Overview | Honours | Summary of Courses

Offered By:	ANU Joint Colleges of Science
Academic Contact:	Dr Kristen Pammer and Dr Don Byrne
Areas of Interest:	Psychology

Description:

This minor will consist of 4 themed courses that will give the student an understanding of abnormal behaviours and psychopathology across the lifespan, covering clinical descriptions, individual differences, biological, psychological, social and contextual influences. It also covers the primary theories of personality within the context of the research, assessment and study of human personality. An understanding of these processes will also occur with an understanding of relationships that exist between psychology and human health and illness. Procedures appropriate for conducting research in abnormal psychology, health and personality psychology will be introduced through practical work in laboratory classes 

Learning Goals:

Students who have completed the Abnormal Psychology minor will be able to:

1. Explain major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.
2. Differentiate theoretical and empirical frameworks that have defined and shaped the field.
3. Define key concepts that characterise psychology as a field of scientific inquiry as well as things that differentiate it from other related disciplines.
4. Relate how social (eg environmental/cultural), and biological (genes, hormones) factors jointly shape human behavior.
5. Apply basic research methods in psychology to investigate psychological questions and to research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
6. Use critical inquiry, and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.
7. Identify relevant psychological mechanisms/issues and apply to real world or other contexts.
8. Apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organisational issues.
9. Critically analyse data and research, including methodology, results and conclusions.
10. Articulate some of the central questions and issues in contemporary psychology.
11. Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in the popular media.
12. Identify and critically evaluate appropriate disciplinary research sources
13. Evaluate information from a statistical perspective drawing on basic statistical concepts.
14. Develop competence in interpreting graphical data to understand what is being compared/manipulated (independent variables) and what is being measured (dependent variables).
15. Clearly communicate psychological processes and principles to both science literate and non science literate audiences.
16. Adapt the collaborative and independent experiences of psychology laboratory, project and course work to other contexts.
17. Identify and reflect on the values that underpin the discipline of psychology and its practice.

Requirements

This minor requires the completion of 24 units from the following compulsory courses:

PSYC1005  Life Issues: Applying Psychology

PSYC3020  Health psychology

PSYC3025  Abnormal psychology across the lifespan

PSYC3026  Personality and the assessment of individual differences

Advice to Students:

What 1st year courses should you enrol in? Some of these subjects require 1st year prerequisites, and both PSYC1003 and PSYC1004 are highly recommended for all 2000 and 3000 level psychology courses.

Students should seek further course advice from the academic convener of this Abnormal Psychology minor.

The information published on the Study at ANU 2012 website applies to the 2012 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2011 website.