this subject to provide an understanding of and practical experience with the experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate theories in cognitive psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject is a second-year core subject of the psychology major. In this subject, we explore a sub-discipline of psychology (developmental psychology) that focuses on the changes and continuities in how people think about and interact with the world around them. We explore cognitive, biological, social, and emotional perspectives of developmental psychology across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. We incorporate contemporary theories with historical accounts of development. Alongside learning theories of developmental psychology, students will conduct research that interrogates some of those theories, using a specific statistical analysis (chi-squared test of independence). In doing so, they will have an opportunity to experience developmental research, including how ethical considerations shape research with young people, and how the scientific method contributes to theory development and scientific knowledge. Students find developmental psychology useful for better understanding their own development, and for supporting their academic, professional, and clinical pathways in a variety of ways, depending on their interests. Developmental psychology can inform scholarly pathways that investigate human nature, professional pathways that shape policy, and clinical pathways that influence education or childhood mental health.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject examines human individuality and relatedness, the core themes of personality and social psychology. Its focus is on how we are unique individuals but also connected to others. The personality section investigates the nature and structure of individual differences, how these differences are assessed, and how they can be explained psychologically and biologically. The social psychology section examines how individuals construct their sense of self and identity, how they perceive and evaluate other people, how they form relationships, and how their behaviour is influenced by their social groups and cultural context.

A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the lecture, tutorial, and assessment structure of this subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of, and practical experience with, the appropriate experimental design and statistical analysis techniques used to evaluate theories in Personality and Social Psychology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject, students will acquire research skills and methods to critically investigate, measure and assess psychological research. In addition, students will acquire an understanding of fundamental principles in the psychological assessment of individual traits and dispositions. Emphasis will be placed on how (a) the skills and techniques being taught are tools for gathering evidence relating to real-world problems that are typically encountered in the psychological sciences and (b) meaningful inferences can be generalised beyond the particular sample data at hand. Topics to be covered may include research design, implementation, and evaluation; techniques for measuring human behaviour, emotions, and interactions; the application of relatively simple quantitative models to data in order to identify group differences, associations, and predictions.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This Capstone subject draws together students’ undergraduate experiences in psychology by emphasising links between the science and practice of psychology in contemporary life.

In the lecture series, students engage with topics relating to current applications of psychological research and practice such as the ethical practice of psychology and the measurement of attitudes, behaviour, and behavioural change as related to contemporary issues such as climate change, indigenous cultural respect, drug addiction, and psychological health and wellbeing.

In the research seminars, students work in small groups to design and conduct a research project under the supervision of an academic researcher.

Together, the lecture and research streams prepare students for further studies in psychology or to enter the workplace having developed skills in applying psychological knowledge, conducting research, working collaboratively, and communicating effectively about psychological theories and findings. Students’ achievements are celebrated in a final poster presentation evening at which the research conducted by groups over the semester is presented to peers and academic staff.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Ever since Freud, the unconscious mind has been a critical part of our understanding of the human mind and behaviour. Despite its power to captivate popular imagination, scientific psychology's treatment of unconsciousness has a history of vicissitudes. This subject has three main components: historical background, contemporary theory and research, and applications and implications in contemporary culture and society. First, the subject traces the historical origin and subsequent development of the idea of the unconscious mind in psychological theories and practice. In so doing, Freud's notion of unconsciousness, as well as lesser known, but critically important theorists' contributions are examined and their contemporary implications are discussed. Second, the modern methods used in the contemporary examination of unconscious processes are introduced, and the current understanding of psychological unconsciousness is discussed from neuroscientific, perceptual, cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical perspectives. Third, we survey the uses of the scientific understanding of unconscious processes in a variety of applied contexts and explore implications of the psychological knowledge about the unconscious mind in contemporary culture and society. This includes a critical examination of the evidence for the role of unconscious processes in abnormal human behaviour and discussions about implications of the unconscious mind for identity and responsibility.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject investigates issues of social and emotional development across all life periods of the life-span: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. Students taking this subject will learn about major developmental tasks and issues for each life period, including: identity development, gender and sexuality development, moral development, family and peer relationships, and education.

