Introductory description

FP010-30 Psychology

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Part 1: Perspectives; including classical studies and contemporary issues.

• Contributions made by a variety of different theorists to the understanding of human behaviour.
• Cognitive, humanistic, behavioural, psychodynamic, biological, and social learning theory approaches to our understanding of human behaviour including motivation and classical studies in psychology.

Part 2: Research methods including classical studies, contemporary issues, experimental techniques, and research design.
Ways of collecting data in psychology are explored. Included in the discussion are contemporary issues in considering psychological methods, including:

• Gender and cultural bias in research.
• Social implications of research in the real world.
• W.E.I.R.D. samples and the problems associated with generalisation: see The Neglected 95% (Arnett 2008) and The Weirdest People in The World (Henrich, 2010).
• Cultural differences in psychology (e.g., in attachment).
• Replication crisis.
• Discussion of the extent to which psychology can be described as a science etc.
• Ethical issues in Psychological Research.

Part 3: Mental Health and Illness

• Defining abnormality.
• Diagnosis – how have times changed, the DSM, the ICD, the difference between psychology and psychiatry.
• Treatment: including pharmacological and therapeutic approaches.
• Disorders, Diagnosis and Treatment: could include Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and Eating Disorders.

Part 4: The Brain

• Cells of the nervous system, the structure and function of the neuron.
• The various parts of the brain and their primary functions and the lateralization of functions between the two hemispheres.
• Neuroplasticity, brain injury and brain disease: could include Parkinson's, Huntington's and Aphasia Sensory systems.
• The biopsychology of stress and the association between stress and health.
• Memory, including the multi-store model of memory (MSM) and the working memory model (WMM), eyewitness testimony, reconstructive memory, and their biases.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Critically evaluate behavioural, cognitive and humanistic explanations of behaviour and motivation
• Evaluate the merits of different research methods, and recognise the writing structure of peer reviewed journal publications in Psychology
• Consider and appreciate the biological bases of human behaviour
• Understand theoretical models of mental illness, identify selected psychological disorders, and understand tools for diagnosis and treatment

Indicative reading list

https://rl.talis.com/3/warwick/lists/015C73D7-1EA5-9301-2E13-C47EB41916E5.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Interdisciplinary

Part of a wider Psychology module which also covers Inquiry and Research Skills, English for Academic Purposes, Statistics for Science, Biology Principles and Practice, and Chemistry for Science.

Subject specific skills

An introductory overview of psychology.

Transferable skills

Critical thinking, group work, essay writing, presentation, communicating through contemporary media types.