Subjects

Who is it for?

Do you want to understand why people behave the way they do? Do you ever wonder why you think and feel the way you do?

Do you want to raise your own questions about behaviour, then design and conduct research within your community to find some answers?

Would you like to work with people or pursue further studies in areas related to psychology or research?

If you have answered Yes to any or all of the above questions, then Psychology Units 3 and 4 may be a subject that you would enjoy.

What do you do?

Some of the activities you will engage in include:

• Designing and conducting research through weekly practical activities, and reporting on your findings
• Analysing and interpreting data, then drawing conclusions related to research questions
• Evaluating the validity of psychological research, concepts and models
• Applying psychological information, ideas and research findings to everyday life

You will be invited to attend incursions and excursions as well as participate in regular seminars held at VSV.

What skills do you need?

The skills you will need to begin this subject include:

• Having a suitable level of literacy and numeracy to be able comprehend content and manage data
• To be able to confidently and accurately apply fundamental scientific processes

What skills do you develop?

You will develop skills including:

• The ability to develop aims and questions, formulate hypotheses and make predictions
• The ability plan and conduct investigations
• The ability to comply with safety and ethical guidelines
• The ability to generate, collate and record data
• The ability to analyse and evaluate data and investigation methods
• The ability to critically evaluate research and draw conclusions from evidence-based arguments
• The ability to analyse, evaluate and communicate scientific ideas

Requirements

You will require:

• Internet access
• Access to a minimum of two people within your community (either virtual or in person) to participate in research

Whilst it is not a requirement to have completed Units 1 and 2 Psychology, it is advantageous

Things to think about

Successful students have a solid background in written literacy and an understanding of data analysis. Students are required to complete weekly practical activities that are recorded in a logbook. Students are expected to dedicate 5 – 6 hours a week to study and be in regular contact with their teacher. Students are also expected to regularly participate in the online environment including reading weekly announcements in the class news forum and participating in weekly online lessons.

Things you can do now

Take a look at the VCAA Psychology website. Familiarise yourself with the 2023 Study Design and assessment criteria for Psychology Units 3 and 4. This site also offers useful support material and samples of past exams.
Please note that 2023 is the first year of the new Psychology study design, so there will be some support material and exam questions that are no longer relevant.
Go to the VCAA website for more information about this subject.