Year Three

All modules listed were delivered during 2021-22. However please note they are intended only to give potential applicants an idea of the range of modules offered. Module content is reviewed annually and so changes from year to year. We do not guarantee that specific content or indeed modules listed here will be delivered in future years. 

Semester One Full Modules (20 CATS)

PSY3096: Typical and Atypical Literacy Development

This module will examine current and historical perspectives of typical and atypical literacy development. The development of reading ability from early language perception to proficient text processing will be examined. We will discuss approaches to the acquisition of literacy, and the theoretical underpinnings of developmental dyslexia and developmental language disorder.

This module will be of interest to a wide range of psychology students, but will be of particular relevance to those intending to pursue a career related to education or to postgraduate research and study.

Assessment: 100% coursework

PSY3100: Psychologists at work: Insights into Graduate Employment

Students taking this module will spend 15/20 days in a workplace where they will complete graduate level work under supervision. They will be required to keep a reflective diary of their experiences in the work place and to complete a portfolio describing the organisation for which they have worked, how they have been able to apply the skills they acquired on their degree, what skills they have developed or acquired as part of the placement, the skillset required to obtain a job in the organisation, and what they have learned from the feedback they received from their employer. At the end of the semester students will present a poster to staff, employers and prospective students. This module is only available to students on the BSc Psychology degree programme and entry to the module is by application only. 

Assessment: 100% Coursework

Delivery:  Work placements vary depending on employer. Module workshops will be in-person.

PSY3118: Using Nudges to Change Behaviour

This module will introduce students to recent theory and practice relating to behaviour change. Specifically, it will consider the psychology of “nudges”, small changes to choice architectures which encourage certain desirable behaviours without making those behaviours mandatory. Having addressed important theoretical background, the module will consider nudges in a variety of contexts including health, finance and pro-social behaviour. The module will conclude with a consideration of implications of nudge theory for policy and the very recent debate about the ethics of nudges. The module will be assessed via group reports proposing, analysing and justifying novel nudges for particular applied contexts.

Every student will work as part of a group and the group will make a submission at the end of the semester. The group submission will consist of components written by individual students as well as components written by the group. Half of the marks for the module will be based on students' individual component marks and the other half will be based on the group components

Assessment: 100% coursework

Delivery:

Week 1-5:   1 hour pre-recorded video to be watched + 2 hour in-person lecture

Week 8-12:  1 hour in-person seminar (workshop)

PSY3124: Introduction to Political Psychology

This course aims to introduce you to the field of political psychology. The module will cover different core areas of political psychology such as race and racism, social movements, political extremism, polarization and youth and political violence. Throughout the course, you are expected to develop an understanding of the basic psychological processes underlying our political thoughts and behaviours and apply this information to real life situations.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

PSY3130: Depression and Anxiety

Of the many emotional difficulties that human beings can face, depression and anxiety are two of the most common. Prevalence estimates indicate that about 50% of humans will experience at least one of them over the course of our lives. It is unfortunate that significant misunderstanding and stigma are attached to these experiences, even in those who are involved in healthcare, as this is unlikely to be helpful and may even enhance associated suffering.

Overall, this course will involve an in depth examination of these two common emotional experiences across a range of areas, including clarity in their definition, overview of how they are assessed and diagnosed, and treatment options. Throughout this semester, a scientific and evidence-based approach will be utilized and contrasted with “pop” psychology or other less rigorous, and less helpful, methods.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

PSY3132: Contemporary Issues in Mental Health and Addiction

This module explores a number of contemporary topics relating to the mental health and addiction field, looking at issues from a range of psychological perspectives (e.g. health, social or epidemiological). It will explore how these issues and debates relate to policy, practice, and research. The module also offers an opportunity for students to challenge their existing perceptions of alcohol use, drug use, addiction, psychosis and mental health, and their relation to wider contexts. As this module explores several contemporary issues at the forefront of mental health and addiction field, the specific topics may change in reflection of this, but the following topics/areas are likely to be explored: treatments for mental health and addiction, the nature of mental health and addiction diagnoses, recovery pathways from mental health and addiction, critical perspectives on the role of culture and ‘norms’ in addiction and mental health. This course is designed to provide students with a critical understanding of contemporary addiction and mental health, how it affects society, treatment, or prevention services. Students will develop an enquiring and critical approach to understanding mental health and addiction.  They will strengthen their skills in appraising research and underpinning theory, and gain a solid understanding of key debates and theories within this field. They will be able to appreciate the ethical issues involved in researching and working with those who experience mental health or substance use issues. They will also develop their ability to communicate research findings to others persuasively in written and oral format.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

PSY3133: Introduction to Cultural Psychology

This course will introduce you to the field of cultural psychology and examine the influence of culture on human thinking, emotions, and behaviour. We will cover a wide range of topics, such as cross-cultural research methods, acculturation, identity, migration, and how culture affects nonverbal communication, relationships with peers, education, as well as physical and mental health interventions. You will gain awareness of how our environment shapes the way we think and act, and apply this knowledge to real-life situations.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

Semester Two Full Modules (20 CATS)

PSY3098: Ageing: Mind, Brain and Behaviour

This module covers the way key psychological processes change over the lifespan. We will discuss questions including: Can we live forever? Is ageing a disease, and can it be treated like a disease? Are older people wiser? Can we slow down the effects of dementia? Is the lifespan genetically determined? In a series of lectures, we will cover how healthy ageing affects brain structure and function, memory, executive function, emotion and mobility. We will also cover the key pathologies that come with age including dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Finally, we will talk about the extent to which genetic factors affect ageing.

