Psychology and Child Development

Becoming A Researcher 2: Qualitative Methods

This module will introduce you to the theory underpinning qualitative research approaches and the design of qualitative research projects. You will explore a range of qualitative research designs and methods of data collection and how these can be applied to addressing research questions, while acknowledging relevant ethical considerations.

Module code: PSYC40810

Pathways In Psychology And Child Development

This module will consider how psychology is used in practice and how psychology can help children. Key major theoretical approaches within psychology and child development will be identified, and their role in a variety of applied settings will be discussed. The module also aims to describe some of the main processes involved in using psychological interventions in a variety of settings and consider related methodological and ethical issues. You will be required to investigate the major areas of applied psychology, for example* clinical, forensic, criminological, educational, counselling, occupational, health psychology and sport and exercise psychology, as well as teaching, research and other postgraduate work within psychology (*topics may change annually to reflect the debates at the forefront of the discipline).

Module code: PSYC40815

Adventures In Psychology 2

Are you ready for an adventure through concepts, principles and classic theories that inform some of the core areas in modern psychology? In this core module you will be introduced to some of the key psychological perspectives and consider how they can be applied to everyday life. You will be introduced to biological psychology, cognitive psychology and individual difference as part of this introductory module. You will learn about conceptual and historical issues across the content covered and have the opportunity to have introductory hands-on experience of some of the technical resources that relate to the areas of psychology that we cover. This module will help you to develop your knowledge and understanding for some of the core areas of psychology that you can apply and continue to build on throughout your degree.

Module code: PSYC40812

Growing And Changing

The module will introduce you to aspects of development and change over the life-span. You will explore key developmental stages for example infancy and adolescence and will consider some of the issues that arise from current psychological research in this field. Teaching sessions will focus on cognitive and social development in childhood, adulthood and old age. You will be introduced to appropriate methodologies in psychology across the lifespan.

Module code: PSYC40813

Steps To Success 1

This module will be the start of your PDP and career planning process as you proceed through your degree and it will act as one of the main support mechanisms in Level 4. Personal development sessions will start by helping you assess your current skills, identify skills for further development and track your development throughout your academic journey. You will also learn academic skills such as referencing, reflection, avoiding academic misconduct and structuring your writing. Your skills analysis will then be used to enable you to plan future careers/life plan pathways that fit your skills set and interests.

Module code: PSYC40820

Adventures In Psychology 1

In this core module you will be introduced to two key approaches within psychology: Developmental Psychology and Social Psychology. Over the course of the module, you will develop an understanding of the main issues and topics explored by both areas of psychology. You will learn about their contextual and historical influences, and gain experience using experiment and survey design tools within developmental and social psychology. This module will also give you the opportunity to gain insights on how these perspectives can be used to understand and evaluate real-life issues and questions.

Module code: PSYC40811

Becoming A Researcher 1: Quantitative Methods

How do psychologists come up with, and test, their ideas? This module introduces you to some of the quantitative (numbers-based) methods we use to conduct research. You will learn, through extensive practical experience, how to: decide on research questions and hypotheses; plan research studies; use software to collect and analyse data; and write up your findings in an academic report. You will also learn about some of the past and current debates surrounding psychological research, and engage in discussions about how to conduct research ethically and professionally.

Module code: PSYC40809

Developmental And Biological Psychology Across The Lifespan

The module takes a life-span perspective covering a range of typical and atypical developments from prenatal to ageing. You will learn about cognitive, emotional and socially typical and atypical development. Special attention will be given to the biological underpinnings of development including sensation and perception, learning and memory, and neurotypical and atypical development.

Module code: PSYC50814

Exploring Difference: A Quantitative Approach

How do psychologists explore how people differ? How can we analyse and understand patterns of behaviour? This module will continue to advance students' knowledge of quantitative research methods in psychology as well as build knowledge and experience in applying these to topics within the area of the psychology of individual differences.

Module code: PSYC50815

People Behaving Badly: The Psychology Of Social Issues

What does it mean to ‘behave badly’? What circumstances might drive this to happen? Are there recommendations that might be made to minimise or eliminate this ‘bad behaviour’? The role and evaluation of psychology and its application to a range of contemporary social issues (for example, the impact of media violence) will be covered, and suggested solutions will be examined.

