Outline

Overview

This unit explores four foundational areas in psychology: learning and behaviour, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and neuroscience. The lecture series emphasizes the underlying processes that shape behaviour, emotions, and motivation, examining both typical development and the emergence of psychopathologies. In tutorials, students will engage in a behaviour change group project, where they analyze the sources of their own behavior, design and implement a change plan, and assess its impact on behaviour and mental health. This project is particularly relevant for students interested in applied and clinical psychology. Additional tutorial modules focus on developmental psychology and neuroscience, providing a comprehensive understanding of these key areas.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	PSYC1002
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PSYC2010 or PSYC2910 or PSYC2011 or PSYC2911 or PSYC2915
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ian Johnston, i.johnston@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final Exam See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Peer Evaluation See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	9%	Multiple weeks	Three evaluations, approx 100 words each
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	First peer-evaluation See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details. #earlyfeedbacktask	1%	Week 03 Due date: 10 Feb 2025 at 23:59	Approx. 100 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Project Presentation See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	10%	Week 06	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project Report See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	15%	Week 10 Due date: 11 May 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 08 Jun 2025	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Small test	In-class test See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	10%	Week 12	30-mins
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Lecture Engagement See the 'Assessment summary' below and Canvas site for details.	5%	Weekly	Small reflections on the lectures
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = AI allowed ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Lecture Engagement (5%): Lectures will be delivered in person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Students will be asked to write small weekly reflections on the lecture content.

Group Project Presentation (10%): Students will collaborate in a group to deliver a 10-minute presentation on cultural competency.

Peer Evaluations (10%): Students will be required to complete peer evaluations for the group project. The first evaluation is of your peers in your group and should be approximately 100 words (worth 1%). The following three evaluations will be based on your peers' evaluations of your contributions to your group's project (worth 9%).

In-class test (10%): Students will take a 20-minute in-class test on the developmental neuroscience module.

Project Report (15%): Students will write a 1000-word APA-formatted report about the behavioural change project.

Final Exam (50%): Each lecture series will be assessed in a two-hour closed book exam held after the teaching period ends. The initial version of the Final Exam will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. If you are approved by Special Consideration to miss the initial Final Exam, the Replacement Exam structure may vary. The Final Exam is a compulsory assessment, so if you do not attempt it, you will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Fundamental concepts in the behaviour sciences; 2. Positive reinforcement and extinction; 3. The role of the discriminative stimulus in behaviour	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to your project groups	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Forming an effective project group	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	4. The motivating role of the reinforcer in behaviour; 5. Fear and punishment; 6. Avoidance learning	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	7.Choice and self-control; 8. Learned helplessness and contingency learning; 9. Intrinsic motivation	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	Behaviour change project 1: Introduction to the behaviour change project	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	10. Concepts of health and wellbeing from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective; 11. Factors affecting mental health in Australian Aboriginal Peoples; 12. Assessment and diagnosis	Lecture (3 hr)
	Cultural competency module 1: Introduction to group projects	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Behaviour change project: You will conduct the behaviour change project outside of class in weeks 4 and 5.	Project (3 hr)
Week 05	13. Depression and bipolar; 14. Anxiety; 15. Addiction	Lecture (3 hr)
	Cultural competency module 2: Prepare group project presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Behaviour change project: You will conduct the behaviour change project outside of class in weeks 4 and 5.	Project (3 hr)
Week 06	16. Psychosis; 17. Psychotherapy evaluation; 18. Q & A with special guest on material from the first part of the unit	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Cultural competency module 3: Group project presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	19. Normal development: what can we do and when can we do it?; 20. Socio-emotional development 1: the first 18 months; 21. Socio-emotional development 2: toddlerhood and early childhood	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	Behaviour change project 2: Receive results of project, groups plan presentations.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	22. The development of theory of mind; 23. Current directions in developmental psychology: where might this take you?; 24. Abnormal development: implications for experimental research	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	Developmental neuroscience module 1: Introduction to projects	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	25. Evolutionary psychology 1; 26. Evolutionary psychology 2; 27. Evolutionary psychology 3	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	Behaviour change project 3: Group presentations of results	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	28. The cells of the nervous system; 29. Organisation of the nervous system; 30. Experimental neuropsychology	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 10	Developmental neuroscience module 2: Groups work on practice problems	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	31. Stress and endocrine responses; 32. Neurobiology of fear and anxiety; 33. Chronic stress	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Developmental neuroscience module 3: Groups work on practice problems	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	34. Psychopharmacology; 35. Dopamine and behaviour ; 36. Addiction	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 12	Developmental neuroscience module 4: In-class assessment.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	37. Appetite and eating; 38. Neurobiology of sexual behaviour; 39. Q & A with special guest on the second half of the unit	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 13	Unit revision, feedback, and discussion.	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

There is no mandatory attendance policy for PSYC2015 but we recommend attendance at 80% of lectures and tutorials.

Tutorials:

The tutorials involve group work assessed by a peer-review system. A component of the peer review process will be an evaluation of your attendance and preparedness.
Tutorial groups will be formed in class in weeks 1 and 2.
The first peer-review round will occur in week 3 and will be the early feedback task.
Peer-reviews will be also be given for your contribution to each of the behaviour change, the cultural competency, and the developmental neuroscience modules.
There are in-class tutorial assessments in weeks 6, 9, and 12.
Attendance at tutorials is recorded.

Lectures:

There are weekly lecture engagement assessments for each lecture that must be completed by the end of each week.
These assessments can be done in the lectures or they can be done asynchronously from the lecture recordings.
A component of the lecture engagement assessments is whether you have attended lectures or engaged with the recordings by the end of each week.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library’s reading list system Leganto, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand and apply the principles, theories, and concepts of the following core areas of Psychology: Learning and Motivation, Mental Health Conditions and Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Neuroscience and Biological Psychology
LO2. Design and implement a personal behaviour change plan and evaluate its impact on mental health
LO3. Apply the knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
LO4. Understand the important historical and contemporary issues that affect the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
LO5. Conduct collaborative projects demonstrating interpersonal skills and teamwork
LO6. Communicate the project outcomes in a range of formats, including APA style written reports and oral presentations

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.11. culturally appropriate psychological assessment and measurement 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.3. Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats. 1.6. Demonstrate self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.3. Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats. 1.5. Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork. 1.6. Demonstrate self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.12. research methods and statistics. 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.4. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.3. Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats. 1.6. Demonstrate self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.1.1. the history and philosophy underpinning the science of psychology and the social, 1.2. Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals. 1.3. Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats. 1.4. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology. 1.5. Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork.
	Australian Psychology Accreditation Council - 1.4. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Additional information

What is the difference between PSYC2015 and PSYC2915?

Students in these units have the same lectures and sit the same exams. All students do the same Cultural Competency and Developmental Neuroscience modules.

However, the tutorial projects are different for these units.

PSYC2015 is designed for students who are more interested in learning about applied psychology. Students do a tutorial program teaching the basics of behavioural therapies, and learn applied skills to analyse the environmental determinants of behaviours, and then develop a program to analyse and modify their own behaviour. We will then examine if this behavioural change effects a change in another psychological function.

PSYC2915 is for students who are more interested in research. Students will be trained to conduct a research project investigating links between behaviour and mental health. You will collect your own data in this project.

Both units are equally as challenging and are marked to the same standards, they just have different focuses in the tutorial projects - a Distinction in PSYC2015 counts the same as a Distinction in PSYC2915.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PSYC2015: Brain and Behavioural Psychology

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links