Psychology

The course explores theories of drug use and abuse, the neurobiological effects of drugs, and drug policy and law in New Zealand and the world. 

This course discusses the concept of psychological disorder and contributions of psychology, preventative psychology, and health psychology. It examines models of prevention and well-being. Other topics include: research methods and models; gnoseology and classification of mental disorders; assessment and treatment.

This course examines the psychological approach to personality. It covers how is personality defined and measured via a comparison of selected theories in personality (e.g. Erikson, Freud, Rogers), as well as the relationship between the social environment and personality formation.

This course conveys insight into the cognitive mechanisms and representations underpinning human meaning-making. The course presents an overview of the cognitive processes and mechanisms involved in human meaning-making, including conceptual metaphor theory, image schemas, framing, and blending. The theories employed stem from cognitive science, cognitive psychology, cognitive linguistics, and semiotics. The course also provides insight into the relationship between meaning-making and perception, as well as sensory-motor experience. Additionally, it seeks to give students a general understanding of what meaning is, regardless of whether it is expressed in language, images, or speech, or manifests itself through perception. Finally, this course provides the general theoretical tools required to analyze specific cognitive and cultural phenomena. The course is adapted to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of the students.

The course examines, integrates, and applies theories of human development, learning, and assessment to educational practice. It introduces the theoretical and research foundations of educational psychology as they relate to classroom teaching. The course explores concepts such as well-being, self-efficacy, constructivism, digital technology, motivation, talent development, and assessment, while addressing questions including: Should well-being be taught in schools? Is self-control more important than self-esteem? Can digital technology transform learning? Is positive thinking overrated? Is there too much emphasis on measurement in assessment?

This course examines the psychological, physiological, and sociological foundations of music across the lifespan. It focuses on a broad range of topics including, among others, what happens in the brain when we play or are exposed to music, and what the clinical implications of music are. Students are encouraged to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge to develop new scientific research hypotheses and ideas related to the field.

Students complete an internship with a local organization or company. Each placement includes oversight and regular check-ins with an internship supervisor from the company or organization. The Internship Methodology Seminar accompanies the internship placement and offers a platform for reflection, enhancement of skills, and development of cultural competence. It focuses on practical skill application, cultural understanding, and adaptability within professional environments to provide a bridge between academic learning and real-world experience.

The course examines the role of culture in shaping psychological processes, with particular focus on Māori world views, and Pacific cultural contexts.

This course introduces psychological barriers to sustainable behavior, discussing, for instance, the role of social influence, attitudes and beliefs, or situational factors. The last weeks are dedicated to project work in which students use the acquired knowledge to examine specific behaviors and develop practical implications to foster sustainability in everyday life.

Prerequisite: A fair understanding of psychological constructs like intelligence, cognitive functions. General knowledge about neuropsychological assessment.

At the end of the course students have critically understood: how to compare the major approaches to the study of cognitive functions from an individual differences perspective; the experimental methods used to study individual differences, and more specifically intelligence and cognitive functioning at individual level; the importance of individual differences in different cognitive domains.

Course topics include: Introduction to the study of individual differences in cognition. Must-know concepts in personality, intelligence, neuropsychology & research methodology; The paradox of individual differences: study what is common to understand what is not. Difference between nomothetic and idiographic approach; Relation between individual characteristics and cognitive functioning; "hot" intelligence and performance; Evolutionary approaches to the study of human cognition; Individual specificities in cognitive functioning. Single case studies and group studies. The role of normative data for determining normal performance. Premorbid intelligence. Cognitive reserve; Role of culture, personality, education, age and lifelong experiences on individual cognition; Graphical representation of individual differences; Domain-specific and domain-general individual differences.