University of South Africa
College of Human Sciences Department of Psychology
⋄ ⋄ ⋄
PYC1512
Foundations of Sub-disciplines
in Psychology
Assignment 1 Semester 1, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄
Module Code: PYC1512
Module Name: Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Assignment: Assignment 1
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Unique Number: 111217
Total Marks: 25
Institution: University of South Africa (UNISA)
Department: Department of Psychology
Submitted in partial ful
lment of the requirements for PYC1512 UNISA, 2026
,UNISA | PYC1512 Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Contents
1 Question 1: The Central Nervous System vs. the Peripheral Nervous System
(4 marks) 4
1.1 1.1 The Central Nervous System (CNS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 1.2 The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 Comparative Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Question 2: Functions of the Autonomic Nervous System (2 marks) 6
2.1 2.1 Sympathetic Division Fight or Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 2.2 Parasympathetic Division Rest and Digest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Question 3: Epigenetics and the In
uence of Life Experiences on Gene Func-
tioning (4 marks) 8
3.1 3.1 What Are Epigenetic Changes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 3.2 How Life Experiences In
uence Gene Functioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.1 Drug Addiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.2 Childhood Trauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.3 Living in a War Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4 Question 4: Two Complementary Processes in a Child's Social Development (6
marks) 11
4.1 4.1 Socialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.1.1 Mechanisms of Socialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2 4.2 Individuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3 4.3 How the Two Processes Work Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Question 5: Piaget's Four Stages of Cognitive Development (5 marks) 14
5.1 5.1 Stage 1: Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to approximately 2 years) . . . . . . . . . 14
5.2 5.2 Stage 2: Pre-operational Stage (approximately 2 to 7 years) . . . . . . . . . . 14
5.3 5.3 Stage 3: Concrete Operational Stage (approximately 7 to 11 years) . . . . . . 15
5.4 5.4 Stage 4: Formal Operational Stage (approximately 12 years and beyond) . . . 15
6 Question 6: Erikson's Psychosocial Crisis and Adolescence (4 marks) 17
6.1 6.1 Erikson's Concept of Psychosocial Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Semester 1, 2026 Page 2 of 20 Unique No: 111217
, UNISA | PYC1512 Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
6.2 6.2 Stage Relevant to Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Ages 1218) . . . 18
6.2.1 The Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2.2 Positive Resolution Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2.3 Negative Resolution Role Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Reference List 20
Semester 1, 2026 Page 3 of 20 Unique No: 111217
College of Human Sciences Department of Psychology
⋄ ⋄ ⋄
PYC1512
Foundations of Sub-disciplines
in Psychology
Assignment 1 Semester 1, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄
Module Code: PYC1512
Module Name: Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Assignment: Assignment 1
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Unique Number: 111217
Total Marks: 25
Institution: University of South Africa (UNISA)
Department: Department of Psychology
Submitted in partial ful
lment of the requirements for PYC1512 UNISA, 2026
,UNISA | PYC1512 Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
Contents
1 Question 1: The Central Nervous System vs. the Peripheral Nervous System
(4 marks) 4
1.1 1.1 The Central Nervous System (CNS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 1.2 The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 Comparative Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Question 2: Functions of the Autonomic Nervous System (2 marks) 6
2.1 2.1 Sympathetic Division Fight or Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 2.2 Parasympathetic Division Rest and Digest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Question 3: Epigenetics and the In
uence of Life Experiences on Gene Func-
tioning (4 marks) 8
3.1 3.1 What Are Epigenetic Changes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 3.2 How Life Experiences In
uence Gene Functioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.1 Drug Addiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.2 Childhood Trauma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.3 Living in a War Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4 Question 4: Two Complementary Processes in a Child's Social Development (6
marks) 11
4.1 4.1 Socialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.1.1 Mechanisms of Socialisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2 4.2 Individuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3 4.3 How the Two Processes Work Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Question 5: Piaget's Four Stages of Cognitive Development (5 marks) 14
5.1 5.1 Stage 1: Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to approximately 2 years) . . . . . . . . . 14
5.2 5.2 Stage 2: Pre-operational Stage (approximately 2 to 7 years) . . . . . . . . . . 14
5.3 5.3 Stage 3: Concrete Operational Stage (approximately 7 to 11 years) . . . . . . 15
5.4 5.4 Stage 4: Formal Operational Stage (approximately 12 years and beyond) . . . 15
6 Question 6: Erikson's Psychosocial Crisis and Adolescence (4 marks) 17
6.1 6.1 Erikson's Concept of Psychosocial Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Semester 1, 2026 Page 2 of 20 Unique No: 111217
, UNISA | PYC1512 Foundations of Sub-disciplines in Psychology
6.2 6.2 Stage Relevant to Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion (Ages 1218) . . . 18
6.2.1 The Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2.2 Positive Resolution Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2.3 Negative Resolution Role Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Reference List 20
Semester 1, 2026 Page 3 of 20 Unique No: 111217
