Department of Psychology, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
PS10086: Mind and behaviour |
 Credits:
| 12 |
| Level:
| Certificate |
| Period: | Academic Year |
| Assessment:
| EX 80%, MC 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| |
| Description: | Aims: * To introduce students to basic concepts and current themes and debates in psychology. * To familiarise students with some classic psychological studies. * To provide an understanding of the key concepts necessary for the study of psychology. Learning Outcomes: * Appreciate the scientific underpinnings of psychology as a discipline, its historical origins, development and limitations * Recognise the inherent variability and diversity of psychological functioning and its significance. * Demonstrate systematic knowledge and critical understanding of a range of influences on psychological functioning * Demonstrate knowledge of biological psychology * Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive psychology * Demonstrate knowledge of individual differences * Demonstrate knowledge of developmental psychology * Demonstrate knowledge of psychology Skills: * Understands the scientific underpinnings of psychology as a discipline, its historical origins, development and limitations. (T/F) * Recognises the inherent variability and diversity of psychological functioning and its significance. (T/F) * Can demonstrate systematic knowledge and critical understanding of a range of influences on psychological functioning, how they are conceptualised across the core areas, and how they interrelate. The core knowledge domains taught within this unit are (i) biological psychology, (ii) cognitive psychology, (iii) individual differences, (iv) developmental psychology and (v) social psychology. (T/F A) Content: The course content will cover five main areas: * Biological psychology: the biological basis of behaviour, motivation and homeostasis, states of awareness and emotion, stress and coping. * Cognitive Psychology: attention, visual perception, learning, memory, thinking and language. * Individual differences: intelligence and personality. * Developmental psychology: cognitive development, social development, attachment and friendships. * Social Psychology: group processes, intergroup processes, social behaviour and relationships |