VCE INDUCTION PACKAGE 2020-2021

UNITS 3 AND 4

PSYCHOLOGY

Welcome to Psychology Units 3 and 4! Dear Psychology students, Welcome to Year 12 Psychology. We are really excited to be teaching you next year. The year 12 course is varied in nature; there will be sections that get quite biological, there will be bits that can be boring (research methods) and most of it you will be able to relate to from your own experiences in life. We want you to see Psychology as not only one of your Year 12 subjects, but also as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, behavior, and just being a human. Best wishes for 2021 – let’s hope it’s better than last year!

Ms Angland, Ms Daniels, Ms Tiver and Mr Pinder.

POLICIES: Students are expected to check their Teams messages AND google classroom feeds regularly. Students need to be aware that to obtain an S for each unit students are to: • Attend a minimum of 90% of classes • Complete the coursework • Obtain at least 40% on all outcomes. • No phones – new phone policy. • Digital Logbook – on Google classroom • Devices ONLY used for textbook or research. All class notes must be

handwritten.

NAME OF TEACHER EMAIL ADDRESS LOCATION

Ms Daniels danielsm@vermontsc.vic.edu.au N25 office

Ms Tiver tivera@vermontsc.vic.edu.au Wellbeing Office

Ms Angland anglandk@vermontsc.vic.edu.au SM office

Mr Pinder pinderb@vermontsc.vic.edu.au Science Office

Assessment of levels of achievement The student’s level of achievement in Unit 3 and 4 will be determined by school-assessed coursework and an end of year examination.

Materials Required – Textbook, Stationery, and loose-leaf folder.

This year we will be using a combination of the Grivas textbook and the online Edrolo textbook and resources.

VCE UNITS 3 & 4 PSYCHOLOGY ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

UNIT 3

Outcome Date %age of study score

OUTCOME 1: Nervous system functioning & stress - test

Term 1 50 marks

Worth 8 % of study score

OUTCOME 2: Memory visual presentation Models of learning Test

Term 2 25 marks 25 marks

Worth 8 % of study score

END OF UNIT PRACTICE EXAM

JUNE

UNIT 4

Outcome Date Student Date

OUTCOME 1: Nature of consciousness and sleep – Test

Term 3 40 marks

Worth 8 % of study score

OUTCOME 2: Mental Heath - media response

Term 3 30 marks

Worth 8 % of study score

OUTCOME 3: Practical Investigation

Term 3 30 marks

Worth 8 % of study score

END OF YEAR EXAM- Unit 3 and 4 NOVEMBER Worth 60 % of study score

Holiday Homework

In order to get a head start and assist in your understanding, you must complete the holiday homework set during transition. This must be completed by day one of term one next year. You will be required to complete a Scientific Poster that covers some of the research methodology that is in Chapter 1. It may be useful to read Chapter 1 in the holidays, using the checklist below. You will only have a few classes dedicated to Research Methods next year. If you have not completed Units 1 and 2, you must read chapter 1 of the textbook (a digital copy is up on Moodle) and TAKE NOTES under each heading.

Glossary of Key Terms- Chapter 1 Research Methods Experiment Independent variable Dependent variable Experimental condition Control condition Hypothesis Research hypothesis Extraneous variables Confounding variables Individual differences Placebo effect Experimenter effect Order effect Sample Population Biased sample Random sampling Stratified sampling Convenience sampling

Single-blind procedure Double-blind procedure Repeated measures design Counterbalancing Independent groups design Matched pairs design

Qualitative data

Quantitative data Cases studies

Observational study Naturalistic observation Self-report Questionnaire Interview

Descriptive statistics Mean Median Mode Inferential statistics Statistical significance

Standard deviation Conclusions Generalisations

Confidentiality Voluntary participation Informed consent Withdrawal rights Deception Beneficence Justice Integrity Respect Debriefing

