Psychology (Study Abroad) BA Hons - 2020 Entry

Course Structure

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 to complement your main specialism. 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 please visit our Teaching and Learning section.

The following courses do not offer modules outside of the subject area due to the structured nature of the programmes: Law, Physics, Engineering, Medicine, Sports and Exercise Science, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedicine and Biomedical Science.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research.

Year 1

Core

• Essential skills for psychologists

  Developing transferable study and employability skills are both important aspects for studying a degree, and securing employment. This module is tailored to the psychology discipline and provides students with an essential foundation to successfully build their degree, as well as equipping students with practical employability skills.

  This 100% coursework module allows students to develop key transferable study skills to increase their employability to work in a range of industries. Key topics of study include understanding assessment and feedback, critical thinking, forming an academic argument, personal resilience and success, writing CVs and cover letters, and effective methods of communication. These skills are combined with developing knowledge of finding and securing voluntary and paid work experience, placements and jobs.

  Students who complete this module will be equipped with skills to; write essays and lab reports, critically appraise information from a range of resources, produce a CV and cover letter for a prospective employer, present psychological information with confidence and clarity, and be able to find psychology-related opportunities, placements, and jobs, with an understanding of how to secure them.

• Introduction to cognitive psychology

  Cognition is the mental process of acquiring and using knowledge; it underpins our ability to perceive the world around us. This module will equip students with a strong foundation of the conceptual knowledge and terminologies used in cognitive psychology.

  Students will be introduced to key topics in cognitive psychology, such as attention, perception, categorisation, language, memory, problem solving, and decision-making. These core topics will be explored using key theories, classic paradigms, and experimental approaches, looking into both past and current research.

  Once the module is complete, students will be able to describe key theories, processes, illustrate classic paradigms, and experimental approaches used in cognitive psychology. This will provide a foundation for those continuing with psychological studies in Part II.

• Introduction to developmental psychology

  Developmental psychology is a scientific discipline that explains how humans develop across the lifespan.

  Students will study topics including Piagetian and Vygotskian theoretical frameworks, the nature vs nurture debate, and children’s development of crucial abilities to engage in the social world. Students will develop a strong understanding of the relationships between psychological theory and experimental evidence, drawing upon classic and state-of-the-art scientific literature, including current cutting-edge investigative research going on in our Psychology Department.

  Gaining an understanding of psychology as a discipline, and how the field is informed by research, students will be able to discuss important developmental topics in an informed and critical manner using theory, literature and research frameworks. This will equip students with an excellent foundation of knowledge to continue studying developmental psychology in Part II.

• Introduction to neuroscience

  Neuroscience gives us an insight into the brain, which underpins human behaviour; neuroscience helps us to understand the essence of being human.

  This module provides students with an introduction to neural mechanisms that are central to human behaviour. Students will understand the anatomy of the nervous system, the main structures of the brain, the functions of neurons, which are specialised cells that receive, send and process information in the nervous system.

  Once key neural mechanisms are understood, students will look at the effects of drugs on neural mechanisms including the brain, vision, hearing, control of movement, sleep and dreaming, learning and memory.

  On successful completion of the module, students will understand brain anatomy, neural processes and mechanisms, identify areas of the brain that control movement, discuss the role of sleeping and dreaming, and understand the relation between neural function and learning and memory. Students will also be able to critically evaluate psychological research and express their understanding of such topics through discussions and assessments.

• Research Integrity and Open Science I

  Psychologists engage in the scientific process of developing and testing theories that explain and understand human psychology and behaviour. This module introduces students to the scientific processes and practices surrounding the development and testing of psychological and behavioural theories.

  Students will understand the importance of transparent psychological research to assess the openness and reproducibility of current studies. Practical skills will be at the heart of students’ learning, as they are equipped with practical skills to conduct their own research using a ‘reproducibility toolkit’, helping students study the relationship between theory, method, statistics and research.

  Students will gain an understanding of how their research has an impact on psychological knowledge, as well as learning how to avoid problematic practices in the future. They will gain a well-rounded understanding of the research process, be aware of the importance of reproducibility, and knowledge of how to critically engage with theoretical and empirical research.

  Key transferable skills are also learnt on this module including data collection, evaluation of primary and secondary sources, assessing the quality of other studies, and knowledge of the relationship between theories, concepts and research methods.

• Research Integrity and Open Science II

  How do we determine what is true in science? How do we know which theories are well supported by evidence, and which ones are not? This module focuses on the research process, particularly drawing upon how to identify and avoid questionable practices, in favour of those that are open, transparent and reproducible.

  Students will build upon their knowledge of the research process learnt in Research Integrity and Open Science 1. Looking at some of the problems faced by researchers, and how research findings are assessed in light of these issues, students will develop tools to help overcome and prevent future issues.

  Topics of study includes the problem of false-positive findings, questionable research practices, researcher degrees of freedom, fraud, detecting errors and meta-analysis. These topics will allow students to understand how to embed open, transparent and reproducible research methods into their own practices, supporting students’ ability to plan a research study and provide clear, accurate descriptions of proposed methods and planned analyses.

  Once students complete this module, they will have a deeper understanding of the research process, from concept, design, to post-publication. Students will have advanced knowledge of the reproducibility crisis, equipped with skills critically evaluate psychological theory and research in order to identify and avoid questionable research practices, and to ensure their own practices are open, transparent and reproducible.

• Social Psychology in the Digital Age

  Whether we want to understand more about ourselves, or the world around us, social psychology can offer valuable insights into psychology that is relevant to our everyday lives. This module equips students with key knowledge of the novel application of our everyday technology that governs most of our social and occupational organisation.

  Students are introduced to core topics including attraction, attribution and leadership, and learning how the digital age continues to affect our social world through the exploration of social interaction in digital contexts. The module also provides an excellent basis for students to understand different research approaches by learning how theory guides the collection and interpretation of empirical data, including research paradigms, methods and measurement techniques.

  The module will equip students with an understanding of core theories and methodologies to explain the significance of key research papers in social psychology, allowing students to understand how to tackle real-world issues.

• Statistics for Psychologists 1

  Psychology is an evidence-based discipline, and understanding how to carry out psychological enquiry through statistical analysis of data plays a key part in research. This module is designed to equip students with a strong understanding of how data is used to inform decisions about the validity of psychological theories.

  Students will learn theoretical principals behind introductory statistical analysis techniques in psychological research, developing an understanding of scientific research methods to perform their own statistical analysis using numerical data collected in laboratories.

  By the end of this module, students will understand how to implement methods of research, make evidence-based inferences on psychological concepts, and develop skills to competently handle numerical data in order to calculate statistical analyses.

• Statistics for Psychologists 2

  Psychology is an evidence-based discipline, and understanding how to carry out psychological enquiry through statistical analysis of data plays a key part in research. This module builds on students’ knowledge acquired in Part I, allowing them to broaden their skills and develop a deeper understanding of statistical analysis techniques in psychological research.

  This module equips students with a core understanding of statistical concepts and specialist knowledge of applying a range of statistical methods. Students will expand their knowledge of statistical tests and continue to practice the implementation of these with data relating to psychological theories.

  Students will take their statistical analysis skills to the next level, with their ability to calculate a range of statistics including correlation, chi-square and ANOVA, perform statistical analyses using software packages, and develop confidence in identifying the right statistical test required for a given design.

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

  Students will explore recent developments in research methods in neuroscience and develop the skills needed to evaluate critically the assumptions underlying these techniques. Additionally, they will gain in-depth knowledge of selected important real-world disorders, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s Disease. Students will also 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.