Module PSYS2171: DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY

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

PSYS2171: DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Prerequisites

• 100 credits from C817 Psychology (Applied) Level 1 modules

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To understand individual and some group differences in personality (e.g. in anxiety, extraversion) and ability (e.g. intelligence, navigation skills) and to introduce students to the main issues and debates in these areas
• To appreciate different methodological approaches to individual differences including theoretical, biological and behavioural approaches

Content

• Students acquire knowledge relating to the major theoretical approaches to individual differences in personality and ability
• They will develop understanding of the most important issues in personality and ability research, with a particular emphasis on heritability and the environment, and biological underpinnings (e.g. neurogenetics, neuropeptides, brain structure and function)
• They also develop practical knowledge of the issues, surrounding measurement of psychological variables and basic skills in the administration and design of psychological tests
• 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 ability and in-depth knowledge of the key areas covered in the module (eg the neuroscience of individual variation in prosocial behaviour)
• Knowledge and understanding of instruments and tools used in personality research (questionnaires, psychometrics, related statistics)

• Understanding the relationship between theory, research questions, experimental designs and results, including the ability to critically evaluate different theories against data and against each other
• Understanding the contribution of single research articles to advancing knowledge of individual differences (and more generally)

• 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 different theoretical positions and see relationships between them
• Structure arguments

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 ability and the bases of psychometric testing is guided by lectures and supplemented by reading
• Skills in critical evaluation of single research articles to advancing knowledge of individual differences (theoretical background and testing, quality of evidence, strength of arguments, originality, significance and rigour) are honed in 'Journal Club' type seminars where the focus is on single articles (sometimes with 1-3 subisidary related articles)
• Knowledge and skills will be assessed in the formative and summative assessments, and the written examination. The formative assessment is 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 and in lecture(s) and 'Lecture/Queries' sessions after the formative and summative essays and before the written examination
• Ability 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, organisation of written material is assessed in the formative essay, summative essay, and in the examination.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One 1500 word essay on Individual Differences

■ 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