Psychology with Sociology - BSc (Hons)

This module explores the origins, developments and refinements in the study of modern-day Psychology, dating back to early philosophy. The module will ensure students will see how modern-day Psychology has evolved, not just in terms of the “big-names” but also by viewing the scientific, cultural and social movements and influences that were happening alongside the development of this new discipline.

This module focuses on current and historical understanding of personality and individual differences. We review the main theories of personality and use contemporary empirical evidence to explore the complex relationship between personality and behaviour. In-depth examples of the complexity of individual differences will be provided, and some lectures will focus of personality disorders and problems assessing and classifying such disorders.

The academic component of this module provides you with an experiential learning process that will further develop your understanding of the complex theoretical and conceptual issues involved in the measurement and assessment of personality and individual differences. In particular, the seminar component will provide you with the opportunity to experience projective and objective personality tests and to further explore the problems associated with diagnosing personality disorders.

Understanding Society introduces students to the idea of modernity, the Enlightenment and key classical thinkers in sociology. The module presents critiques of the Enlightenment view of modernity as progress, outlining the ‘dark side’ of modernity’s emergence. As well as discussing classical thinkers such as Marx, Durkheim and Weber, the module introduces WEB DuBois and considers how slavery, imperialism and the rise of capitalism impacted the making of the modern world. We also consider how the emergence of modern knowledge and power were gendered and racialized from the outset.

This is a core module which introduces students to the scholarship of key contemporary social thinkers. The module aligns with the aims of the Sociology programme by providing students with the tools to develop a critical awareness of a variety of sociological perspectives and their relevance to the contemporary social world. This module encourages students to link key theoretical perspectives to the wider programme-level expectations and learning outcomes. Deep learning is encouraged with interactive lectures and workshops which stimulate discussions.

This module introduces you to the process of conducting research, analysing data and evaluating the findings. The module will provide a conceptual understanding of reporting research, the core statistical principals and tests used. The module provides hands-on experience of conducting an experiment, using statistical software for carrying out analyses and writing up the experiment in practical workshops. This module will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills required to prepare you for future work, training or careers in an applied area of Psychology or research. This module will also identify how the skills and knowledge gained during this module are relevant to future modules that cover GBC competencies and training which are relevant to future work and studies in the area of Psychology.

The intention of this module is to bring aesthetic awareness in to the living space of students in order to demonstrate the fascinating and useful lens that psychology can provide in helping make sense and understanding of the immediate symbolic world that surrounds people in society. This module takes aspects of every day art, culture, design, architecture and creativity, and attempts to provide psychological commentaries which are novel, speculative, and above all, interesting. The focus is on seeing through images to the psychological fantasies and themes they portray, and the drives that animate the human condition.

The parapsychology module focuses on exploring how Psychology is placed in the wider domain of “science” and through debates about the meaning and function of parapsychological belief, parapsychological research, and the social/historical relevance of parapsychology. Throughout the module you will be presented with a number of parapsychological topics (e.g., Alien abduction; Telepathy; Clairvoyance; Demonic possession) which will be underpinned by two broad perspectives: (i) believer and (ii) sceptic. You will be introduced to the methodological, theoretical and psychological problems in examining paranormal belief and experience in order to provide opportunities for the development of semantic learning and critical thinking skills.

Introduction to Psychopathology, will introduce you to psychological disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, addiction etc. and how these psychological disorders have an effect on daily thinking, functioning and behaviour. The assessment and diagnosis process of a psychological disorder will play a central role in this module and this will be done by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; 2013). The DSM-5 (2013) is used by clinicians worldwide to assess and diagnose individuals with a psychological disorder. In this module the DSM-5 (2013) will be used to describe the key symptoms of psychological disorders which will help to enhance your understanding of key symptoms and criteria used by clinicians to diagnose a psychological disorder.

This module provides you with an overview of the purpose, design, and conduct of qualitative research in psychology. This module builds upon and complements research methods modules delivered in level 4 by providing students with grounding in the use of qualitative research methods and analysis techniques commonly used in psychology. All sessions are structured to facilitate both conceptual learning and the development of applied research skills. More specifically, this module aims to help you develop skills in research and inquiry and develop academic attributes such as being able to think critically about different methodologies and knowledge claims.

This is a core module and it introduces students to a range of classical social and sociological theories and links these theories to their historical and social contexts. It develops students’ in-depth knowledge and understanding of the origins of and rationale for these theories, and enables students to appreciate the relevance of these theories to an analysis of contemporary social life. By the end of the module, students should not only have a good understanding of these theories but also demonstrate an ability to apply them to the world around them and also to the topics and issues raised in other modules.

This module will continue to develop key transferable skills from level 4 such as group discussion and debate, critical evaluation and evidence-based reasoning. There will be research-led teaching which will explore key debates and methodologies used in neuropsychology and cognitive Psychology. The GBC area of biological Psychology and cognitive Psychology will be supplemented through this module.

This module builds on the Research Methods and Psychology literacy module (Level 4), by providing you with the skills to master the process of designing and executing research using quantitative research methods, and analysing and evaluating the findings with quantitative data analysis techniques. The module provides hands-on experience of using computer software to build experiments and statistical software for carrying out analyses in the practical workshops. The module will enhance your skills in critically evaluating the strengths and limitations of published research papers and equip you with an advanced understanding of ethics in psychological research.

This module aims to introduce you to the area of health psychology and demonstrate how psychological principles may be applied to understand and alleviate problems of illness, ill health and health-related behaviours which are significant real world problems (pursing excellence). Key models and theories that aim to predict risk behaviour and at promoting health and self-care will be discussed, compared and contrasted. Interventions to promote behaviour change will also be covered. Behaviour change techniques and adherence will be debated with practical examples given. After considering the role of psychology in the field of health the module will focus on factors such as stress and its effects on health and illness. Coping styles and strategies as well as social support will be discussed as moderators of the relation between stress and illness.

