Mind, Brain and Behaviour B (PSYC10007)

Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5Online

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Overview

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September - Online
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Mind, Brain & Behaviour B (MBBB) is a 12.5-point subject equivalent to PSYC10004 Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2. It is taught entirely online in an intensive format in the second six weeks of semester 2. It can be taken in conjunction with Mind, Brain & Behaviour A (MBBA) which is a 12.5-point subject equivalent to PSYC10003 Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1 that is taught entirely online in an intensive format in the first half of semester 2. MBBA and MBBB can be taken together in succession within the same semester. Doing so would allow a student to enter the Psychology Major mid-year and complete all the first-year requirements of the major within semester 2. Alternatively, students can complete all the first-year requirements of the Psychology Major by taking PSYC10003 Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1 then MBBB. Students may not take both MBBB and PSYC10004 Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2 as these subjects cover the same content.

The purpose of MBBB is to continue the introduction to psychology started by MBBA. It discusses some basic issues in human development and complements this with an examination of the nature and development of personality and human interaction in social groups and cultural settings. It also considers how people interact with their environment and discusses what the consequences are, both when this interaction proceeds smoothly and when it does not.

It covers the following five topic areas: Human Development; Social Psychology; Personality Psychology; Clinical Psychology; and Quantitative Psychological Research Methods.

Students are given the opportunity to develop and apply a range of fundamental skills in areas of critical thinking, psychological research methods, and communication of psychological knowledge. The subject is designed to raise significant questions, prompting students to think about their own individual experiences and the experience of others. Students are introduced to the tools used in psychology to find answers to these questions. A common research-centred framework is adopted, and the methodological and statistical tools that support this framework are introduced and developed as an integral part of the subject.

Although the online modules for this subject will be released all at once, they are designed to be studied in a progressive fashion and students will be encouraged to work through them at a constant rate, in sync with the weekly e-tutorials, which have been designed to support these online modules. Weekly quizzes will help ensure that students stay up-to-date with the modules and on track to achieve the desired learning outcomes.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

Knowledge

On completion of the subject, students should be able to:

  • Describe some key psychological concepts and theories from Human Development, Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Quantitative Methods and varied approaches that comprise the field of psychology;
  • Discuss clinical and social perspectives of psychological health and wellbeing, including correlates of wellbeing and risk factors for diminished wellbeing;
  • Evaluate and discuss cultural diversity and analyse its impact on research methodology in psychology, including an emphasis on the specific ethical requirements for working with Indigenous populations;

Skills

On completion of the subject, students should be able to:

  • Describe, utilise and illustrate psychological research methods and data analysis;
  • Discuss and critically evaluate psychological literature;
  • Use, evaluate and analyse scientific methodology and enquiry;
  • Critically discuss and debate competing and complementary perspectives of wellbeing;
  • Write reports in an appropriate format and style for psychological science.

Application of Knowledge and Skills

On completion of the subject, students should be able to:

  • Critically evaluate psychological literature and utilise research design and data analysis skills to communicate the outcomes of a psychological investigation;
  • Discuss and justify the importance of individual differences within and between different cultural groups in designing appropriate psychological research.

Generic skills

  • Give and receive constructive feedback;
  • Work effectively in teams to achieve desired outcomes;
  • Promote and maintain the wellbeing of self and others;
  • Apply research and analytical skills to investigate and evaluate new issues;
  • Apply a hypothesis testing approach to new questions, including formulation of a research question, collection of relevant observations, analysis and interpretation of data using basic descriptive statistics to arrive at a conclusion;
  • Communicate the findings of empirical studies in written reports for a scientific readership

Last updated: 4 March 2025