Unit Options and s BSc Applied Psychology (Full-Time) Core units Year 1 Foundations to Psychology Introduction to Psychological Research and Data Analysis Psychology in Everyday Life Options Please choose ONE of the following units Introduction to Counselling Psychology and Criminal Behaviour Health and Wellbeing Psychology Unit Details Foundations to Psychology This unit introduces four of the core areas of Psychology as distinguished by the British Psychological Society. These are Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Individual Differences. The aim is for students to gain a breadth of understanding of the theoretical and experimental debates within these areas with a view to addressing the question: How are psychological theories developed and investigated ethically? Throughout the Unit established ideas in Psychology (e.g. classical conditioning) will be discussed from a historical perspective, students will then use skills in information literacy to locate and evaluate more recent experimental research which builds upon initial theories. 1
Core text Comer, R., Gould, E., & Furnham, A., (2013). Psychology. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Link to Library Catalogue for this text: http://library.beds.ac.uk/record=b1606772~s20 Introduction to Psychological Research and Data Analysis The unit is designed to introduce you to the idea of the discipline of psychology as a science and discusses the theoretical and practical applications of how Psychologists design, conduct, analyse and write up an ethically sound research project. The unit is split in three integrated sections covering a variety of quantitative methodological research designs, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, and an introduction to how psychologists analyse qualitative data. The Unit aims to encourage you to consider what is meant by the scientific study of psychology and examine how the BPS ethical guidelines underpin researching psychological issues. It also aims to provide you with the skills needed to begin to critically evaluate published research and statistical claims in the media. s McQueen, R. A & Knussen, C (2006) Introduction to research methods and statistics in psychology. Harlow. Pearson, Prentice Hall Hinton, P, McMurray, I and Brownlow, C (2014) SPSS Explained, 2 nd Edition. London. Routledge. Psychology in Everyday Life This unit aims to enhance knowledge of psychological topics by framing them in the context of everyday life and everyday behaviours and further develop independent learning abilities and critical thinking. You will gain topic knowledge and an understanding of psychological theory using the observable and latent behaviour of yourselves, others and groups within society. This unit develops your knowledge of contemporary topics in psychology, professional and transferable skills, and your ability to reflect upon your learner development, framing this using key developmental psychology theories. Hogg, M.A., & Vaughan, G.M. (2011) Social Psychology (6 th Edition) Harlow: Pearson 2
Introduction to Counselling This unit aims to introduce students to the concepts of counselling, psychotherapy, coaching and psychological therapies. The students will be introduced to major theoretical approaches, the developmental theories that inform them and the relevant therapeutic interventions. An overview of the most commonly presented psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, depression will be introduced as well as a short overview of the relevant interventions. It also aims to offer an experiential approach to the application of counselling skills. Hough, M. (2010). Counselling Skills and Theory. 3rd edition. London: Hodder and Stoughton Psychology and Criminal Behaviour The unit will provide you with an introduction to the study of criminal behaviour, covering a basic grounding in some of the major issues, theories and research within the forensic psychology field. It will facilitate your understanding of the contexts (environmental, social and psychological) within which criminal behaviour occurs and the fundamental skills that are required of forensic psychologists in the assessment and rehabilitation of offenders. The unit will explore theories of criminal behaviour and integrate criminal and forensic psychology into the knowledge of other areas of psychology to which you are being introduced in level 4 (e.g., biological, developmental, social and cognitive psychology, individual differences and research methods). Offender typologies and criminal-career paths for different types of offender (e.g., male, female, young, mentally disordered etc.) and different types of crime (violent, sexual, stalking, terrorism etc.) will be investigated. Bartol, C. A. & Bartol, A. M. (2011). Criminal behaviour. A psychosocial approach, Pearson/Prentice Hall Health and Wellbeing Psychology This unit provides you with an introduction to the core themes in Health and Wellbeing Psychology. In this unit you will critically examine the ways in which psychological, biological 3
and social knowledge combine to offer explanations of health, illness and psychological wellbeing. You will also examine the prominent theories and models in the field and study key aspects of health psychology such as stress, pain, chronic illness and traumatic injury, with a focus on health promotion strategies and ways by which quality of life might be improved. The unit aims to enable you to gain a breadth of understanding across the discipline of health psychology to enable you to identify and describe how health psychology as a discipline can be applied to a wide range of health behaviours and an awareness of the theoretical approach, which underpins the discipline. Throughout the unit you will discuss established ideas in health psychology and draw on areas such as Social Psychology, Individual Differences and Biological Psychology to expand upon the initial theory and develop your understanding. Ogden, J. (2012). Health Psychology: A Textbook (5 th Edn). Buckingham: Open University Press. 4
