Psychology
in Action
Second edition
Nicole Letch
Edwina Ricci
Psychology in Action has been
written to prepare Year 10 students for
senior study in psychology.
It’s objective is to stimulate student interest
in some of the occupational fields of
psychology.
Supported by beyondblue!
beyondblue welcomes this
addition to the literature
which we hope will
contribute to raising
awareness of
depression/anxiety and
encourage people to seek
help.
Program
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Essential Skills
Sense of Self-worth
Sense of Control
Sense of Belonging
Sense of Purpose
Sense of Future
Sense of Humour
www.beyondblue.org.au/senseability
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SenseAbility is a strengths
based resilience program
designed for those working
with young Australians aged
12-18. It consists of a suite of
modules developed to
enhance and maintain
emotional and psychological
resilience in young secondary
school aged Australians.
The student text: second edition:
• Fully updated–content, activities,
photos…
• New Module – Educational and
developmental psychology
Key features
• activities designed to be
thought-provoking,
stimulating and practical
Key features
• topics covered are relevant
to the students’ own
experiences
Key features
• break out boxes that
focus on particular
issues and methods in
psychology
Key features
• a mixture of extensive case
studies and shorter
examples
• extension case studies
linking Psychology to real
life
Key features
• topics that include
scientific and
research methods
in psychology
Insert Page 38 “A
field experiment at
the London
Dungeon”
Key features
• Module review
exercises -MC and
short answer
• glossary and detailed
explanations of
psychological terms
Teacher Resource Book
– NEW!:
The accompanying CD includes:
• PDF of the teacher book
• Interactive and printable crosswords
• Assessment support, consisting of
editable Word versions of:
– VELS assessment rubrics to make
assessing each chapter easy
– Module tests and answers
Contents overview
• Module 1 What is Psychology?
• Module 2 Sport Psychology
• Module 3 Clinical Psychology
• Module 4 Forensic Psychology
• *NEW* Module 5 Educational
and Developmental Psychology
Introducing Psychology
Activity 1
Become a juggling genius
(see workshop handouts)
Activity 2
Mind Maps
(see workshop handouts)
MODULE 1: What is
Psychology?
• What is psychology?
• Psychology as a
science
• Module 1 review
questions
Community Psychology (p. 13)
Introducing Research Methods (p.29)
Activity 1
How long can I last without technology?
(see workshop article)
Introducing Research Methods (p.29)
Activity 2
My child could have painted that
Case studies (p.47)
A case study is a research method that
involves the collection of detailed
information, usually of a highly personal
nature, about an individual, family or small
group.
Ethics in Research
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The Monster Study
The Aversion Project
The Standford Prison Experiment
Monkey Drug Trials
Landis’s Facial Expressions
Experiment
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Little Albert
Learned Helplessness
Milgram’s Obedience Experiment
Harlow’s Monkey Experiments
David Reimer
MODULE 2: Sport
Psychology
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What is Sport Psychology?
Motivation
Goal setting
Self-confidence and sporting
performance
• Arousal and sporting
performance
• Mental skills for peak
performance
• Module Two Review Questions
Chapter 4: Motivation
Motivation is an internal force that activates,
directs and sustains behaviour towards the
attainment of a goal. A goal is something that
an individual wants to achieve.
The underlying theme for students in the
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY MODULE is
encouraging them to “strive to be their best.”
Motivation and Music
• www.musicandmotivation.com
• Audio Fuel – www.audiofuel.co.uk
• AudioFuel increases performance
Research carried out by Professor Andy Lane in 2009, as part of a 2.2
million pound government funded project called EROS, has confirmed
that AudioFuel effectively increases motivation and performance.
Watch the 2 minute video to hear Andy describe the objectives,
research methodology, and findings.
• (see handout – The birth of Music and Motivation)
• http://www.audiofuel.co.uk/our/files/category-proof-that-music-andrunning-rock.php
Motivation and Music - Evidence
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Music has helped elite tri-athletes in Australia increase their endurance by 15 researchers
say.
Synchronous music, where stride length is matched to musical tempo, can have
metronomic effects on the body by allowing athletes to run for longer, they say.
Dr Costas Karageorghis and Professor Peter Terry, sports psychologists from Brunel
University West London and the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
respectively found music increased energy efficiency by 1-3%, meaning athletes could run
further on the same amount of oxygen.
Their study also examined how the power of music lowers the perception of effort. Women
were found to benefit more than men from the mood-enhancing effects of music.
Previous research by the team has shown that it is not only professionals, but also
recreationally active people, who can gain benefits from synchronous music.
BRAINOLOGY
www.brainology.us
The inspiring story of Joe Simpson
His determination to survive against all odds…..
YouTube – Movie Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slYY_YaCrY
Activity 4.4: Personal Motivation Profile
• Gets students to think about the internal and
external motivators in their lives.
The road to success is not always perfect…
Bethany Hamilton
overcame a shark attack
to make professional
surfing ranks.
Steve
Hooker
overcame
his fear of
jumping to
win gold in
Beijing.
Sport Psychology clips from YouTube
• Bethany Hamilton (Activity 5.1 p88)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVjDNMyLTH0
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duelon0MF2o&feature=related
• Matthew Mitcham GOLD medal Diving, Beijing 2008
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az4w32d20SY&feature=related
• Steve Hooker GOLD medal Pole Vault, Beijing 2008
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJI1ShOfaos
• Kieran Perkins GOLD medal 1500m swimming, Atlanta 1996
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIgstGRkTxQ
MODULE 3:
Clinical Psychology
• What is clinical
psychology?
