In this unit students examine 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 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 the psychobiological causes of stress. Students investigate how mechanisms of memory and learning lead to the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new and changed behaviours.
- Teacher: Megan O'Donnell
VCE Psychology enables students to explore how people think, feel and behave through the use of a biopsychosocial approach. As a scientific model, this approach considers biological, psychological and social factors and their complex interactions in the understanding of psychological phenomena.
The study explores the connection between the brain and behaviour by focusing on several key interrelated aspects of the discipline: the interplay between genetics and environment, individual differences and group dynamics, sensory perception and awareness, memory and learning, and mental health. Students examine classical and contemporary research and the use of imaging technologies, models and theories to understand how knowledge in psychology has evolved and continues to evolve in response to new evidence and discoveries. A
n understanding of the complexities and diversity of psychology leads students to appreciate the interconnectedness between different content areas both within psychology, and across psychology and the other sciences.
In this unit students examine 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 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 the psychobiological causes of stress. Students investigate how mechanisms of memory and learning lead to the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new and changed behaviours.