Year 2 All units are core Social Processes and Lifespan Development Biological and Cognitive Psychology Methods of Research in Psychology Psychology in Practice Unit Details Social Processes and Lifespan Development The unit explores key topics in developmental and social psychology with a view to addressing the question: How do individuals change and develop across the lifespan? The aim is for you to develop an understanding of aspects of biological, cognitive and social development from the prenatal stage through to old age with an emphasis on culture, society, and social factors. This unit encourages critical reading and evaluation of current research articles, and provides an opportunity to conduct and participate in small-scale empirical exercises relevant to the unit topics. This unit aims to allow you to learn academic and transferable skills including writing critical reviews and provides the opportunity to reflect on personal development and career goals. Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2011). Life-Span Human Development. (7 th ed.) Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA, USA. Biological and Cognitive Psychology The unit examines human thinking, perception, language, memory and learning at two related levels of explanation. At the biological level the aim is to explain and investigate the physiology and neuroanatomy of behaviour. The unit will therefore enable you to integrate biological concepts into your knowledge of other areas of psychology such as individual differences and cognition. 5
At the cognitive level, the unit takes an information processing approach to theories of memory, perception language and thinking and aims to relate these theories to everyday behaviour from face recognition and eye-witness testimony to the use of mobile phones in cars. Staff research informs a number of the topics covered in this unit, for example, language processing, perception, attention and behaviour. The Unit aims to: Develop an understanding of information processing and computational models of human thinking Provide a grounding in neuroanatomy and the physiology of behaviour Develop biopsychological explanations of cognitive processes; Provide the opportunity to test theories by experiment Examine the impact of the structure and organisation of cognitive system on human behaviour Develop an appreciation and critical reflection on the various research methods, conceptual and historical issues relevant to cognitive and biological psychology Encourage critical reading and discussion of primary sources Toates, F. (2011), Biological Psychology. Edinburgh, Pearson Education Ltd. Methods of Research in Psychology This unit builds on the first level units on research methods and extends into an exploration of the assessment of personality and individual differences. The central question is how to select the most appropriate research method to answer particular questions, develop and validate methods of psychological assessment, and consider ethical issues relating to the design of research through to the dissemination of findings. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in software packages such as the SPSS for statistics, software for qualitative analysis, and programs for designing and conducting laboratory experiments, as well as for database search. Students will expand their knowledge on research design and methods of collecting and analysing data working individually as well as in groups on research topics of their choice in preparation for the final year Honours Project. Staff research will inform the content of the unit and engage the students in current research activities related to the topics covered in the unit. s Bryman, A. (2011) Quantitative Data Analysis with SPSS London: Routledge Banister, P., Burman, E., Parker I., Taylor, M. and Tindall, C. (2003) Qualitative Methods in Psychology: A Research Guide. 2 nd Edition. Milton Keynes: Open University Press 6
Psychology in Practice In this unit we will introduce different applied areas of psychology, some of which are related to recognised Chartered Psychologist roles as well as the roles of psychologists working in community or organisational settings. The areas include, for example, health, clinical, educational, forensic, community and occupational psychology. Each of the applied areas will be explored through the lens of a practitioner and four key themes for practice will be addressed. These are; building professional skills for employability, conceptual and historical issues in psychology, recognising and incorporating an appreciation of culture and diversity into professional practice and raising the awareness of the ethical issues that can arise in practice. The unit topics will include an exploration of potential safeguards and solutions to problems. Coolican, H. (2007). Applied Psychology. Revised 2 nd Edition. Hodder Education 7
Year Three This is your placement Year You will take one unit: Work Placement (Applied Psychology) In this unit you will have the opportunity to experience how the academic study of Psychology can be applied in real world situations, such as mental health and social services settings, educational institutions, the Police, businesses, and various other types of organisations. It will help you develop not only practical but also interpersonal skills, and to monitor your own progress. You should thereby gain a fresh insight into the study of Psychology at Level 6, develop further psychological expertise, and increase their employability on graduating. This unit will not involve any classroom teaching. The aims of the module are: 1. To provide you with direct experience of how psychological knowledge and skills are applied to real world situations. 2. To provide a focus for the study of psychology where the applied nature of the discipline is underscored and where you would be expected to apply your own knowledge in a particular real world environment. 3. To enhance sensitivity and understanding of the ethical issues that arise in the design and conduct of psychological research in a real world environment or the application of psychology in such an environment. 4. To encourage a positive and enthusiastic approach to work both in academic and real world settings. Bayne, R. & Horton I. (2003) Applied Psychology. London: Sage 8
