Module PSYC3367: Fallacies and Biases: Social Cognitive Perspectives

Department: Psychology

PSYC3367: Fallacies and Biases: Social Cognitive Perspectives

Prerequisites

• 40 credits from C800 Psychology Level 2 modules

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To understand the core principles of human social cognition that guide judgement and decision-making and can give rise to cognitive biases

Content

• This module examines core principles of human social cognition that guide judgement and decision-making and can give rise to biases
• Topics can vary from year to year but are likely to include core principles of social cognition including use of judgmental heuristics, categorisation and stereotyping, illusory correlation, and implicit measurement techniques
• The module will also cover related conceptual and historical issues in social cognition

Learning Outcomes

• Detailed knowledge of a range of specific research topics and methods in the field of social cognition

• • 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

• Students' acquisition of detailed knowledge will be facilitated by lectures, (break-out) small group work, audio-visual materials, discussions and detailed reading lists
• These modes of teaching provide students with detailed knowledge of the key theories and the skills needed to evaluate different theoretical positions in light of current evidence
• Guided private study and in-class discussions will ensure that students are exposed to a range of different theoretical positions, and encouraged to understand their inter-relations
• Lectures and in-class discussions will also give students the opportunity to interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work
• The exam will assess students' detailed subject knowledge
• An assessment of the range, recency and appropriateness of sources will be included in the overall assessment of the exam
• The exam assesses students' acquired knowledge of theoretical principles and empirical studies and their ability to organise and synthesise them coherently and critically in written form in response to a set question
• The exam will also assess students' written communication skills

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

None

■ 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