This optional Level 5 module is designed to introduce you to the field of forensic psychology. Forensic psychology is one of the key psychological domains recognised by the British Psychological Society and covers a broad range of topics highly relevant to the real world context. A key aim of the module is to teach you about a range of criminal justice settings within which psychology can be applied to assist the work of practitioners and the police.

Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) will cover the importance of how the workplace can impact upon people’s health (in both negative and positive ways) and how the workplace can also be used to improve well-being. The definition of OHP is ‘application of psychology to improving the quality of work life and to protecting and promoting the safety, health and well-being of workers’ (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; NIOSH).

This module aims to equip you with the relevant skills and knowledge, which are required for the role of the educational psychologist. The module will provide you with an understanding of the general principles and concepts underlying the British educational system and the relevance of psychology to that system. This module examines the role of the educational psychologist and explores the relationship between theory and practice within different educational contexts. The module will familiarise you with different methods of investigation (psychometric testing, observational techniques, interviewing and projective techniques) and intervention methods (behaviour modification, task analysis, conflict mediation and counselling). The module will also help you appreciate the integration and inter-relationships of different perspectives in psychology which contribute to this specialised applied area in psychology which transcend into applied and specialised areas of work within the Educational sector.

At this level of study you will be encouraged to think about areas of study or work that you would like to pursue upon completion of this course. You will be firstly introduced to the different areas of psychology that you can specialise in. This will involve looking at the roles that psychologists perform within each of the branch areas as well as what is entailed to become specialised and charted within each particular branch. Workshops will be carried out within the following which will be supported by psychologists both within and external to the university.

This is a core module and it introduces students to a range of contemporary social and sociological theories and links these theories to their historical and social contexts. It develops students’ in-depth knowledge and understanding of the origins of and rationale for these theories, and enables students to appreciate the relevance of these theories to an analysis of contemporary social life. By the end of the module, students should not only have a good understanding of these theories but also demonstrate an ability to apply them to the world around them and also to the topics and issues raised in other modules.

Public sociology takes sociology out of the university classroom to directly impact social change, social justice, and decision making in the public sphere. This module is an introduction to the field of public sociology.

This module aims to consider sociological theories and concepts to understand the media. You will consider the role of media in society, looking at key theories of the media and understanding media texts (e.g. movies, TV programmes, YouTube videos, blogs, books, magazines, social media, etc…)

The applied social psychology module focuses on exploring how social psychological theory and research can be applied to real life. Throughout the module you will be presented with a number of contemporary social issues and will explore relevant theoretical models and examples to illustrate the impact that social psychological constructs, theories and research has had on informing applied interventions. Theoretical perspectives might include cross cultural psychology, individual differences, and critical social psychology. Contemporary social issues might include encouraging cooperation with authorities, understanding responses to terrorism, reducing prejudice, and promoting employee production.

This module aims to investigate human development throughout the lifespan focusing on changes to biological, cognitive, social and emotional elements of psychological functioning. The module will provide you with an understanding of the general principles and concepts, different theoretical perspectives, research methodologies, contemporary debates and areas of application of Lifespan Development. This module will enable you to develop skills in critical reading and analysis of theoretical and empirical issues related to Lifespan Development. In the context of contemporary societies and globalisation, the role of social and cultural context of development is explored.

Understanding research issues is an essential skill for psychologists operating in an evidence-based paradigm. The ability to produce an in-depth dissertation and present a logical argument using such research is a crucial skill for a successful psychology graduate.

This module builds upon learning at level 4 and level 5 in previous Psychological Research Methods modules. This module will encourage you to plan, execute and write up a research project which adheres to principles of the Psychology Ethics Committee. You should seek out research sources to produce an in-depth dissertation that answers your own identified research question or knowledge gap, making a contribution to the existing literature within your chosen topic area. This will be facilitated through critical evaluation of the sources you have selected and used. You will also be facilitated in using statistical and other specialist software, testing equipment and materials, as well as the use of the Psychology laboratories.

This module will critically examine how we can make epistemic links between past histories of colonialism and the complex ways these histories continue to impact contemporary forms of inequalities in the present. We will examine how we can understand and address the role of race, gender, sexuality and coloniality in shaping the modern world. Critical discussions and debates to decolonise the curriculum directly draw attention to the relationship between the production of power (coloniality), the politics of knowledge and the reproduction of social inequalities. Students will be expected to engage issues of power and inequality from a variety of critical perspectives in order to develop and extend their understanding of these social, cultural and political issues through a decolonial lens.

This is an optional module concentrating on cultural sociology with specific reference to music. The module will provide students with an in-depth introduction to some of the key sociological ideas and perspectives on music, and it will focus on three main themes: the social and historical settings in which musical forms are produced and consumed; music in relation to identity and politics; and the political economy of music. By the end of the module, students should have a good understanding of the social functions, and significance, of music. Key issues we will explore include: the influence of class, race and gender on musical styles; music in its relationship with sub-cultural groups and as a force for political expression; and the commodification of popular music. Alongside considering these issues, we will be listening to a variety of music.

The aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of how the concepts of ‘self’ and ‘identity’ are continually shaped, regulated and maintained through varying aspects of identity formation, social divisions and inequalities. The module focuses on sociological approaches to exploring the ‘self’ and ‘identity’ in a social context. Students are encouraged to develop an appreciation of the ways that identities are fluid, complex and, multifaceted. Within the teaching and learning aspects of the module, students are encouraged to consider the ways in which cultural, political, social and economic contexts impact on their own and others’ identities through mediated practices, processes and discourse.