Areas covered include perception, memory, learning, motivation, the measurement of individual differences, personality, clinical, social behaviour and human development. Doing experiments and interpreting their results are important activities in psychology. In second year and third years, students take subjects which reflect the strong biological and social science aspects of the discipline. These courses expand the material introduced in earlier years and further sharpen students' skills in doing experiments and reporting their results. In the fourth year it is possible to choose from a range of topics, on the basis of interest and future intentions.
Many students take one or two units of psychology without intending to become psychologists.
They find that the specific information or the general approaches to people and their motives make psychology fit usefully into many courses on offer, whether they be in arts, science, human movement, law or architecture. Students who have completed a Psychology degree will enjoy considerable flexibility in terms of employment. They also find more specific employment as psychologists with Commonwealth, State and Local Government agencies and educational institutions, and a growing number of agencies within the private sector. More than 900 people are currently employed as psychologists in Western Australia, although entry into professional positions is competitive and usually requires a higher degree.