12PSY

12 Psychology (12PSY)

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Nadene Brouwer, Tabitha McGee.

12 Psychology

Dive into the fascinating world of psychology! In this course, you'll explore various psychological methods and perspectives to uncover the mysteries of human behavior.

  • Delve into the foundational beliefs of different psychological approaches.
  • Engage in discussions on major psychological debates that shape our understanding of the mind.
  •  Learn how to perform psychological research with guidance, from forming hypotheses to analyzing data.
  •  Investigate prominent theories within various fields of psychology, such as cognitive, social, and developmental psychology.
  •  Examine ethical issues, ensuring a deep understanding of rights and responsibilities in both local and national contexts.

This course is perfect for curious minds eager to learn why people behave the way they do and who want to develop skills that are highly valued in many fields.

Course Overview

Term 1
We spend our first week of term one building a sense of what it means to be social scientists. Here students will participate in teacher led experiments, discussions and other activities.

After this we will turn our heads towards finding out more about why we are the way we are. This unit is titled "What makes us unique?". It is nature or nurture. What has a larger impact on your life? Your environment or your genetics? How do these factors interact? How have the views on Nature and Nurture changed over the years due to new research, findings, and/or socio-cultural - political change? What roles might they have in how we understand addiction, aggression or other human behaviours?

In this unit we focus on examining the role of both nature and nurture, explore key psychological theories and published works; examine how these key arguments have changed over time. The assignment related to this work is due March 26th.

A.S. 91845 v1 Psychology 2.2 (3crd.) - Examine how a psychological debate has changed over time

Term 2
A.S. 91844 v1 Psychology 2.1 - Examine different psychological approaches used to explain a behaviour - 6 credits

In Term Two we explore why some people are more at risk of addiction than others. This unit is titled "What drives us?". Here we ask what makes something addictive and why do some people fall to addictions when others don't? We do this through the relatively safe context of video game addiction. This allows you to develop an understanding of complex biological and behavioural processes that play a role in addiction. The assessment related to this work has several milestone check points and is due in its final form on the 16th of June.

A.S. 91848 v1 Psychology 2.5 - Examine ethical issues in psychological practice, 3 credits,

In the latter half of the term, we will turn our heads towards "What makes research "okay"? When can research never be justified?" Here we will examine ethical issues in psychological practice. Aakonga will explore the use of ethics in psychological practice taken from real-world scenarios. Develop an importance of ethical practice in psychology. Lastly, develop an understanding of the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in forming the foundation of ethical frameworks in New Zealand.

The assessment related to this unit of work is worth 3 credits

Term 3
A.S. 91846 v1 Psychology 2.3 - Conduct psychological research with guidance, 4 credits,
(1) Let's get methodical - what is the scientific process and how does it apply to psychology?

In Term Three we finally put ourselves to challenge of the science part of social scientist. We will ask ourself "What is the scientific process and how does it apply to psychology?" "How do we conduct reliable research?" "How are research findings presented and shared?". Here you will have the opportunity to extend your understanding of psychology through a collaborative investigation. You will apply what you have learnt throughout the year about how scientific experiments are completed, and how to do this in an ethical and unbiased way. You will conduct research and present this in an accepted scientific format.

The assessment related to this unit of work is worth 4 credits and is due on the 30th of August. We will choose the context for the research together.


(2) A Dive Into the World of Psychology

At the very end of Term Three we will have an opportunity to look at theories, approaches and contexts that students have not yet had the opportunity to explore. This is done through our "Fields" assignment where students get to choose two contexts of psychology that they are interested in to become really familiar with, some options include: clinical, developmental, industrial and organizational, forensic, health, sports, comparative, media, environmental, educational, social and cultural. This is our last unit of work, and the assessment is due prior to the last day of term four for seniors.

A.S. 91847 v1 Psychology 2.4 - Examine how theory is used in fields of psychological practice, 5 credits, 1 November

Term 4
The work from term three will go all the way through the seniors term four time. There is no exam for Psychology at Level Two.

Recommended Prior Learning

Entry Requirements

Evidence of achievement at Level 1 Science, Maths or English, good writing skills as there is a substantial reading component to this course

Assessment Information

Possible Credits
External - 0 credits
Internal - 21 credits

Credit Information

You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.

Total Credits Available: 21
Internal Assessed Credits: 21
External Assessed Credits: 0
Assessment
Description
Level
Internal or
External
Credits
L1 Literacy Credits
UE Literacy Credits
Numeracy Credits
A.S. 91844 v1
NZQA Info

Psychology 2.1 - Examine different psychological approaches used to explain a behaviour


Level: 2
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 6
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 6r
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91845 v1
NZQA Info

Psychology 2.2 - Examine how a psychological debate has changed over time


Level: 2
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 3r
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91846 v1
NZQA Info

Psychology 2.3 - Conduct psychological research with guidance


Level: 2
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 4
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 4r
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91847 v1
NZQA Info

Psychology 2.4 - Examine how theory is used in fields of psychological practice


Level: 2
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 5
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 5r
Numeracy Credits: 0
A.S. 91848 v1
NZQA Info

Psychology 2.5 - Examine ethical issues in psychological practice


Level: 2
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 3r
Numeracy Credits: 0
Credit Summary
Total Credits: 21
Total Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
Total University Entrance Literacy Credits: 21
Total Numeracy Credits: 0