Module PSYS3231: APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

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

PSYS3231: APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

Prerequisites

• 100 credits from Level 2 Applied Psychology (C810) OR Brain Process of Cognition and Perception (PSYC2111)

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The aim of this module is to introduce students to issues in the application of psychology in the real world environments

Content

• The content of this module will vary from year to year. At least two areas of applied psychology from those listed below will be covered each year.
• Educational Psychology (example topics: psychology in the classroom – theories of; promoting learning – motivation, metacognition; increasing attainment – learning styles, working memory; behaviour problems – bullying, comorbidity)
• Applied Developmental Psychology (example topics: developmental disorders – diagnosis and aetiology; Abnormal vs. Delay – implications for pedagogy; SEN in schools – remediation and practical issues; language and numeracy development; early childhood language; environmental influences on language; symbolic skills and number development; children’s real-world representations)
• Health psychology (example topics: psychology and health promotion/disease prevention; the psychology of illness; judgement and decision research applied to health care; doctor-patient communication)
• Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience (example topics: methods in cognitive neuroscience; aetiology of brain damage; recovery after brain damage; using neuroscientific methods to understand, diagnose and treat neuropsychological and psychiatric disorders - this will be illustrated with respect to a number of different disorders, e.g. visuospatial disorders, emotional disorders, conversion hysteria, migraine etc.)
• Forensic Psychology (example topics: psychological processes and crime - sociological and criminological theories of crime; personality and crime; neuropsychology and crime; evolutionary psychology and crime; the process of offender profiling; children in the legal context; eyewitness testimony; interviewing in the legal context; juvenile delinquency)
• Advanced Research Methods in Applied Psychology (example topics: meta-analysis, factor analysis; confirmatory factor analysis; cluster analysis, structural equation modelling, multi-dimensional scaling; network analysis; logistic regression)
• Sex and Gender (example topics: biological, social and evolutionary theories of sex differences in relation to selected topics such as cognition, leadership styles, psychopathology, parenting)
• Sport Psychology (example topics: Personality and Sport; Anxiety, Stress & Performance; Attention & Concentration Motivation; Skill Acquisition & Development; Enhancing Performance (e.g. Mental Imagery, Relaxation training) and Social Factors in Sport (e.g. team cohesion, leadership, crowd effects, aggression)

Learning Outcomes

• Detailed knowledge of specialist areas in psychology including current theory, evidence, and research methods
• In-depth knowledge of some specialist sub-areas of applied psychology

• Ability to review critically and consolidate understanding of a coherent body of psychological knowledge and apply it appropriately

• Good written communication skills
• Good IT skills in word processing, data manipulation, and data presentation
• Ability to work independently in scholarship and research within broad guidelines

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

• Knowledge and understanding is developed through the weekly two hour sessions involving a variety of learning modes including lectures, video based material, and student presentations
• This knowledge will be assessed in the summative assignment, and the written examination. These assessments will be essay based, providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to appraise and apply empirical evidence and theoretical claims in a critical manner
• Preparations for the summative assignments will promote students’ abilities to locate, read and evaluate a body of evidence. Feedback is provided for the summative assignments
• All modes of teaching are designed to promote critical evaluation of evidence and arguments, to adopt different theoretical positions, and to interpret empirical work in terms of theory. These abilities are assessed via written assignments. Feedback is provided for the summative assignments.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Student presentations and/or a written report

■ 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