ATS1262 Understanding social behaviour
Faculty of Arts
ATS1262 Understanding social behaviour is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Caulfield and Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Caulfield, Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS1262
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS1262
No unit lists ATS1262 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibitions: GSC1712, ATS1360, BHS1712, PSS1712
Overview
This unit introduces you to range of key issues regarding human behaviour in its social context. Contemporary understandings of health, quality of life, social inclusion, and resilience are explored, while introducing you to concepts and theories relating to the self and social interactions. The unit takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from a range of subfields in psychology (e.g. social, cross-cultural and health psychology) as well as other disciplines within the social sciences (e.g. sociology and anthropology).
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Analytical exerciseExercise15%
- EssayWritten50%
- Online testQuiz / Test35%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
An understanding of some of the contemporary issues regarding human behaviour in the social context.
- 2
A broad appreciation of the psychological and socio-cultural mechanisms underpinning understandings of the self and interactions with others.
- 3
The ability to differentiate between evidence, interpretation, opinion and fact in evaluating these theories and concepts.
- 4
The ability to communicate their understanding of these theories and concepts in relation to current social issues.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but students need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.
This unit engages you in enquiry-based learning, where you will be encouraged to use your own knowledge to develop and engage in a process of enquiry, study and research to identify areas to be investigated and an approach to doing so.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
Where it fits
ATS1262 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor John Gardner
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor John Gardner
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS1262?
ATS1262 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS1262 offered?
In 2026, ATS1262 runs in Semester 2 at Caulfield and Clayton.
How much work is ATS1262?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS1262 have an exam?
No. ATS1262 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS1262?
ATS1262 is part of Behavioural studies and Behavioural Studies.