Psychology: Core concepts and skills

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Dr Michael Mallaghan
• Assessment: a 1500-word essay (30%), a 500-word review of a journal article (20%), a one-hour in-class timed assessment (30%), a learning portfolio (15%) and participation and attendance (5%)

In this module we explore how theory in psychology is built, highlighting the difficulties of developing a truly scientific understanding of human behaviour. The aim is to help you begin your journey as a psychologist, in particular to develop your ability to critique, integrate and apply psychological perspectives.

You will also be supported to develop the core skills required to successfully complete a degree in psychology.

Indicative syllabus

• Introduction: What is psychology?
• Psychology as a science - and the importance of ethics
• Why maths (and numbers) matter
• History of psychology part 1: nativism and empiricism
• Research methodologies and design
• Alternative (qualitative) methods
• Sourcing your reading - and reading skills
• History of psychology part 2: the relationship between the mind and behaviour
• Finding evidence and interpreting it
• What it takes to succeed academically: exploring the role of motivation and intelligence
• Is there a 'best' way to learn?
• Writing skills: essays and lab reports
• History of psychology part 3: making sense of the different perspectives in psychology
• Critical thinking and evaluating research papers
• Bring it together: developing your academic voice and integrating perspectives
• Preparing for an exam

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• understand the importance and significance of psychology
• explain what makes psychology a science
• describe the importance of research in psychology
• understand basic descriptive statistics
• understand how inferential statistics might be used
• understand the key differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches to research
• describe the importance and significance of ethics in psychology
• understand the function of each section of a journal paper and an ability to explain how this relates to your own laboratory report
• understand the importance of laboratory reports in providing an overall understanding of an experiment
• demonstrate appreciation of the relationship between theory and research
• provide an explanation of the historical development of theories and research in psychology
• demonstrate confidence in evaluating and thinking critically about theory and research in psychology.