OUTLINE OF STUDY

Unit 3: How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes? Area of Study 1 How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning? Outcome 1 On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain how the structure and function of the human nervous system enables a person to interact with the external world and analyse the different ways in which stress can affect nervous system functioning. Nervous system functioning • the roles of different divisions of the nervous system (central and peripheral nervous systems and their associated sub-divisions) in responding to, and integrating and coordinating with, sensory stimuli received by the body • the distinction between conscious and unconscious responses by the nervous system to sensory stimuli, including the role of the spinal reflex • the role of the neuron (dendrites, axon, myelin and axon terminals) as the primary cell involved in the reception and transmission of information across the synapse (excluding details related to signal transduction) • the role of neurotransmitters in the transmission of neural information between neurons (lock-and-key process) to produce excitatory effects (as with glutamate) or inhibitory effects (as with gamma amino butyric acid [GABA]) • the effects of chronic changes to the functioning of the nervous system due to interference to neurotransmitter function, illustrated by the role of GABA in Parkinson’s disease. Stress as an example of a psychobiological process • sources of stress (eustress and distress) including daily pressures, life events, acculturative stress, major stress and catastrophes that disrupt whole communities • models of stress as a biological process, with reference to Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome of alarm reaction (shock/counter shock), resistance and exhaustion, including the ‘fight-flight-freeze’ response and the role of cortisol • models of stress as a psychological process, with reference to Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (stages of primary and secondary appraisal) • context-specific effectiveness, coping flexibility and use of particular strategies (exercise and approach and avoidance strategies) for coping with stress.

Area of Study 2 How do people learn and remember? Outcome 2 On completion of this unit the student should be able to apply biological and psychological explanations for how new information can be learnt and stored in memory, and provide biological, psychological and social explanations of a person’s inability to remember information. Neural basis of learning and memory • neural plasticity and changes to connections between neurons (including long-term potentiation and long-term depression) as the fundamental mechanisms of memory formation that leads to learning • the role of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in the neural basis of memory and learning (including the role of glutamate in synaptic plasticity and the role of adrenaline in the consolidation of emotionally arousing experiences). Models to explain learning • classical conditioning as a three-phase process (before conditioning, during conditioning and after conditioning) that results in the involuntary association between a neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response, including stimulus generalisation, stimulus discrimination, extinction and spontaneous recovery • operant conditioning as a three-phase model (antecedent, behaviour, consequence) involving reinforcers (positive and negative) and punishment (including response cost) that can be used to change voluntary behaviours, including stimulus generalisation, stimulus discrimination and spontaneous recovery (excluding schedules of reinforcement) • observational learning as a method of social learning, particularly in children, involving attention, retention, reproduction, motivation and reinforcement • the ‘Little Albert’ experiment as illustrating how classical conditioning can be used to condition an emotional response, including ethical implications of the experiment. Process of memory • the multi-store model of memory (Atkinson-Shriffin) with reference to the function, capacity and duration of sensory short-term and long-term memory • interactions between specific regions of the brain (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum) in the storage of long-term memories, including implicit and explicit memories Reliability of memory • methods to retrieve information from memory or demonstrate the existence of information in memory, including recall, recognition, relearning and reconstruction • the effects of brain trauma on areas of the brain associated with memory and neurodegenerative diseases, including brain surgery, anterograde amnesia and Alzheimer’s disease • the factors influencing a person’s ability and inability to remember information, including context and state dependent cues, maintenance and elaborative rehearsal and serial position effect • the reconstruction of memories as evidence for the fallibility of memory, with reference to Loftus’ research into the effect of leading questions on eye-witness testimonies.

