Psychology (Study Abroad) BA Hons - 2020 Entry

Course Structure

Many of Lancaster's degree programmes are flexible, offering students the opportunity to cover a wide selection of subject areas to complement their main specialism. You will be able to study a range of modules, some examples of which are listed below.

Year 1

Core

• Investigating Psychology

  This module will equip students with important practical skills and knowledge in conducting research in psychology such as: using different methods of data analysis from descriptive statistics through to inferential statistics, critically evaluating research and disseminating research findings through report writing and presentations. Students will also discuss key research and theoretical issues surrounding some of these areas and learn to evaluate psychological literature. They will gain this knowledge through both lectures and laboratory classes.

  Investigating Psychology runs in parallel with Understanding Psychology and the different components of conducting research will be expanded on in Part II.

• Understanding Psychology

  The fundamental principles of psychology that underpin this degree will be introduced during this module: Developmental and Social Psychology, Brain and Behaviour, Cognitive Psychology, Individual Differences and Historical and Conceptual Issues.

  Through a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes, students will learn about the theories and findings in each of these areas. They will be taught about different research approaches, how to access and evaluate scientific journal articles, and how to construct arguments formally in essays.

  Students will be exposed to cutting-edge research conducted within the Psychology Department at Lancaster, with techniques such as virtual reality, developmental EEG, eye tracking, and behavioural measures.

  The module runs in parallel with Investigating Psychology.

Year 2

Core

• Cognitive Psychology

  Taught by internationally recognised researchers, this module concerns the study of mental processes; how people perceive, think, talk and behave. Students will explore the current issues, debates and approaches in the key areas of cognitive psychology: human memory, attention, language and perception under the guidance of lecturers who are experts and innovators in this field. Up to date theoretical debates and their evaluation in terms of conceptual coherence and empirical support will also be examined.

  By the end of the module, students will show a critical appreciation of research methods, approaches and outcomes in cognitive psychology; and will have written about a topic in cognitive psychology in an informed and reflective way.

• Developmental Psychology

  This module will explore cutting-edge topics in developmental psychology, including the latest development in foetal research, new theories of communication and learning in infants and children, social cognition, face perception, perception of elementary physic and the theory of the mind. The presented empirical research in the lectures, spanning from foetal research to toddlers, will provide students with an invaluable insight on how to conduct research into issues concerning developmental psychology.

• Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience

  The fundamental neural principles of brain and behaviour relationships will be introduced, with particular emphasis on the perceptual and cognitive functions that underpin many psychological processes. Students will explore in more depth neural transmissions both within the neuron and at synapses, and gain a basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

  They will also learn about a range of theories and research methods in cognitive neuroscience, and demonstrate how knowledge of the psychological processes can aid an understanding of a wide scope of human behaviour.

• Personality and Individual Differences

  This module introduces the key topics and debates relating to personality and individual differences. It blends learning the important theoretical questions with discussion of the research implications for practice at work and across society as a whole. Current views will be explored and placed within their historical context. Notions such as trait and type on psychological accounts of human behaviour will be critically evaluated.

  The theoretical and practical insights into psychometric testing and other methods for capturing individual differences in behaviour and performance will also be explored. The module further examines the impact of individual differences in particular areas, including cognition, thinking and development.

• Research Methods I: Experimental Methods in Psychology

  Whilst aiming to expand on students’ knowledge and skills on research methods acquired in the Part I modules, this module aims to develop knowledge and skills on experimental research methods employed across the different topics in psychology, such as social, developmental, cognitive and neuroscience approaches. This will involve learning about how to plan, conduct and report research and how to evaluate research studies. Students will be accustomed to research methods and APA style. They will also look at the effects of sleep on learning as well as addressing the complexities and confounds in experimental studies.

  This module will develop the ability to be clear, accurate, complete and concise in writing up research. There is also a strong emphasis on collaborative work. Students will develop the ability to generate and explore hypotheses and research questions, and will carry out empirical studies drawing on a variety of psychological methods. Additionally, students are required to plan, conduct and report empirical research including defining a research problem, formulating testable predictions, choosing appropriate methods, planning and conducting data gathering, demonstrate evaluation of data and producing a professional report. Students will employ evidence-based reasoning when presenting, interpreting and evaluating psychological research, and will use some psychological tools such as experimental software and computer packages including at least one statistical package.

