History and Philosophy of Psychology
9 hours face to face + blended
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn, Online
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
This unit provides students with a broad and eclectic view of the history and philosophy of psychology. It surveys a selection of interesting and influential events, people, and ideas and uses these as a focus to critically examine issues that directly and indirectly shape the discipline as it is practiced today.
Requisites
Prerequisites
PSY20006
Cognition and Human PerformancePSY20007 Developmental Psychology
Rules
Pre-requisite
PSY20006 Cognition and Human Performance
AND
PSY20007 Developmental Psychology
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
09-March-2026
07-June-2026
07-June-2026
Last self-enrolment date
22-March-2026
Census date
07-April-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
28-April-2026
Results released date
30-June-2026
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
02-November-2026
07-February-2027
07-February-2027
Last self-enrolment date
15-November-2026
Census date
01-December-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-December-2026
Results released date
02-March-2027
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Describe significant figures, events, and ideas in the history of psychology
- Interpret the significance of these figures/events/ideas with respect to their context
- Identify the impact of these figures/events/ideas on evolution of psychology as a discipline
- Critically evaluate the philosophical, social, and scientific basis for psychological concepts and methods
- Synthesise arguments concerning psychological opinion, theory, and practice
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various | 6.00 | 12 weeks | 72 |
| On-campus Class | 1.50 | 6 weeks | 9 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 3.75 | 12 weeks | 45 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
All Applicable Locations
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 4 weeks | 4 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.17 | 12 weeks | 146 |
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 13 week | 13 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 11.42 | 12 weeks | 137 |
| TOTAL | 300 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Assignment 2 | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Online Discussion | Individual | 20% | 4,5 |
Content
- The nature and limits of psychology
- Philosophical and physiological precursors to psychology
- The emergence of modern scientific psychology
- Big theories and movements in psychology, such as: psychoanalysis/psychodynamic, Gestalt, behaviorist, humanistic, cognitive, cognitive neuroscience
- Philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and psychology as a science
- Psychological theory and methods
- Philosophical, scientific, social aspects of issues in psychology, e.g., mental illness, therapy, gender, sex, culture, consciousness
- Graduate Attribute 2 (Communication 2 - Communicating using different media)
- Graduate Attribute 5 (Digital Literacies 1 - Information literacy)
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.