Psychology

This course focuses on the identification and response to learning difficulties and developmental disorders with a specific emphasis on primary education. Topics include: difficulties in the development of language, in the learning of reading, writing, and math; problems of behavior and maladjustment to the school system; physical disabilities (visual, auditory, and motor)-- problems of development and learning; intellectual disability and giftedness; generalized developmental disorders; emotional disorders.

This course introduces students to the foundations of Behavioral Science: the science that explains and predicts how humans make decisions. Students are introduced to the way in which we make judgements and investigate strategies for decision making. Students study cognitive biases and aspects of context which influence how/what judgements and decisions we make. This course also delves into the dynamics of decision-making in groups, exploring topics such as how groups make decisions effectively and the common pitfalls that can impede their success. Additionally, students delve into the role of choice architecture in shaping group decision-making processes, and analyze various heuristics that individuals use, such as anchoring and receptiveness, which can impact group decision-making. Importantly, across both parts of the course, discussion of core concepts and examples are woven together with new advances and applications in the field. 

The course provides a foundational understanding of psychological principles applied to physical activity and sport. It explores key topics such as personality, motivation, emotion, attention, group dynamics, and mental health, with a focus on their impact on athletic performance.  It discusses the role of the sports psychologist, behavioral assessment techniques, and innovative approaches like neuromotricity to enhance performance. The course also addresses psychological intervention, coaching, and program design for diverse populations, from elite athletes to individuals with special needs.

This course provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of human behavior and considers human nature and social life as revealed by recent development in the behavioral and humanistic science. It examines perception, motivation, and stress which underlie human behavior.

We need to regulate our thoughts, feelings and behavior in order to achieve our goals and succeed in life. In this course, students consider the processes involved in self-regulation, the role of emotions in self-regulation, and the relationship between self-regulation and mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Students also discuss the factors that lead people to fail at self-regulation, and the interventions and techniques people can use to improve their regulation ability and thus achieve their goals. Students learn about controlling emotions, combating procrastination, forming good habits, and overcoming smoking, overeating, and overspending. Students gain theoretical and practical insights into how people successfully pursue their goals, and apply these insights to their own lives.

This course covers various applications of cognitive science to practical and theoretical problems in psychology. Lectures and research projects offered in the course are aimed at developing students’ appreciation and understanding of the research methodologies and real-world applications of cognitive science. Topics covered include connectionist architectures (neural networks), influences of biological cycles, drugs, and hormones on cognitive performance, the cognitive psychology of decision making, memory in the forensic arena, face recognition and reconstruction, clinical cognition, and evolutionary cognitive psychology among others. DP requirements: Completion of all coursework, as well as completion of 90 minutes in the Student Research Participation Programme (SRPP) or equivalent and attendance of at least 5 tutorials. Assessment: Coursework: counts a total of 50%. This coursework is broken down into weekly tests (25%), and a group field project (25%). Examination: the two-hour examination in June counts 50% towards the final mark Course entry requirements: Students must have passed PSY2015F and PSY2014S.

The course extends understanding of historical and contemporary theories in social psychology and challenge students to use their knowledge to engage with real-world issues. For example, what brings people together, and what keeps them apart? The emphasis is on fostering ethically minded and socially responsible psychology graduates, through critical reflection of our personal place in a social system. Students consider one’s potential to help others in need, and to be critically and responsively aware of known biases in social perception and judgement. The course equips students with enhanced employability skills through a focus on the ability to understand and articulate complex arguments, and to support claims by making sense of and explaining empirical evidence. Students are encouraged to engage with compelling experimental paradigms and debates in social psychology to move beyond directed textbook material and to become independent, active, and self-directed learners.  

This course covers in some detail theories and research on issues currently topical in Organizational Psychology from job motivation, leadership and stress to the future of work. The course provides an overview of the theorizing and research in organizational psychology and familiarizes students with the literature on aspects of behavior in the work-place.

This course examines the use of psychological assessment methods and psychotherapeutic approaches in treating individuals with psychological difficulties. It explores major theoretical frameworks, practical techniques, and key issues in clinical practice, providing insight into the application of psychological theory to assessment and intervention.

The course unit focuses on the historical development of psychology as a science and the way in which earlier philosophical ideas were transformed within the context of psychology, leading to the different approaches to psychology that can be discerned throughout its history. It also deals with the philosophy of science and consider how science develops over time, the extent to which one can define a scientific method, and the extent to which psychology exemplifies the characteristics of scientific method. Finally, it deals with the development of philosophical ideas about the mind that later fed into psychology.