Psychology

This course provides an introduction to the study of psychology as it relates to human behavior and performance in sport settings. It examines how practice and competition environments give rise to psychological states (e.g., motivation, anxiety, fatigue) that impact on motor learning, visuo-motor control and sport performance. It reviews evidence for the use of several psychological skills (e.g., arousal regulation, attention control, goal-setting, imagery, thought control) and apply models of psychological skills training to design evidence-based interventions that aim to improve performance in individual athletes and sport teams.

Exploring the fundamental question, "What is social psychology?", this course uses everyday examples to investigate human thought and behavior. After laying a foundation in the discipline's history and methods, the curriculum examines social psychology through three key perspectives: group dynamics, individual identity within society, and social influence. It concludes by applying these frameworks to contemporary social issues.

This course explores research into the concept of well-being, its neural, cognitive and personality correlates, and how it is influenced by social relationships. Rather than taking a disease-oriented approach, it focuses on adopting positive lifestyle choices that can enhance health and well-being, including exercise, diet, sleep and contemplative practices such as mindfulness and meditation. It considers a range of perspectives and approaches to promoting psychological well-being, including mātauranga Māori perspectives.

Media Psychology examines the relationship between media usage and human psychology/behavior. The course covers the following areas: media use and mental health, media violence and aggressive behavior, media and body image, media and cognitive development, media and addictive behaviors, media and prosocial behavior, media and cross-cultural psychology, media and emotional resonance, etc.

This course examines intelligence through a progressive structure—classic foundations → frontier intersections → societal applications. While preserving core psychometric frameworks (e.g., g and hierarchical models, reliability/validity, standardisation), the course strengthens three frontier strands: cognitive neuroscience, cross-cultural comparison and measurement fairness, and AI in relation to human intelligence. Students will learn to evaluate claims about intelligence using rigourous measurement reasoning and to translate theory into practice across applied settings (education and selection, health/ageing and special populations, and assessment governance in the AI era).

This course examines philosophical questions relating to the scientific study of the mind. It will focus in particular on mental representation, for example on the nature of the mental representations postulated by scientific psychology and neuroscience, the role of these representations in psychological and neuroscientific explanation, and their relationship with a person’s experiences and attitudes. 

The course examines the psychological and biological bases of individual differences in cognition, personality, behavior, and abilities. Students explore how people differ in intelligence, personality traits, motivation, emotional functioning, and the implications of these differences in education, work, and social contexts.  

This course provides a grounding in the application of psychology to the area of criminal justice. It covers topics such as exploring psychological theories about the development of and desistance from criminal behavior, principles of risk assessment. It will cover approaches to assessment and intervention with those who engage in antisocial behavior, and place these in the context of Aotearoa.

This course explores the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying perception and attention. Students examine how the brain processes sensory information, interprets the environment, and selectively focuses on relevant stimuli through cognitive theories, behavioral research, and neuroscience.

This course explores clinical psychology - its historical and contemporary issues; major theories; study methods; kinds of treatments; areas of application, and social significance.