• Research Methods II: Asking questions, analysing responses

  This module provides students with an introduction to non-experimental methods by which psychological research is conducted, data collected and analysed, whilst also addressing the ethical issues relevant to a range of experimental and non-experimental methods. Students will undertake blocks of exercises in which they design, report and evaluate different forms of psychological research through questionnaires and surveys, in addition to interviewing and qualitative analysis.

  Working in small groups, students will design and implement research projects on a given topic, followed by independent analyses and interpretation of the results, which are then written up in the research reports. Students will also engage with the various ethical issues affecting psychological research on human participants and the strategies for addressing those issues in ethical psychological research. The module will support further development of the ability to be clear, accurate, complete and concise in writing up research. Students will also develop the ability to use appropriate software and online resources in the generation and analysis of data.

• Social Psychology

  Expanding on the knowledge gained in Part I, students will further develop their knowledge of theory and research in a number of core areas in this field. Starting with the history of social psychology, they will explore topics such as social beliefs and judgements, intergroup relations, and applying social psychology to everyday life.

  Lectures will cover contemporary and empirical developments in the key areas, and the accompanying seminar programme will help develop a range of academic skills in relation to social psychological subject matter including: use of technical language, integrating knowledge, analytic skills, argument construction and presentation.

• Statistics

  Students will gain the knowledge and skills to understand how psychological research findings reported in journals and textbooks have been obtained; carry out their own analysis of data collected during practical classes and report the results; and analyse and report the results of their own research project.

  Students will come to identify the appropriate form of analysis for different data types, and will use the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) to conduct the analysis of variance (ANOVA) appropriate for standard research designs.

  The module will teach pupils how to evaluate the reliability and generalisability of research reported in the media, and how to apply the analysis skills to research in other areas beyond psychology.

Year 3

Module information for this year is not currently available.

Year 4

Core

• Project

  The project is a piece of empirical work that will be completed under the guidance of a member of the lecturing staff. Exploring a topic of their choice, students will gain significant knowledge and understanding of how to develop and conduct psychological research, and will learn how to operationalise a manageable research problem.

  In collaboration with a supervisor, they will develop the ability to formulate specific research hypotheses and carry out and write up an independent piece of research. This will equip students with in depth and specialised expertise in a specific area of psychological inquiry.

Optional

• Cognitive Affective and Clinical Neuroscience

  You will explore recent developments in research methods in neuroscience and develop the skills needed to evaluate critically the assumptions underlying these techniques. Additionally, you will gain in-depth knowledge of selected important real world disorders, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s Disease. You will be able to integrate research on demographic, neuropsychological and neuroanatomical aspects of these disorders.

• Current Directions in Social Psychology

  In this module, students are encouraged to engage critically but constructively with social psychological research and theory. The topics covered reflect the lecturers' active research interests, and have recently included: the psychology of animal treatment, nostalgia and propaganda/advertising and social media.

  The module will enable students to be able to summarise the current state of knowledge on a given topic, and also be able to evaluate such knowledge, weighing its strengths and limitations, and tracing its implications. In particular, they will be encouraged to question the standard textbook treatment of social psychological topics.

• Forensic and Investigative Psychology

  This module focuses on how psychology can help in forensic settings, including police investigations and dealing with antagonists and courtrooms. Specific topics discussed include offender profiling, lie detection and hostage negotiation.

  Students will gain an appreciation of what can be learned from studying the behaviour of criminals in a scientific framework, and will be able to discuss different explanations and theories of crime and criminal behaviour. The module will explain how to apply psychological theories of behaviour to explain criminal case studies and experiences in criminal contexts, including within the court. Students will also gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of classifications of criminal behaviour. This module will equip students with the skills to discuss the merits of different approaches to offender treatment, interviewing, and detecting deception, plus the capacity to think critically about a range of controversial issues within forensic/investigative psychology.

• Prozac Nation: Human Psychopharmacology

  The concepts of human psychopharmacology will be introduced, as will the theoretical background of drug-induced modification of nervous system function and behaviour. Insight will be given into psychoactive drugs and how they act upon the brain to influence behaviour.