Unit 4: How is wellbeing developed and maintained? Area of Study 1 How do levels of consciousness affect mental processes and behaviour? Outcome 1 On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain consciousness as a continuum, compare theories about the purpose and nature of sleep, and elaborate on the effects of sleep disruption on a person’s functioning. Nature of consciousness • consciousness as a psychological construct that varies along a continuum, broadly categorised into normal waking consciousness and altered states of consciousness (naturally occurring and induced) • the measurement of physiological responses to indicate different states of consciousness, including electroencephalograph (EEG), electromyograph (EMG), electro-oculograph (EOG) and other techniques to investigate consciousness (measurement of speed and accuracy on cognitive tasks, subjective reporting of consciousness, including sleep diaries, and video monitoring) • changes in a person’s psychological state due to levels of awareness, controlled and automatic processes, content limitations, perceptual and cognitive distortions, emotional awareness, self-control and time orientation • changes in levels of alertness as indicated by brain waves patterns (beta, alpha, theta, delta) due to drug induced altered states of consciousness (stimulants and depressants) • the effects on consciousness (cognition, concentration and mood) of one night of full sleep deprivation as a comparison with effects of legal blood-alcohol concentrations. Importance of sleep • sleep as a regular and naturally occurring altered state of consciousness that follows a circadian rhythm and involves the ultradian rhythms of REM and NREM Stages 1–4 sleep excluding corresponding brain wave patterns and physiological responses for each stage • theories of the purpose and function of sleep (REM and NREM) including restoration theory and evolutionary (circadian) theory • the differences in sleep across the lifespan and how these can be explained with reference to the total amount of sleep and changes in a typical pattern of sleep (proportion of REM and NREM) . Effects of sleep disturbances and possible treatments • changes to a person’s sleep-wake cycle and susceptibility to experiencing a circadian phase disorder, including sleep-wake shifts in adolescence, shift work and jet lag • the effects of partial sleep deprivation (inadequate sleep either in quantity or quality) on a person’s affective (amplified emotional responses) behavioural and cognitive functioning • the distinction between dysomnias (including narcolepsy and sleep-onset insomnia) and parasomnias (including sleep apnoea and sleep walking) with reference to the effects on a person’s sleep-wake cycle • the interventions to treat sleep disorders including cognitive behavioural therapy (with reference to insomnia) and bright light therapy (with reference to circadian phase disorders).

Area of Study 2 What influences mental wellbeing? Outcome 2 On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain the concepts of mental health and mental illness including influences of risk and protective factors, apply a biopsychosocial approach to explain the development and management of specific phobia, and explain the psychological basis of strategies that contribute to mental wellbeing. Defining mental health • mental health as a continuum (mentally healthy, mental health problems, mental disorders) influenced by internal and external factors that can fluctuate over time • the typical characteristics of a mentally healthy person, including high levels of functioning, social and emotional well-being and resilience to life stressors • ethical implications in the study of, and research into, mental health, including informed consent and use of placebo treatments. Factors that contribute to the development and progression of mental health disorders • the distinction between predisposing risk factors (increase susceptibility), precipitating risk factors (increase susceptibility and contribute to occurrence), perpetuating risk factors (inhibit recovery) and protective factors (prevent occurrence or re-occurrence) • the influence of biological risk factors including genetic vulnerability to specific disorders, poor response to medication due to genetic factors, poor sleep and substance use • the influence of psychological risk factors including rumination, impaired reasoning and memory, stress and poor self-efficacy • the influence of social risk factors including disorganised attachment, loss of a significant relationship and the role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment • the concept of cumulative risk. Application of a biopsychosocial approach, as a scientific model, to explain specific phobia • the distinctions between stress, phobia and anxiety; variation for individuals with stress, phobia and anxiety on a mental health continuum • the relative influences of contributing factors to the development of specific phobia with reference to: gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) dysfunction, the role of stress response and long-term potentiation (biological); behavioural models involving precipitation by classical conditioning and perpetuation by operant conditioning, cognitive bias including memory bias and catastrophic thinking (psychological); specific environmental triggers and stigma around seeking treatment (social) • evidence-based interventions and their use for specific phobia with reference to: the use of short-acting anti-anxiety benzodiazepine agents (gamma amino butyric acid [GABA] antagonists) in the management of phobic anxiety and relaxation techniques including breathing retraining and exercise (biological); the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and systematic desensitisation as psychotherapeutic treatments of phobia (psychological); psychoeducation for families/supporters with reference to challenging unrealistic or anxious thoughts and not encouraging avoidance behaviours (social). Maintenance of mental health • resilience as a positive adaption to adversity including the relative influence of protective factors with reference to: adequate diet and sleep (biological); cognitive behavioural strategies (psychological); support from family, friends and community (social) • models of behaviour change with reference to the transtheoretical model including the stages of pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance/relapse.