Module code: PSYC50816

Theory And Application Of Qualitative Research Methods

This module will introduce you to the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research approaches and provide you with experience of conducting and analysing qualitative research.

Module code: PSYC50820

Psychological Interventions

This is your opportunity to find out more about lots of different areas of psychology, and how psychology can be used to help people in different aspects of their lives. This module will help you to develop an in-depth knowledge of various psychological interventions, including health interventions, clinical interventions, and counselling interventions. You will consider recent psychological evidence and will discover how psychological interventions can contribute to improving peoples’ health and wellbeing.

Module code: PSYC50817

Psychology Of Social Perception

How can we use psychology to improve the world we live in? In this module, we consider a variety of social issues and how we can use social psychology to not only explain these phenomena but to help us solve real of the most pressing issues of our time. You will learn key skills such as how to apply psychological theory and how to use social psychology to support your views, while also developing a deeper appreciation for the field’s current and historical issues. Finally, the blog assessment on this module gives you the chance to apply your knowledge to areas that interest you!

Module code: PSYC50810

Childhood: Contexts And Wellbeing

Now that you are at level 5 we are going to tell you how challenging it is to really understand what influences the way a child develops! In this module you will learn about some key theories and methodologies that try and explain the multiple and bidirectional influences (e.g., family, school, media, culture) on a child’s development. You will learn that no research study is perfect, but that by using different approaches we can gain vital insight into how children and young people’s development can be supported. In the second part of this module we will specifically focus on children’s wellbeing and how psychological evidence can be used to inform strategies and interventions to improve wellbeing.

Module code: PSYC50811

Steps To Success 2

This module will continue your personal development planning (PDP) and career planning process and it will act as one of the main support mechanisms in Level 5. You will receive support from your tutor and the University careers team to put your action plan into place by engaging in a real-world experience such as a volunteering, or short course engagement tutor approved personal development opportunity. You will continue to work on your three identified life/career plans by pinpointing gaps in your knowledge/skills and preparing an action plan to achieve these. By the end of this module, you will be able to reflect on your 3 life plans and be able to assess your next steps.

Module code: PSYC50819

Psychology Research Assistantship

Are you interested in psychological research and want to gain first-hand insight into what is involved working as a researcher? This module provides the opportunity for you to gain real-world experience, working in a placement on a psychological research study, supervised by a research active member of staff. You will assist with various aspects of the research study you are assigned to, developing numerous transferable skills in the process; this is an excellent opportunity to build your CV and find out about the world of psychology research.

Module code: PSYC50821

Personalised Psychology Portfolio

This module gives students the choice to tailor their own learning by selecting multiple topics from a series of bitesize subjects (e.g., introduction to cognitive behavioural therapy, technical equipment, forensic and criminological psychology, child psychology, health psychology, clinical psychology, counselling or positive psychology) and gaining knowledge and skills in a variety of psychological topics. It allows students to get a brief flavour in areas that they would not have otherwise covered during the course of their degree and develop their time management and self-directed study skills.

Module code: PSYC60805

Child Psychology: Theory To Practice

You are becoming an expert in Psychology and Child Development, but now it is time to develop your skills at sharing your expertise with others! During this module you will continue to develop your in-depth understanding of child psychology and we will be focusing on your ability to think about how this knowledge can be applied to real-world setting – and communicated in a way that non-psychologists will be able to understand.

Module code: PSYC60811

Parapsychology And Anomalous Experiences

The truth is out there? This course will evaluate the psychological theories and explanations for paranormal and anomalistic experiences including but not limited to ghosts, possessions, out of body experiences, and psychic/telekinetic abilities. We will explore how Psychologists have conducted research into the phenomena covered and consider the real-world impact of this research. The purpose of the module is not to change your mind or make you believe a certain thing (or not) but to explore how we might interpret paranormal and anomalistic phenomena and experiences.

Module code: PSYC60803

Advanced Quantitative Research Methods

In this module you will be taught a selection of advanced quantitative analyses. You will learn about advanced data screening and also how to write up research for different audiences.

