Psychology (Summer School) module (LD02003)

Module Leader

Anne Scrimgeour

Course Overview

This introductory course gives an overview of Psychology. The course introduces four approaches to the science of mind and behaviour; Cognitive, Biological, Developmental and Social Psychology.

Course Aims and Objectives

The overall aim is to provide students with an understanding of the topics Psychology covers, and the ways in which Psychological theories are developed through research.

List of Topics

Social Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. Social Psychology seeks to understand how and why individuals behave, think and feel as they do in social situations. Social psychologists therefore apply experimental and investigative methods to examine the nature and causes of behaviour and thought in social situations. Topics include

• Crowd Behaviour
• Terror Management Theory
• Obedience
• Social Influence

Biological Psychology

The second section of the course introduces the biological networks which underlie human cognitive processes. You will be learning about the brain as a biological entity and its relationship to behaviour

• The structure of the brain
• Localisation of function
• How the brain is studied
• Abnormal development and injury to the brain

Developmental Psychology

The main aim of this element of the course is to give you a broader understanding of several of the main topics within the developmental field. We will introduce some of the research methods that are used in this particular field of Psychology and will highlight how different areas of Psychology complement one another, in particular Clinical, Health and Developmental Psychology. Attachment, Piaget, Infant Feeding and Maternal Wellbeing

Cognitive Psychology

This section will briefly cover some of the mental processes involved in Memory, Language, Perception and Attention and will provide an introduction to the methods used in Cognitive Psychology. By the end of this course you should have a basic understanding of some of the key theories and models that have been proposed to explain the processes relating to Memory, Language, Perception and Attention.

Course Schedule

Week 1. Social Psychology and online introductory workshop

Week 2. Biological Psychology and class experiment

Week 3. Developmental Psychology and online lecture

Week 4. Cognitive Psychology and online lecture

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students should have a better understanding of Psychology as a scientific discipline. The course aims to provide a good knowledge and critical understanding of:

• Psychology as a scientific discipline
• A selection of research in Cognitive, Biological, and Social Psychology

Assessments

The course is based on continuous assessment:

• 1 class workbook worth 80% in total (workbook based on class experiment in second week). Coursework will be submitted to Turnitin
• 2 Multiple Choice Quizzes - each worth 10%

Resources/Materials

Each member of the teaching team will provide a reading list tailored to their specific course. As an initial point of reference students are advised to consult Holt, N and Bremner, A (2015) Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. Berks. McGraw-Hill Higher Education or earlier editions.