Year 4 Core Units Psychology Honours Project Culture and Individual differences Options Semester One Please choose TWO of the following units Atypical Child and Adolescent Development: Theories and Applications Occupational and Organisational Psychology Coaching Psychology Problem Solving Options Semester Two Please choose TWO of the following units Cognitive Neuropsychology Applied Health Psychology Psychology of Mental Health Psychology of Language and Vision Critical Social Psychology Unit Details Psychology Honours Project The Research Project is designed to enhance your pre-existing research methods skills and further develop independent learning abilities and critical thinking. You are required to blend the dichotomous elements of supervised academic research along with independent critical evaluation of your own learning and professional practices. This unit allows you to enhance your knowledge of a specific research topic in contemporary psychology, your professional and transferable skills, and your ability to reflect upon your learner development, framing this using key developmental psychology theories. The American Psychological Society s Guide to Undergraduate Student Research and Writing: https://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/student-research.aspx 9
Culture and Individual differences This unit will consider cultural and individual differences within the area of cross-cultural psychology. Cross-cultural psychology is the comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology. It examines psychological diversity and the links between cultural norms and behaviour. Hence it is a complement to individual differences as well as all the main topics within psychology. Cross-cultural psychology uses comparative methods to establish psychological concepts, principles and hypotheses from the perspective of generalizability, on a range of phenomena from cognition to emotion; intelligence to personality. The purpose of the unit is to introduce the field of cross-cultural psychology and its contemporary applications. Within the context of globalization of knowledge and societies, this unit will enable us to investigate psychology s contribution to the various changes that are taking place in various applied fields such as education, health, mental health and work practices. Shiraev, E & Levy, D. (2013). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. International and 4th eds. New York. Allyn & Bacon. Atypical Child and Adolescent Development: Theories and Applications The unit addresses the question of what makes a child atypical or exceptional. It therefore looks at the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment or outcomes of atypical development. You will also examine how different issues involved with exceptional children and atypical development affect and are influenced by families, education, and society. The unit aims to: introduce an aetiological developmental framework for understanding exceptional children. examine cognitive and psychosocial aspects of selected difficulties in learning, perception, attention and emotional and social development. introduce key issues in psychological assessment and intervention. develop a critical awareness of the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary research in the field of atypical development. discuss and evaluate the ways in which practice informs theory in our understanding of human development. 10
provide information about research and assessment in developmental psychology and demonstrate how developmental research can be ethically applied in different settings. provide illustrations of the application of developmental theory and research to issues in the real world. This unit has applications for those with interests in the field of education and welfare (teaching, child and adolescent mental health, educational psychology and social work). Stein, S.M. & Chowdhury, U. (2006). Disorganized Children: A guide for parents and professionals. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Occupational and Organisational Psychology This unit addresses the question How can psychology contribute to the contemporary workplace and the performance and wellbeing of organisations and employees? You will study a wide range of topics that emphasise the application of theory and evidence to improving aspects of the workplace. While the unit will have special interest to those planning a career in occupational psychology, you should be able to apply your learning to your future career regardless of your chosen field. The unit syllabus is based upon research evidence, with material being updated by the teaching team. Arnold, J. and Randall, R. (2010) Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, London: Prentice Hall Coaching Psychology This unit aims to enable you to understand what is meant by the concept of coaching. It also aims to introduce you to the currently leading models of coaching psychology and understand the basic psychological principles which inform them. This module aims to offer you the opportunity of enhanced personal insight and reflection with the skills to apply this to self-management. It also aims to enable you to recognise, discriminate and apply core coaching and interpersonal skills in a peer coaching role. The emphasis on skills development is designed with the aim being relevant to further study in the field of work psychology, and also to aid in your employability and career development. 11