View detailed information in the Handbook

How can we use the speed of our responses to tell us about the construction of the brain and the mind? How do we remember? How does the detection of noisy signals inform our understanding of faulty eyewitness memory? Perception, Memory and Cognition will cover a series of robust, valuable, and enduring findings illustrating the accumulation of knowledge through experimentation and theory development. From historical studies of response time and perceptual processes through to modern tests of applied decision making, you will learn how theories are tested, discarded, and revised in light of careful experimental evidence. We will discuss a variety of cognitive processes, from the initial stages of stimulus perception all the way through to decision making. The tutorial stream will provide an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of experimental techniques and scientific writing skills.

View detailed information in the Handbook

How does the human brain—a vast, interconnected ensemble of cells—give rise to a mind capable of writing poetry, playing chess, and doing calculus? Understanding the neural underpinnings of the mental processes responsible for such complex activities is the central aim of cognitive neuroscience, the field of study dedicated to an integrated understanding of brain and mind. In this subject, students will be exposed to conceptual, methodological, and ethical issues at the centre of current debates in the field. Specifically, we will explore how brain-behaviour relationships are identified and used to inform models of cognition; methods of measuring and influencing cerebral activity; the neural mechanisms underlying a wide range of mental processes, such as attention, perception, and memory; and the implications of advances in our knowledge of the brain for psychiatric and neurological populations and society at large.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject covers phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions, anxiety, somatisation, depression, dissociation, and changes in memory and cognition, and places them in the context of everyday experiences. It discusses the various factors, processes and mechanisms thought to lead some people who experience such phenomena to develop full-blown disorders. A theoretical basis for this continuum model is provided and students are encouraged to consider mental health issues from this humanistic perspective in comparison to the traditional categorical model.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The subject will provide students with an opportunity to evaluate the relationship between cognitive and neuropsychological typical and atypical development in children.

Contemporary theory and research methods for investigating cognitive and neuropsychological development will be reviewed. The focus will be on the adequacy of research methods for answering questions about typical and atypical cognitive and neuropsychological development. Subject themes will include:

• Characterizing the development of thinking and reasoning abilities.
• Characterizing neuropsychological development in children.
• Understanding links between the adequacies of research questions, research methods and data analyses.
• Understanding the meaning and significance of variability in cognitive and neuropsychological change in children.
• Formulating research questions that investigate typical and atypical development.
• Writing research reports that reflect an awareness of differences in typical and atypical developing children.

The overall aim of the subject is to help students acquire an understanding of the issues associated with identifying typical and atypically cognitive and neuropsychological development in children.

View detailed information in the Handbook

There are more connections in a human brain than there are stars in the universe. This subject focuses on the brain as an integrated system and looks at how its many connected networks achieve coordinated effects, linking the mind to the brain and the body.

In exploring integration across the nervous system, this subject will examine topics such as the effects of neurotransmitters on emotions and behaviour, the nature of sleep and wakeful states and transitions between them, and mechanisms underlying the control of body movement. The connections between social factors and brain function will also be explored, as well as current ethical dilemmas in the field, such as the ethical consequences associated with recent technologies designed to alter our minds, or enhance brain function beyond normal healthy ranges.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject has two components.

Personality: discusses major contemporary issues in the study of personality, and selected areas of contemporary research. Topics will be selected from the neuroscience of personality; personality processes; the emotional and motivational correlates of personality; personality change and stability; trait and type approaches to personality; the interface between personality and abnormal psychology.

Social Psychology: extends the understandings gained in the first two levels of the undergraduate program to consider more advanced theoretical and empirical work in the areas of individual, interpersonal and group processes. Topics will be selected from advanced research in attitudes and social cognition, interpersonal, small group and sociocultural processes.

View detailed information in the Handbook