Grade 12 Humanities: Psychology

In this unit, 'Variations in psychological attributes', you learn to describe intelligence and personality. You work with exam-style questions and written reasoning. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Place it: find where and when 'Variations in psychological attributes' happens, on a map, a timeline or in a local example.
• Gather: read or listen to two short sources and note who is speaking and why.
• Use it: describe intelligence and personality. Give a reason and one piece of evidence for every point.
• Weigh it: say what another person might think, and why, before you decide.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Describe individual differences. Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, reason, solve problems and adapt to the environment. Some theories name a single general ability, others several, such as verbal, spatial, logical and social abilities. Describe intelligence as measured performance, not worth.
2. Step 2, Compute a ratio IQ: mental age divided by chronological age, times 100. A child aged 10 who performs like an average 12-year-old has IQ = 12 / 10 x 100 = 120. A child aged 8 who performs like an average 8-year-old scores 8 / 8 x 100 = 100, which is average.
3. Step 3, Describe the normal curve. Test scores are set so the mean is 100 and the standard deviation 15. About 68 percent score between 85 and 115, and about 95 percent between 70 and 130. Only about 2 percent score above 130. Most people cluster near average.
4. Step 4, Describe limits. Tests sample some abilities, can be affected by language, culture, practice and anxiety, and do not measure creativity or emotional skills. Scores can shift with schooling, so they should never be used to label a child for life.
5. Step 5, Describe personality: stable patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. It can be assessed by questionnaires, interviews and observation. The five-trait model measures openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. If a scale has 10 items rated 1 to 5, totals run from 10 to 50 and a score of 38 is high.
6. Step 6, Your turn: find the IQ of a child with mental age 15 and chronological age 12, and give the range containing 68 percent of scores. Answer: 15 / 12 x 100 = 125; the middle 68 percent lies between 85 and 115.

Activity. About 40 to 50 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a timed paper and an error log.

Standard to meet. Describe intelligence and personality: at least 70 percent on an exam-style task, with the method shown.

In this unit, 'Self and personality', you learn to explain theories of personality. You work with exam-style questions and written reasoning. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Place it: find where and when 'Self and personality' happens, on a map, a timeline or in a local example.
• Gather: read or listen to two short sources and note who is speaking and why.
• Use it: explain theories of personality. Give a reason and one piece of evidence for every point.
• Weigh it: say what another person might think, and why, before you decide.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Explain three ideas about the self. Self-concept is what you believe you are, such as 'I am a good listener'. Self-esteem is how you value yourself. Self-efficacy is your belief that you can succeed at a task. A student with high self-efficacy for maths keeps trying after a bad mark.
2. Step 2, Explain type and trait theories. A type theory sorts people into a few groups, such as introvert or extravert. A trait theory places people on scales: on a 10-point extraversion scale a student may score 3 (quiet) while a friend scores 8 (outgoing). Types are simple but traits are more precise.
3. Step 3, Explain the psychoanalytic theory. The id wants pleasure at once, the superego is the conscience, and the ego deals with reality. A child sees a friend's sweet. The id says take it, the superego says that is wrong, and the ego decides to ask for a share. Much of this happens in the unconscious.
4. Step 4, Explain the humanistic theory: people are basically good and aim for growth and self-actualisation, helped by acceptance and unconditional regard. Explain the social-learning view: personality is learned by observing others, rewards, and expectations of what we can do. Compare: one stresses inner growth, the other learning from experience.
5. Step 5, Weigh the theories. Type theories are simple but put people in boxes. Trait theories can be measured but describe rather than explain. Psychoanalytic ideas are rich but hard to test. Humanistic ideas are hopeful but hard to measure. Use more than one lens to explain one student's behaviour.
6. Step 6, Your turn: explain how the id, ego and superego act when a student is tempted to copy an answer. Model answer: the id wants easy marks, the superego says copying is dishonest, and the ego chooses to try and ask the teacher for help.

Activity. About 40 to 50 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a timed paper and an error log.

Standard to meet. Explain theories of personality: at least 70 percent on an exam-style task, with the method shown.

In this unit, 'Psychological disorders and therapies', you learn to describe types of disorders and therapy. You work with exam-style questions and written reasoning. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Place it: find where and when 'Psychological disorders and therapies' happens, on a map, a timeline or in a local example.
• Gather: read or listen to two short sources and note who is speaking and why.
• Use it: describe types of disorders and therapy. Give a reason and one piece of evidence for every point.
• Weigh it: say what another person might think, and why, before you decide.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Describe what a psychological disorder is: a pattern of thoughts, feelings or behaviour that causes distress, interferes with daily life, is unusual for the culture and lasts. Ordinary sadness after a loss is not a disorder. Use respectful language: a person has a disorder, they are not 'mad'.
2. Step 2, Describe main types. Anxiety disorders involve excessive fear or worry, including panic. Mood disorders include depression, with low mood most of the day for at least two weeks. Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia involve hallucinations and delusions. Others affect eating, attention or substance use.
3. Step 3, Describe causes. Biological: genes and brain chemicals. Psychological: unhelpful thinking and past trauma. Social: stress, loss, isolation. These often combine, as in the idea that a vulnerability plus a stressful event can trigger a disorder. No single cause explains every case.
4. Step 4, Describe therapy. Talking therapies help people change patterns. In cognitive behavioural therapy the thought 'I will fail' leads to anxiety and avoiding study; it is replaced with 'I can prepare three chapters this week', which leads to action. Doctors may also prescribe medicines. Support groups and rehabilitation help recovery.
5. Step 5, Describe who helps. A clinical psychologist assesses and treats with therapy; a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can also prescribe medicine; a counsellor offers guidance. Early help works best. Do not diagnose yourself or friends from reading, and contact a helpline or doctor if someone seems at risk.
6. Step 6, Your turn: state which professional can prescribe medicine and rewrite the thought 'I always fail' as a helpful thought. Answer: a psychiatrist; 'I did badly on one test, so I will review it and try a new plan.'