Unit 3 and/or 4 Area of Study 3- Practical investigation Outcome 3 On completion of this unit the student should be able to design and undertake a practical investigation related to mental processes and psychological functioning, and present methodologies, findings and conclusions in a scientific poster. • independent and dependent variables and operationalisation of variables • the psychological concepts specific to the investigation and their significance, including definitions of key terms, and psychological representations • the characteristics of scientific research methodologies and techniques of primary qualitative and quantitative data collection relevant to the selected investigation: experiments, self-reports, questionnaires, interviews and/ or use of rating scales; reliability and validity of data; and minimisation of experimental bias and confounding and extraneous variables • ethics and issues of research including identification and application of relevant ethical, health and safety guidelines, and use of human subjects • methods of organising, analysing and evaluating primary data to identify patterns and relationships including sources of error and limitations of data and methodologies • models and theories, and their use in organising and understanding observed phenomena and psychological concepts including their limitations • the nature of evidence that supports or refutes a hypothesis, model or theory • generalisability of statistics from samples to the populations from which the sample was derived • the key findings of the selected investigation and their relationship to psychological concepts and theories associated with neural function, consciousness, learning, memory and/or mental wellbeing • conventions of psychological report writing and scientific poster presentation including psychological terminology and representations, standard abbreviations and acknowledgment of references.

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Unit 3 and 4 PHYSICS Key Dates/Timelines of Topics, Outcomes and Activities Assessment dates 2020 Unit 3

Task Date(approx) Outcome 1 – How do things move without contact?

SAC 2- Data Analysis Task or Test Early May

Outcome 2 – How are fields used to move electrical energy?

SAC 3- Annotations of 2 or more experiments Early June

Outcome 3- How fast can things go? (assessed first) SAC 1- Test or Data Analysis

Mid March

Unit 4 –

Task Date Outcome 1 – How can waves explain the behaviour of light?

SAC 1- Response to Structured Questions or Test Mid-Late July

Outcome 2 – How are light and matter similar?

SAC 3- a Test or Response to Structured Questions Before end Term 3

Outcome 3 – Practical investigation (undertaken at start of unit)

SAC 2- Structured Poster according to VCAA Template

Mid-Late August

Unit 3/4 VCAA Examination (60% of your score!)

November

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Key Dates/Timelines of Topics, Outcomes and Activities Assessment dates 2021 TIMELINE Term 1

Week DATE AREA OF STUDY

CONTENT OUTCOME

1-2 28 Jan-5 Feb Study camp?

3 Motion- forces in action and Projectile Motion

3 8-12 Feb 3 Motion- Circular Motion Physics teacher conference Fri 12/2 TBC

4 15-19 Feb 3 Motion- Momentum and Collisions - Energy transformations start

5 22-26 Feb 3 Motion- Energy Transformations finish -Relativity start

6 1 - 5 Mar 3 Special Relativity Athletics ?

7 9-12 Mar Labour day 8/3

3 Relativity/Revision

8 15-19 Mar 1 - Gravitational Fields - Orbits

SAC1 Outcome 3

9 22 – 26 Mar

1 - Gravity, energy changes - Electric Fields - Parent Interviews TBC

10 29Mar – 1 Apr Good Fri 2nd

1 - Electric Fields

Term 1 holiday 2 - 18 April Term 2

WEEK DATE AREA OF STUDY

- CONTENT OUTCOME

1 19-23 Apr

1 - Magnetic fields

2 26-30 April 1 - Magnetic Fields and Forces - SAC revision

3 3- 7 May 2 - Magnetic Flux SAC 2 Outcome 1 4 10-14 May 2 - Electromagnetic Induction

5 17- 21 May 2 - AC and DC generation 6 24- 28May 2 - Transformers and Transmission 7 31 May- 4