Palmer, S., & Whybrow, A. (2007). Handbook of Coaching Psychology: A Guide for Practitioners. London: Routledge Problem Solving This unit deals with how we try to solve problems of all kinds from several different theoretical perspectives; additionally how expertise develops, and the conditions under which instruction works best. It examines thinking and reasoning and students will learn about the difficulties and biases humans have in thinking and decision-making, Real world relevance and application are considered throughout the material covered in the unit. Robertson, S. I. (2001) Problem Solving, Hove, Sussex: Psychology Press Cognitive Neuropsychology The unit aims to provide a guide to the underlying principles involved in neuropsychological investigations. More specifically the unit focuses on the history of cognitive neuropsychology, the methodologies and assumptions of neuropsychological research and the applications of this research to real world problems. Key concepts from cognitive and biological psychology are examined from a neuropsychological perspective, to include, executive functioning and frontal lobe deficits, memory and amnesia linking to Korsakoff Syndrome, agnosia and spatial neglect. The syllabus is keep up to date by using recent case studies and everyday examples to provide an accessible way to understand the more challenging ideas that underpin the subject. Current research will also be highlighted to aid student learning. Martin. G. N. (2006). Human Neuropsychology. 2nd Ed. Pearson, Prentice Hall. Applied Health Psychology Health Psychology aims to unravel the role of mind, behaviour and lifestyle in promoting and maintaining health, preventing illness and enhancing quality of life. 12
This unit provides a critical appreciation of this bio-psycho-social perspective to the understanding of health and disease. The content of this unit will be informed by the research interests, expertise and consultancy activities of the teaching team. In this unit, students will draw on previous learning in the areas of Social Psychology, Individual Differences, and Biological Psychology with a view to understanding how theories and models from each area can be integrated and applied to the promotion and maintenance of health. This unit will provide students with an insight into the field of Health Psychology which will be of particular interest to those wishing to pursue further study in this area. The aims of this unit are to provide students with: a critical appreciation of the bio-psycho-social perspective to the understanding of health and disease a critical understanding of methods utilized in the discipline and how they may be applied in health care settings and community practice. a broad understanding of developing and evaluating the role of public health campaigns and interventions in facilitating positive health behavior change. Bartholomew, K., Parcel, G. S., Kok, G. & Gottlieb, N. H. (2011). Planning Health Promotion Programs: Intervention Mapping (3 rd Edn). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, LTD. Psychology of Mental Health This unit will allow you to familiarise yourself with the main issues relating mental health problems and therefore help you develop a good grounding towards further study and training or employment in role relating to mental health. The unit aims to: introduce you to the main theoretical and therapeutic approaches to mental health problems present and evaluate major aspects in the classification of mental health problems familiarise you with the clinical symptoms of the most common psychological disorders encourage you to critically discuss aetiological models and therapeutic interventions of the major mental health problems in the light of traditional but also recent concepts and empirical findings discuss the importance of socio-cultural factors in the causation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health problems. Comer, R. J. (2004). Abnormal Psychology, 5th ed. New York: Worth. 13
Psychology of Language and Vision This unit requires students to look in depth at up to date research in two key areas of Cognitive Psychology: Language and Vision. The aim is for you to gain a detailed understanding of theoretical and experimental debates within these areas with a view to addressing the question: What does current research tell us about human language and visual systems? Throughout the unit you will be introduced to historical research in the areas of language and vision. You will then examine recent research in these areas specifically focusing on how up to date methodologies (for example research using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) have affected discussions in these areas. Harley, T. (2008). The Psychology of Language. Hove: Psychology Press. Link to library catalogue for this text: http://library.beds.ac.uk/record=b1429767~s20 Critical Social Psychology Social Psychology, along with other disciplines in the social sciences, like sociology and anthropology for example, underwent a critical self-examination or crisis (c.f. Parker, 1989; Jackson, 1988, Stainton Rogers et. al., 1995) that started in the late 1960s and went well into the 1980s. In this unit you will come into contact with some of the challenges to the taken-for-granted assumptions that are often held in the field of social psychology, in particular assumptions that the knowledge in the discipline is free from historical, cultural, ideological, political and moral influences. You will explore some of the alternative developments that emerged, such as social constructionism, discourse analysis and narrative psychology, and consider their potential application to topics such as, aggression and violence, and the emotions. You will be exposed to contemporary critical literature and research, with direct application to areas such as Health Psychology and Political Psychology. By the end, you should be in a position to make an informed decision as to the most appropriate way to study social psychological phenomena. Stainton Rogers, W. (2011) Social psychology: Experimental and critical approaches. (2 nd ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press. 14