  Students will be taught about the biological bases of drug actions and how these might contribute to our knowledge of psychological function in general, the acute and long term consequences of psychoactive drug use, and current pharmacological treatment strategies for Alzheimer's, depression and schizophrenia.

  The module will explore why individuals differ in responsiveness to psychoactive drugs and discuss current controversies in the area of psychopharmacology.

• Psychology of Art

  This module will equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand the role of different psychological processes in our understanding and appreciation of art.

  For example, the module will begin by exploring visual arts and how its development through history has focused on different aspects of psychology such as, sensation and perception, cognition (learning and memory) and emotions.

  The students will come to recognise that different forms of artwork such as, visual art, music and dance, are all multi-dimensional and can be analysed, evaluated and experienced from various psychological perspectives.

• The Developing Mind

  This module will enhance students’ knowledge of developmental psychology, building on the understanding they developed during Year Two.

  Developmental theoretical problems will be explored in more depth such as: Nativist vs Empiricist accounts on infant knowledge and reasoning, and the development of empathy and prosocial behaviour. The module will also look at moral reasoning and emerging understanding of moral rules, and social and emotional development in adolescence.

  A longer period of development is covered compared to Developmental Psychology, spanning from infancy through early and late childhood, and through to adolescence.

• The Lying Brain: An Examination of Hallucinations & Delusions in Normal, Clinical and Pathological Populations

  Students will examine and explore striking instances of hallucination, delusions and disorders of consciousness in the normal, clinical and pathological population. A wide variety of case studies of specific examples, approaches and methods will be explored in relation to over-arching theoretical concepts which influence neurocognitive theory and our understanding of brain function.

  A specific recurring theme running through the module, will be for students to ask themselves why certain types of hallucinations/delusions are occurring as opposed to any other random possible alternative experience. This will facilitate a more processes/mechanisms approach to understanding rather than a basic neurophrenology approach of simply knowing which parts of the brain are active.

• The Neuroscience of Typical and Atypical Social Development

  This module will examine in depth, the different topics within developmental psychology from a social neuroscience approach. Students will be presented with various key aspects of typical and atypical socio-emotional development, and will learn how social cognitive and affective neuroscience core principles and methods have helped advance their understanding.

  A number of topics are presented in depth in relation to challenges and concepts: action processing, the relation between motor and social development, dyadic and triadic interactions, processing emotional information, and the development of emotion regulation mechanisms.

  A specific emphasis will be put on how different processes interact during development, and how this influences the outcome at different points during their ontogenic trajectory.

• The Psychology of Attention: from the laboratory to everyday behaviour

  The use of the term ‘attention’ in a variety of settings will be discussed during this module. Attention is relevant to a wide range of psychological phenomena, and this module provides the opportunity to consider what attention is (and what it is not) in more detail than is commonly provided. The module discusses various theoretical models of attention, but also examines how attentional concepts have been used in areas that include atypical development in childhood (specifically, autism and ADHD), anxiety states and disorders of attention.

  The module bridges laboratory research with applied behaviour, and this is reflected in the curriculum content and also in the assessment. Thus, coursework involves short group presentations on attentional research, and individual analysis of media stories for their potential attentional relevance.

• Topics in Clinical Psychology

  Students will discover what clinical psychology is - learn about key theoretical frameworks and treatment approaches, and develop an understanding of how research is related to practice. Covering various populations (including children, adults and older adults), this module will discuss various psychological disorders in terms of their assessment, aetiology, research background and interventions. A small series of guest lectures delivered by experienced practitioners will introduce issues in professional practice and confer a realistic appreciation of the work of clinical psychologists.

  By the end of the module, students will recognise and be able to discuss several specific and overarching aspects of clinical psychological practice, as well as a range of prominent psychopathologies.

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and others which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme. We divide academic study into two sections - Part 1 (Year 1) and Part 2 (Year 2, 3 and sometimes 4). For most programmes Part 1 requires you to study 120 credits spread over at least three modules which, depending upon your programme, will be drawn from one, two or three different academic subjects. A higher degree of specialisation then develops in subsequent years. For more information about our teaching methods at Lancaster visit our Teaching and Learning section.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.