Module code: PSYC60800

Psychology Project

The Psychology Project is an opportunity for you to apply understanding of psychological theory and research methods in answering specific research questions of your own choosing. During the course of the module, you will need to develop a detailed understanding of current psychological theory and research findings in one, narrowly focused area. You will also need to develop and refine your research skills. These will include skills in literature searching, in research design and planning, in data collection, in data analysis, in research reporting and in reflecting on the research process. How you go about developing your understanding of the psychology of your research topic, and how you develop your research skills, is very much up to you - you will be responsible for planning and timetabling your own learning. Your learning will be supported throughout the module. You will be allocated a member of staff who will supervise your project and will be available to provide advice within the framework detailed in the module handbook. Your learning will be supported by timetabled sessions that aim to assist you in developing, running and writing up your project as well as the library and electronic infrastructure with which you will already be familiar.

Module code: PSYC60808

Neuropsychological Disorders

This module explores a range of disorders of the brain, integrating many disciplines such as cognitive neuropsychology, atypical development, neurology and cognitive neuroscience. Through investigating and evaluating research, students consider disorders such as autism, OCD, delusions, hallucinations, dementia. The purpose of this module is to understand how the structure/function of the brain relates to specific psychological processes and the subsequent symptoms and experience.

Module code: PSYC60801

Health Psychology

This module will provide an overview of the core issues and debates within health psychology. Topics may change annually to reflect the debates at the forefront of the discipline, but illustrations of topics include models and theories of health behaviour, long-term conditions, communication issues in health-care settings, health promotion, and health inequalities.

Module code: PSYC60799

Children And Pictures

How and why were pictures first created by our historical ancestors? What are the variety and functions of pictures in our modern world? A study of children’s picture making and understanding of pictures gives us insight not only into childhood but also the development of our pictorial world that we live in. The module shall examine questions within children's making and understanding of pictures, which will be approached from various perspectives: developmental, cognitive, clinical, aesthetic, educational, and cross-cultural. Where appropriate, we will also make links more generally to the child’s development. The contact will be through 2-hour interactive lectures, plus a series of seminars. The assessment is a 2,500 word literature review in which you will choose one title from a list. You will be given guidance on understanding what a literature review is and how to approach it.

Module code: PSYC60797

Steps To Success 3

This module will act as one of the main support mechanisms in Level 6. You will be assigned a L6 supervisor/academic mentor who will support you in your developing your careers/life plan action plan which will be a collection of your work on your life/career plans as well as documents such as CV, personal statement, LinkedIn profile in preparation of seeking employment or PG course applications. University Careers sessions will be provided in taught session to help you achieve this.

Module code: PSYC60810

Behavioural Medicine

This module provides students with an historical background of the origins of contemporary Behavioural Medicine. Students will explore and critically analyse key theories and concepts that address the relationships among behavioural, physiological and psychosocial processes linked to health and disease in humans.

Module code: PSYC60802

Society And The Mind

Learning about psychology is one thing…learning how to use psychology is quite another! In this module you will explore how key theories and ideas in social and cognitive psychology are used to tackle important issues in society. For instance, what tools does psychology offer us for combating prejudice and discrimination? How can we use psychological theory to prevent fatalities in car accidents? You will have the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will not only help you understand how and why we behave as we do…but will be key for employability following your degree.

Module code: PSYC60809

Psychology Of Oppression And Empowerment

The module will consider a number of contemporary socio-political issues at national and global level and will evaluate the contribution of psychological theories, research and practice towards addressing and influencing such issues, including those of oppression and empowerment in society. The areas/issues may vary from year to year, according to socio-political developments, but will include mental health, poverty, gender/sexuality, war, politics and law, in a variety of contexts such as the workplace, media, education, welfare, or health. The module will address issues of representation, theorisation and research in psychological applications to these areas and will evaluate the ethical and professional consequences and implications thereof, as well the impact of these challenges on professional and discipline development in psychology.

Module code: PSYC60807

Psychology Placement Year

Module code: PSYCP0001

Personal And Professional Perspectives In Counselling

This module will build on students knowledge of reflective models to help them engage in critical reflexivity as they analyse their own counselling skills and personal development to becoming a reflective practitioner. Reflexivity is a key feature of the module and students are encouraged to reflect on personal and professional development through group participation, large and small group experiential exercises, triads and individual reflection. Students will develop an ability to analyse skills used in counselling practice and make valuable links between the use of theory and core skills to facilitate the therapeutic process.

Module code: PSYC60804