This unit provides an introduction to the primary philosophies and key theories and frameworks that are fundamental to the study of psychology. You will examine the interplay of biological and social factors that underpin our understanding of people and behaviour. The biological content of the unit explores the structures and functions of the brain and nervous system, sensory and perceptual processes, learning and behaviour, and states of consciousness. The social content of the unit introduces you to motivation and emotion, human lifespan development, social cognition and perception and cross-cultural psychology, personality, psychological disorders, and intelligence. This unit is applicable to students studying a psychology course and those students from a variety of courses.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student evaluation feedback and in-class comments.

Students found the cartoon videos helpful in understanding the mind map.

Continue providing videos to explain the mind map.

Feedback from Student evaluation feedback and in-class comments.

Currently, the weekly topics are alternated with one lecturer teaching social foundations of psychology (weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11) and another teaching biological foundations of psychology (weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 10, and 12). Several students stated that they would like to not switch topics, and lecturers, each week. Instead, they would prefer to have half the term focused on biological foundations of psychology, and then the other half social foundations of psychology.

Alter the teaching schedule for this unit so that biological foundations of psychology is taught in the first half of the term, and social foundations of psychology during the last half of the term.