Jun 2 - Transmission

- Revision - SAC

SAC 3 Outcome 2

8 7-11 Jun No Classes TBC GAT 9/6 TBC Report Writing 11/6 TBC

9 15-18 Jun Queen’s 14

1 Waves

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10 21-25 Jun 1 Waves/Light / Snell’s law

Term 2 holidays – 26 June – 11 July Term 3

WEEK DATE AREA OF STUDY

CONTENT OUTCOME

1 12-16 Jul 1 Diffraction and Interference Young’s Double Slit

2 19-23 Jul 1 Young’s Double Slit Polarization

3 26- 30 Jul 1/3 Revision SAC

Investigation Planning

SAC 1 Outcome 1 SAC- 2 Intro

4 2-6 Aug 3 Investigation Planning/ Investigation practical Work

5 9-13 Aug 3 Investigation Practical Work/ Analysis Investigation Poster

6 16-20 Aug 3/2 Investigation Poster - Photoelectric Effect

SAC 2 Poster and Logbook Outcome 3

7 23-27 Aug 2 - Photoelectric Effect - Photon Momentum - DE Broglie Wavelength

8 30 Aug -3 Sep

2 - Electron Diffraction - Spectra

9 6-10 Sep 2 - Energy level Transitions - Heisenberg Uncertainty

10 13-17 Sep 2 - Revision - SAC - Exam Revision Commences

SAC 3 Outcome 2

Term 3 Holidays 18 Sept – 3 Oct Term 4

WEEK DATE AREA OF STUDY

CONTENT OUTCOME

1 4 – 8 Oct R - Exam Revision 2 11 – 15 Oct R - Exam Revision, Concert 15/10 TBC 3 18 – 22 Oct R - Swat Vac 4 25 Oct – 29 R - Swat Vac/Exams TBC

5 1- 5 Nov R - Exams

6 8-12 Nov R - Exams Unit 3/4 Exam- TBC 7 15-29 Nov - Exams

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Assessment – Tasks, Relative Weighting. UNIT 3 and 4 COURSEWORK AND SAC REQUIREMENTS: In order to successfully pass a Unit, all students are required to;

• complete all set coursework. • obtain a pass in all scheduled School Assessed Coursework (SACS).

Where a student does not pass a SAC they will be given the opportunity to redeem the task in order to reach a satisfactory standard, however where this occurs the students will retain their original mark for VCAA purposes. All students are required to be up to date with their coursework prior to sitting a SAC. Percentage contributions to the study score in Physics are as follows: • Unit 3 school-assessed coursework: 21 per cent (3 SACs of 30 marks each, that each contribute 7% of score) • Unit 4 school-assessed coursework: 19 per cent (2 SACs of 30 marks each. Each contributes 6% of score. Investigation SAC 35 marks. Contributes 7% of score) • End-of-year examination: 60 per cent Assessment of levels of achievement The student’s level of achievement in Unit 3 and 4 will be determined by school-assessed coursework and the examination. Satisfactory Requirements To automatically obtain an S for each unit students are to

- Attend a minimum of 90% of classes and - Either- Complete the coursework (submitting practical reports, set text questions or 50% of

set “Study On” questions- paper or online) - OR- Obtain at least 40% on all outcomes (SACs).

Sources of support for the Study – inc. websites, documentation Links VCAA Physics http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/physics/physicsindex.html Australian Institute of Physics – Victorian Branch http://www.vicphysics.org/ Useful Websites VCAA www.vcaa.vic.edu.au Study Design, past Exams, Chief Assessors reports Jacaranda Textbook and Study ON https://www.jacplus.com.au/ http://www.studyon.com.au

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https://edrolo.com.au/ www.vicphysics.org

Materials Required – Texts, Stationery, and other Resources Required Materials to be brought to each class Writing materials Texts: Jacaranda Physics 2 Textbook/ebook plus/study on package (about $95)- NEW EDITION Edrolo Printed Notes Scientific Calculator Workbook Practical LogBook