Psychology

This course introduces psychology as an empirical behavioral science and provides an overview of the various fields of psychology. Students learn to appreciate the diversity and richness of the psychology discipline, and learn the questions and approaches used by psychologists. Topics covered include the biological bases of perception, cognition, and behavior, and an introduction to the subfields of behavioral, developmental, social, cognitive, and clinical psychology.

This course provides a general introduction to social psychology. It also covers research methods and classical theories to recent research findings and practical applications of social psychological principles. 

This course introduces social and developmental psychology. It considers behavior in the context of social interaction, and on key stages of perceptual, cognitive, and social development. The course takes a biological perspective where appropriate and placing an emphasis on experimental findings. This course covers the ways in which social and developmental psychologists think, the major theoretical perspectives they might take, how they carry out research, and what the results of this research mean.

The course provides an overview of working in the United Kingdom and examines the changing organizational structures of work in Britain. It examines the social and economic changes that affect the workplace in the UK. Topics covered include the sociology of work; trade unions; oppression at work; generational changes at work. 

This course examines the main theories and research in the field of decision psychology, and the methods that are conducive to rational decision making in different realistic situations. Topics include the main ideas of the human reasoning (unlimited, limited, and ecological rationality); major research paradigm in the field of decision making and judgment (standardization, descriptive, evolution) and related research progress; common decision-making in real world cases or hot social phenomena; common decision-making traps and deviation; and effective decisions applicable to different situations, especially with the heuristic social decision-making.

This course covers approaches to understanding perception and cognition, from the perspective that these functions can only be considered sensibly in an action context. Consideration is given to exemplars drawn from various areas of psychology that serve to illustrate the role of movement in aspects of perception and cognition regarded traditionally as being independent of the means of effect. The course deals with observations defined at the level of behavior. It also includes evidence drawn from the neurosciences - concerning brain activity subserving perception, cognition, and motor function that bears upon these issues. In addition, consideration is given to some of the related philosophical questions that are raised. Students are also introduced to the possibility that intervention strategies thus informed, may be used to maintain or enhance cognitive performance.