Integrating biological, psychological and social-emotional perspectives on human behaviour, health and development, this is the core psychology course for students undertaking a Bachelor of Health Science, Nursing or Medical Imaging and those preparing for clinical pathways into medicine and pharmacy (via BHSc).
The objective is to enable students to apply psychological principles and theory using the biopsychosocial lifespan model to health care practice, their understanding of the health, behaviour and development of patients and the wider population and to their own health and lifestyle (e.g. eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, improving memory/learning).
This course provides an introduction to:
• Psychology and psychological research methods
• The brain and nervous system as a basis for the biological understanding of human behaviour and development
• Mental processes (cognition), such as perceiving the world, memory, thinking, decision‐making, and problem‐solving, and how they develop across the lifespan
• The way in which people learn and how principles of learning can be used to modify behaviour.
• Social and emotional influences on development and health behaviour (e.g. adherence to medication)
• Key areas of health psychology, mental health, and psychopathology