Assessment: 60% Exam; 40% coursework

Delivery:  2 hour in-person class with mixed lecture and seminar style.

PSY3117: Psychology of Gender

This course introduces students to the psychological literature on gender. Course topics include the causes of sex differences and similarities, the influence of gender roles on life experiences including those related to workplace/leadership, parenting, sexuality, violence and aggression, as well as the relationship between gender and health and well-being.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

PSY3122: An Introduction to Clinical Health Psychology

This module is an introduction to Clinical Health Psychology. The module will comprise three broad topics which will be divided across the Spring Semester:

1. Introduction to Clinical Health theories and research methods
2. Coping with long-term illness
3. Public health and health promoting strategies

Clinical Health Psychology is a broad discipline which focuses on exploring the psychological and social barriers to staying healthy e.g. preventing poor health and disease. It also focuses on the psychological impact of living with long-term illnesses like Cancer, and exploring intervention strategies. While studying this module, you will acquire knowledge and understanding of the basic theories and methods relevant to Clinical Health research and their applications in research and health practice. You will critically assess the use of different theories in explaining complex health behaviour and demonstrate an ability to relate Clinical Health theory to intervention design.

Assessment: 30% Coursework 70% Exam

PSY3131: Forensic Psychology and Crime

This module will introduce students to key topics in Forensic Psychology including theories of offending, the development of offending, criminal statistics, policing, the public's response to crime, and the forensic psychology subfield of victimology (the impact of crime on victims and those responding to crime and criminals). This module will focus on (1) fundamental applications of psychology, as a science, for understanding important forensic issues, and (2) psychology as applied to the criminal justice system both from the perspective of the offender and the victim. Topics include:

• Cryptocurrencies and the dark web
• Drug use in prisons
• False confessions
• Victimology

This module does not focus on specific types of crime such as human trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, or serial killers in any specific manner – crimes such as these may be referenced during classes on topics such as victimology and false confessions, but we will not explore them in any great depth. Please note that irrespective of this, if you or your family/friends have had an experience of being a victim of crime, the material in the module may, at times, be difficult to engage with and therefore may not be your best option. Please also note that Forensic Psychology is a sub-field of Psychology that is very closely linked to criminology and sociology and therefore also pulls from these disciplines.

Assessment: 50% Exam 50% Coursework

Delivery: 2-hour class using a variety of delivery methods: live-lectures and seminars (requiring pre-recorded videos to be viewed as preparation). The module timetable (available in December) will detail the type of each weekly class.

PSY3134: International Collaboration: Psychology Towards Global Goals

This module will be co-taught between the School of Psychology at Queen’s and Bucknell University, USA. You will virtually engage with international students in USA to learn and discuss key global concerns related to one of the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development; next year the specific focus will be on reducing inequalities. Through reflection on local and international perspectives in lectures, seminars and group work, we will discuss ways that psychology research and theory can contribute to reducing inequalities. Success in the module will require full engagement with online classes and considerable online collaboration, completion of the readings, and interaction in and outside of class with students at Bucknell University. Successful completion of this module will allow you to demonstrate to prospective employers that you have actively participated in an international collaboration as part of your degree.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

PSY3135: Imagining, Thinking and Learning in Childhood

This module will examine the development of children’s thinking, imagination, and learning, with a focus on children’s intuitive understanding of concepts such as time, space, and number and their developing capacity for symbolic representation. The module will also review the development of mental time travel, curiosity, the ability to distinguish fact and fiction, and children’s learning from what others tell them. This module will be of interest to a wide range of psychology students but will be of particular relevance to those with an interest in pursuing a career related to Developmental Psychology.

Assessment: 40% Exam 60% Coursework

Double module across both semesters

PSY3114: Psychology Thesis

Thesis work allows each student to perform real research including: origination of idea, literature review, research design, data collection and analysis and report writing. It involves a substantive piece of research conducted by the student (working in pairs or small groups to collect data) which is presented in the form of an individually written thesis. Students work under the supervision of an individual member of academic staff.

There are also classes on this module which are designed to help students to focus on careers planning, their individual achievements and skills portfolio.

Thesis supervisor preferences are submitted towards the end of the summer. You will receive an email during the summer with full details of the range of supervision areas available for 2021-22 and instructions about the process for making your preferences.

Assessment: 100% Coursework (Thesis)