Module PSYS2171: DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Psychology (Applied Psychology) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

PSYS2171: DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Prerequisites

• 100 credits from Applied Psychology Level 1 modules

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To consider the different approaches to understanding personality and intelligence and to introduce students to the main issues and debates in these areas
• To provide understanding of psychometric tests and skills in their administration and design

Content

• This module provides students with an understanding of the many different approaches to personality and intelligence, and trains students in skills necessary for the administration and design of psychometric instruments
• Students acquire knowledge relating to the major theoretical approaches to personality and intelligence
• They will develop understanding of the most important issues in personality and intelligence research, with a particular emphasis on the role of genetics and environment
• They also develop practical knowledge of the issues, surrounding measurement of psychological variables and basic skills in the administration and design of psychological tests
• Students are expected to analyse data from psychometric instruments in order to interpret and improve their reliability, validity and structure and also present computer generated output of such information in an acceptable form
• The module will cover related conceptual and historical issues in psychology

Learning Outcomes

• Students should acquire a broad range of knowledge in intelligence and personality and in-depth knowledge of the key areas covered in the module (eg psychometrics)
• Knowledge and understanding of statistics for psychology

• Understanding the relationship between theory and data, including the ability to evaluate theories and concepts
• Ability to formulate research questions and hypotheses

• Competent in written communication skills
• Competent IT skills in word processing and data presentation
• Effective retrieval and organisation of material
• Locate, read and review a body of research evidence
• Critical evaluation of the quality of evidence and arguments
• Ability to adopt difference theoretical positions and see relationships between them

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Student acquisition of knowledge of work on personality and intelligence and the bases of psychometric testing is guided by lectures and supplemented by reading
• Skills in the use of psychometric tests are acquired in the practical sessions
• This knowledge will be assessed in the formative and summative assessments, and the written examination. The examination and one formative assessment will be essay-based, providing students with the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to organise, review and evaluate evidence and theory, to provide critical appraisal, and to contrast theoretical positions. Feedback on progress in acquiring knowledge in the module is provided in the formative assessment. The summative psychometric test report and the other formative assignment assess the students skills in using and interpreting psychometric test instruments
• Understanding of the relationship between theory and evidence is supported directly by the lecture content and practical activities that encourage students to interpret evidence theoretically, and to compare competing theoretical accounts. The development of students' skills in this domain is assessed in the formative essay, and in the examination
• Abilities to reason scientifically and to effectively retrieve, locate, organise and use information is facilitated by the preparation for seminars and assessment activities, and by the feedback from the formative assessment. Scientific reasoning and organisation of written material is assessed in the formative essay and in the examination
• The skills involved in preparing psychometric test reports to a satisfactory standard are supported by the practical activities and feedback from the formative test assessment
• A key component in the preparation of formative essays is the acquisition of adequate word processing skills. Feedback is providing regarding the adequacy of these skills where necessary

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One exam length essay on either personality or intelligence. One formative test report (results section only),

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University