Activity. About 40 to 50 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a timed paper and an error log.

Standard to meet. Describe types of disorders and therapy: at least 70 percent on an exam-style task, with the method shown.

In this unit, 'Attitudes, social influence and group processes', you learn to explain attitude change and group behaviour. You work with exam-style questions and written reasoning. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Place it: find where and when 'Attitudes, social influence and group processes' happens, on a map, a timeline or in a local example.
• Gather: read or listen to two short sources and note who is speaking and why.
• Use it: explain attitude change and group behaviour. Give a reason and one piece of evidence for every point.
• Weigh it: say what another person might think, and why, before you decide.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Explain what an attitude is: a lasting evaluation of a person, object or idea. It has three parts: affective (feelings), behavioural (actions) and cognitive (beliefs). For recycling, a student may believe it helps (cognitive), feel good about it (affective) and sort waste at home (behavioural).
2. Step 2, Explain attitude change. Attitudes come from family, experience and media. A message works better with a credible source, clear facts and a listener who is ready to hear it. In cognitive dissonance, a student who thinks cheating is wrong but copies once may change the belief to 'everyone does it' to reduce discomfort.
3. Step 3, Explain social influence. Conformity is yielding to real or imagined group pressure. In a classic line-judging experiment, when every other member gave a wrong answer, about one answer in three was also wrong. Compliance is agreeing to a request; obedience is following an order from an authority.
4. Step 4, Explain group processes. Groups have norms, roles and cohesiveness. Social facilitation: others watching can improve a simple task. Social loafing: effort drops in a team. In an invented rope-pull each person alone pulls 60 units, but three together pull 150 in all, so 150 / 3 = 50 each, 83 percent of the solo effort.
5. Step 5, Explain bystanders. The more people who see an emergency, the more each may assume someone else will help; this is diffusion of responsibility. Naming one person, 'You in the blue shirt, call an adult', breaks it. Leaders and clear roles also improve group decisions.
6. Step 6, Your turn: alone each person pulls 40 units; a group of 4 pulls 120 in total. Find each person's pull and the percentage drop. Answer: 120 / 4 = 30 each; 30 / 40 = 75 percent, a 25 percent drop, showing social loafing.

Activity. About 40 to 50 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a timed paper and an error log.

Standard to meet. Explain attitude change and group behaviour: at least 70 percent on an exam-style task, with the method shown.

On the slide: L1 Basic · What psychology studies

Notes: Name behaviour, thoughts and feelings as the things psychology studies. Notes: watch a short school-yard clip; learners write one thing they saw, one thing they think was thought and one feeling they infer, and say how sure they are.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Memory and learning basics

Notes: Explain short-term memory and why practice helps recall. Notes: read seven digits aloud, then ten, at one digit per second; learners write down what they recall and count correct digits; compare class results, then try grouping the ten digits in threes and see why chunking helps.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Research methods and ethics

Notes: Describe an experiment, name its variables and calculate mean, median and mode. Notes: scores 4, 6, 8, 8, 9 have a mean of 7, median 8 and mode 8; learners state consent and withdrawal rules for the study.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Approaches and explanations

Notes: Apply two approaches, such as learning and cognitive, to the same behaviour and compare them. Notes: in a case where 18 of 60 people conform, which is 30 per cent, learners give one explanation from each approach and one test that would separate them.

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Correlation and study design

Notes: Analyse a correlation coefficient and judge validity and sampling. Notes: r = 0.6 means r squared of 0.36, so 36 per cent of variance is shared, not caused; learners name one third variable and redesign the study to test cause.

This course: Grade 12 Humanities Psychology is at this level. Its units include Variations in psychological attributes; Self and personality; Psychological disorders and therapies; Attitudes, social influence and group processes.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Effect size and statistical power

Notes: Calculate a standardised effect size and plan a sample size. Notes: group means of 52 and 46 with SD 12 give d = 0.5; for 80 per cent power at the 5 per cent level, plan about 64 per group; learners explain why small samples mislead.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Replication, Bayes and measurement

Notes: Evaluate a psychology finding using replication evidence, Bayesian updating and measurement error. Notes: a prior of 10 per cent, a test with 90 per cent sensitivity and 10 per cent false positives gives a posterior of 50 per cent; learners report what a preregistered study adds.