Gain an understanding of developmental psychology as an evidence-based science, with a focus on research methods and theories. Through lectures, discussions, and other activities, you will explore how scientists have investigated the nature of development, both conceptually and through conducting research involving children.

You will learn about key contemporary methods and theoretical approaches, using these as a foundation for considering the applications of developmental psychology to real world questions which inform practitioners and policy makers.

Examine a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, and learn about their psychological and behavioural characteristics, their assessments and interventions. Throughout, you will develop your ability to synthesise and integrate concepts across conditions, evaluate contrasting theoretical explanations and select appropriate methodological approaches for researching neurodivergent development.

By the end of the module, you will be familiar with current theories and evidence relating to select neurodevelopmental conditions, be able to engage in constructive critical debate regarding how they are understood and investigated, and have an appreciation of how scientific research can inform applied practice.

You will explore key approaches to mental health treatment and intervention across the lifespan and the theoretical perspectives underlying them. You will investigate current topical issues within mental health practice and have the chance to discuss these through workshops and interactive teaching methods.

You will examine different ways to deliver mental health interventions, such as through digital platforms, individual or family therapy and peer connection.

You will hear from professionals regarding their experiences of delivering mental health interventions and from service users regarding their experience of receiving them. Throughout, we will highlight the ethical considerations mental health practitioners must engage with when working within the field of clinical mental health.

The MSc dissertation project is the culmination of your postgraduate studies. You will have the opportunity to work with an academic supervisor in an area of advanced research in the psychological sciences. You will develop and use your skills in critical thinking, self-organisation, working as part of a research team (with your supervisor) and critically engaging with the ethical implications of your research plans. Depending on the nature of your project, you will:

• Synthesise the research relevant to your topic area
• Rigorously develop research aims, questions or hypotheses
• Possibly develop the designs, materials and procedures required to collect primary data
• Possibly collate, develop and process previously collected data (for secondary analyses)
• Possibly conduct a systematic evidence review leading to a meta-analysis or other formal synthesis
• Learn how to apply appropriate quantitative or qualitative analysis techniques to develop psychological insights given your evidence
• Develop skills in the written or oral presentation of your findings to professional audiences

You will explore the assumptions underlying conceptions of mental health and associated research methods, and how these assumptions impact on the approaches we take in conducting mental health research across the lifespan.

We will equip you with the skills to develop your own mental health research ideas. You will explore quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods designs in-depth, and explore the most appropriate data collection methods for each design. Key examples of real-world mental health research will be interspersed throughout, to highlight how these methods can be applied.

You will hear from those with lived experience of mental health difficulties as you explore the value of the lived experience voice in research and the necessity of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in all aspects of mental health research. You will engage in stimulating debates as you examine the key ethical questions in mental health research.

Explore the dynamic processes shaping mental health across childhood and adolescence. You will focus on core individual factors like emotion regulation and executive function, examining how they interact with family, school, peers, technology and experiences of adversity.

Using a developmental framework alongside principles of equity, diversity, early intervention and lived experience, you will reflect on the many different pathways that can lead to positive mental health or to mental health difficulties. You will consider how these developmental processes can support wellbeing or contribute to mental health challenges across different social, cultural and global contexts.

We will highlight how protective factors can be strengthened to promote mental health. Through lectures, workshops and applied activities, you will develop skills in critical appraisal, synthesising evidence, evaluating methods and communicating complex ideas clearly. This module will prepare you to undertake independent research or applied projects as part of your dissertation and future professional work.

Gain the understanding and skills needed to apply core analytic methods across a range of psychological research and practice settings. You will develop your knowledge and skills through a combination of lectures and practical workshops and build your capacity to code using R, a modern statistical programming language.

You will learn about the application of key statistical tests in a variety of real-life contexts that will enable you to confidently identify the appropriate technique for analysing data in diverse environments. By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Employ data analysis and processing tools using R
• Identify the analysis approaches that can be applied to test predictions
• Apply statistical tests that are essential to current practices
• Describe findings effectively using text and visualisations
• Translate data analysis findings into psychological insights