• Psychological assessment
• Diagnosis and treatment
of mental disorders
• Module Three Review
Questions
Chapter 10: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Sheldon’s ODC on Big Bang Theory
Mindfulness Activities
MODULE 4:
Forensic Psychology
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What is forensic psychology?
Stalkers and stalking
Criminal profiling
The forensic psychologist in the
courtroom
• Dangerousness
• The psychology of eyewitness
testimony
Chapter 16:
Dangerousness
The likelihood of a
person committing a
serious act of violence in
the future
Teaching the concept:
• definition
• assessments of dangerousness (how they are done)
• accuracy of dangerousness assessments (Table 16.2 p. 247)
• thinking about the relationship between dangerousness and
mental disorders
• psychopathy
• apply and consolidate knowledge (case studies: Peter
Dupas, Garry David, Michael Pech; activities 16.1 and
16.2)
Two lessons:
• didactic teaching component
• DVD/video movie segments?
• Activity 16.1 (p.254)
HCR-20 Violence Risk
Assessment Scheme
10 Historical factors
(past)
5 Clinical items
(present)
5 Risk Management
Items (future)
• ‘H’ examples:
Previous violence, young
age at first violence incident,
psychopathy
• ‘C’ examples:
Lack of insight, active
symptoms of major mental
illness, unresponsive to
treatment
• ‘R’ examples:
Lack of personal support,
stress
Psychopaths in
Hollywood
• The case of Garry
David/Webb (page
252 of PIA-2e)
• The murder of Clare
Bernal (page 104 of
TRB)
Eyewitness Testimony
• Youtube video –
• When eyes deceive
– Eyewitness
Testimony
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=rSzPn9r
sPcY
MODULE 5:
Educational and
Developmental Psychology
• What is educational and
developmental psychology?
• Early Childhood: Play
• Adolescence: The
development of interpersonal
relationships
• Disorders first diagnosed in
infancy, childhood and
adolescence
Chapter 19
What is play?
- Age differences in
play
- Gender differences in
play
- Types of play
Britain's most romantic workplace? Love Heart factory, where 61
couples met, claims to be most lovestruck factory
New! Dynamic Student CD
Students can use the PDFs to:
• create a digital portfolio of
their work related to each
chapter of the book
• create study and revision
notes inside each chapter of
the book.
New! Dynamic Student CD
Teachers can use the PDFs to:
• prepare lessons ready for
the classroom or Interactive
Whiteboard
• teach using the Interactive
Whiteboard.
Teacher Resource
Book – NEW!:
Includes various essential teacher
support to make teaching and
implementing Psychology in
Action even easier.
Book and CD pack.
Teacher Resource
Book – NEW!:
The TRB includes:
• Answers to all activities for each
chapter and module review of the
text book
• Supplementary resources such as
activities and worksheets for each
chapter, with answers
VELS Assessment rubrics
• It is a difficult thing to apply VELS to Psychology – there
are no current examples!
• Psychology easily draws on so many of the Non-Discipline
VELS in terms of the nature of both course content and style
of classroom activities, for instance:
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Health and Physical Education
Interpersonal Development
Personal Learning
Civics and Citizenship
Communication
Thinking
* All relevant domains and their respective dimensions are
covered by each Assessment Rubric for every chapter.
Psychology is clearly placed in the VELS
Discipline Strand of Science
• We also use Science VELS as a model to construct learning
focus statements for Psychology across both dimensions:
- Science knowledge and understanding
- Science at work
• Each chapter clearly falls into these two dimensions as
Psychology in Action is, in essence, about
- psychological theory (Science knowledge and understanding)
- and how it is put into action by professionals (Science at Work)
Therefore, our VELS analysis and assessment rubrics have
been constructed to allow easy assessment of the:
Non-Discipline Strands: Physical, Personal and Social
Learning and Interdisciplinary Learning
• Discipline Strand: Science Domain
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• These are built around progression points at Level 6 for
each dimension; providing a useful guide to track
students' learning.
• Assessment rubrics are available for each set of activity
outcomes in every textbook chapter and the Teacher
Resource Book.
Extra Resource:
Complete VELS Summary of all Modules
An entire overview of VELS for both PIA modules and
TRB additional activities condensed on one page enables
teachers to:
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Easily plan units when developing and implementing
Psychology within an existing Science program or as a
separate subject in Science
Have a complete course summary in one document at
hand when analysing whole school curriculum goals
and how your classroom practice in Middle School
Psychology specifically applies VELS
Coming soon!
• A new website to support
Psychology in Action!
• Will include extra interactive and
downloadable student and teacher
support and activities.
Next steps
• Stick around and ask questions
• Talk to Edwina about how to
implement Psychology in Action in
your classroom
• Ensure we have your details to get
updates about the PIA course and
additional resources
• Place an order, or booklist!
The authors
Nicole Letch
Clinical Psychologist
BSc, Dip Ed, Grad Dip Applied Child Psych, MA Clin
Psych, Grad Dip Systemic Psychotherapy
Nicole is a former psychology teacher and examination
setter for VCE Psychology. She graduated as a clinical
psychologist in 1997 and has worked in educational and
child & adolescent mental health settings in both
Australia and the UK. She is currently working on a
specialist team which assesses, diagnoses and treats
children and adolescents with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children/young
people on a child protection register in London, UK.
The authors
Edwina Ricci
BSc, Dip Ed
Edwina is a psychology teacher at Croydon Secondary
College, examination marker, setter and course writer for
VCE Psychology. She left teaching in April 2000, after 13
years, to pursue a career in business. She worked as the
Business Development Manager for a Melbourne-based IT
company, SportingPulse for 10 years and returned to
teaching in 2010. Edwina has always had a passion for
teaching psychology and enjoys engaging students in their
learning.