Psychology Stage 4 Modules 2017 / 2018 PSYC405 Psychology Dissertation - (All Year) 40 credits This module aims to consolidate and put into practice the research training carried out in earlier stages by exploring a particular research problem. Students are required to conduct a complete piece of research, from establishing a research area, formulating a research question, conducting a literature search, designing and conducting the study, analysing the data, through to writing up a report of the project. Module Aims: The aim is to consolidate and put into practice the research training carried out in earlier stages by exploring a particular research problem. Students are required to conduct a complete piece of research, from establishing a research area, formulating a research question, conducting a literature search, designing and conducting the study, analysing the data, through to writing up a report of the project. Summary of Module Content: The project is an independent piece of empirical research carried out under the supervision of a project supervisor. Meetings with your supervisor typically take place weekly for half an hour and may be embedded in a team context. As this module involves independent research in collaboration with a member of staff, it does not appear on the main timetable. The supervised sessions typically include these indicative activities one to one supervision, group meetings attendance at departmental research seminars and experimentation and data collection. However, projects vary widely between sub disciplines (e.g., social vs. neuro), and different supervisors have different styles (e.g., percentage contact through face-to-face or e-mail; practical skills training as required). Individual students will also be required to participate in small group presentations where they report on the progress of their project. Assessments: Coursework 100% Ethical Approval pass/fail 1 of 6
PSYC401 Social and Developmental Psychology (Semester 1) 20 credits Module Aims: This module aims to provide a critical examination of several advanced topics in contemporary social and developmental psychology. This examination builds upon the foundational ideas introduced in stage 2 and draws out current debates and issues in developing an advanced understanding of the impact of social and developmental influences on the person s thinking and interaction with others. Summary of Module Content: This module comprises two academic strands: social psychology and developmental psychology. Social Psychology comprises topics from: Aspects of intragroup behaviour including majority and minority social influence. Understanding intergroup behaviour including: deindividuation effects, collective behaviour, crowd behaviour and social identity perspectives. The nature of sociological social psychology, social representations theory, and the turn to language in social psychology, including: discursive perspectives on social psychology. Aspects of social influence and persuasion: source characteristics, message content and audience characteristics ( who says what to whom model), the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The effects of mood on persuasion. Aspects of self-control including: its role in intra- and interpersonal processes. Aspects of relationship functioning. Developmental Psychology comprises topics from: Language development, word learning, and critical periods in sentence learning. Topics in language development including: specific language impairment and bilingualism. Developmental aspects of joint attention, theory of mind and intention reading. Critiques of the false belief hypothesis. Comparative and evolutionary perspectives on intersubjectivity. Understanding autism from a developmental perspective. Assessment: 2 Examinations 100% 2 of 6
PSYC402 - Psychobiology and Cognition - (Semester 2) 20 credits This module provides advanced coverage in the core areas of psychobiology and cognition. In psychobiology, the module deals with neuroscientific, evolutionary and comparative approaches to understanding human perception, thought and action. In cognition, the module deals with four key topics in higher cognition: learning, memory, decision-making and language. Module Aims: To provide students with an in-depth and critical understanding of research and theory underpinning biological and cognitive processes, considering behavioural, comparative, evolutionary and neuroscientific evidence. Syllabus of Module Content: This module is composed of two linked elements, psychobiology and cognition. Psychobiology covers topics from neuroscience including: the neural basis of motor processes, memory and attention; bottom-up processes in visual cognition such as colour and shape perception, and top-down processes in visual cognition such as mental imagery. Psychobiology also considers: the neural basis of how humans plan their actions, carry out goal directed behaviours, and how they recognize and understood such behaviour in others; comparative psychology, in particular tool use and number sense in non-human animals; evolutionary psychology, including theories of mate choice. Cognition considers: how people make judgements and decisions; the role of unconscious processes in feelings of attraction and beauty; memory, interpretation and reconstruction of past events; fundamental cognitive processes of associative learning, including conditions for learning; human language and other animal communication systems in their social, biological and evolutionary contexts. Assessment: 2 Examinations 100% 3 of 6
PSYC403 Current Topics in Psychology A - (Semester 1)20 credits PSYC404 Current Topics in Psychology B - (Semester 2)20 credits Note: These modules can only be taken by Psychology Single Hons and Psychology Minor students. They are not available to Psychology Major Students. These modules allow students to develop an in depth and critical appreciation of two areas of psychological research (two topics drawn from the current research programmes of the School s staff). Module Aims: To introduce students to the latest developments in research or professional areas of psychology and to enable students to critically evaluate these developments. Students will be expected to analyse and synthesise research publications that they have accessed through independent study and to apply their knowledge to the broad themes in their chosen current topics. Below are the options available in 2016/17 and will be different for 2017/18, these are yet to be confirmed. PSYC403: Students will select two topics drawn from the indicative list below. Michaela Gummerum. Norms: Development, Evolution, and Culture Chris Longmore - Face Perception and Processing William Simpson Visual Perception and the Brain Caroline Floccia - How do Children Learn to Speak? Andy Wills - Aspects of Consciousness Jackie Andrade Consciousness Alyson Norman - The Psychology of Appearance Chris Harris - Visual Perception: Evolution, Genes, and Environments Haline Schendan - Amnesia, Memory, and the Brain Phil Gee and Sarah Collins - Animal Behaviour Jon May Craving and Addiction Clare Walsh Mind Wandering Matt Roser - Asymmetry, Culture, Cognition and the Brain Sylvie Terbeck Moral psychology: Why we are pro-or antisocial PSYC404: Students will select two topics drawn from the indicative list below. Sabine Pahl - Social Comparison Laurence White - Speech, music and birdsong: Did we sing before we spoke? Giorgio Ganis - Cognitive and brain bases of deception perception and production Marina Wimmer - Children s False Memories Ben Whalley - Meaning Effects in Medicine and Psychotherapy Yaniv Hanoch Risk taking and decision making Tim Perfect - Eyewitness Memory Judy Reed Edworthy Humans in Technological Systems Michael Verde - Memory and False Memory Liz Hellier - Occupational and Organisational Psychology Chris Mitchell - Human associative learning 4 of 6
Stephen Hall - Drugs, the Brain and Behaviour Chris Berry - Implicit and Explicit Memory Judy Reed Edworthy - Music and Emotion Selection of Topics will be made online after Easter. Assessment: Coursework 100% - 2 essays per module 5 of 6
PSYC410 Personal and Professional Development (All Year) zero credits Module Aims: This module aims to develop students psychology-specific study skills and more general personal and career development. Indicative areas of employability development, exam technique, essay writing and experimental design are focussed on during tutorials, using a range of peer review and presentation-style group work exercises, along with individual reflective work. Furthermore, a series of general and stage-specific careers talks are timetabled for students to attend and develop their career interests. At the end of the module the learner will be expected to be able to: 1. Demonstrate attendance at careers talk and tutorials; 2. Plan career based on an advanced understanding of carer options in Psychology and relate this knowledge to own abilities and interests; 3. Evaluate own capabilities and limitations in personal and professional development using self- determined criteria; 4. Use effective verbal and written interpersonal and communication skills as part of a tutorial group to clarify tasks and identify and rectify issues in a range of contexts (such as tutorial group assignments). Assessment: Attendance requirement (80% minimum) Pass/Fail 6 of 6