Year 1 modules |
Module title |
Credits |
|
The Psychology of the Person
The Psychology of the Person
15 credits
Concepts, theories and methods from developmental psychology, personality and social psychology.
Topics include some or all of the following:
- methods and measures
- social and cognitive aspects of development
- methods of studying individual differences including ability and personality
- evaluating psychometric measures
- test administration
- stability and change in behaviour
- the roles of inheritance and environment
- attitudes and attitude measurement
- person perception
- social influences
- crowd behaviour
- group processes
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15 credits |
|
Biological and Comparative Approaches to Psychology
Biological and Comparative Approaches to Psychology
15 credits
This module will include explorations into:
- theoretical, ethological and comparative perspectives
- basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology
- relationships between brain and behaviour and modes of investigating them
- chemical communication in the brain and in the body
- genes, chromosomes and the inheritance of behaviour
- the nature of evolutionary influences on behaviour
|
15 credits |
|
Information Processing and Cognition
Information Processing and Cognition
15 credits
This module is designed as a general conceptual overview of cognitive psychology and an introduction to topics that are central to the study of human cognition. Emphasis is placed on the methods and theoretical models used by cognitive psychologists to study human perception and thinking.
Topics include:
- visual perception
- models of attention and short-term memory
- encoding and retrieval of information from long-term memory, classical and operant conditioning
- connectionist models of learning
- higher cognition in animals.
|
15 credits |
|
Design and Analysis of Psychological Investigations
Design and Analysis of Psychological Investigations
30 credits
This module provides an introduction to experimental research in psychology. The lecture component covers experimental design and statistics. The laboratory component focuses on designing and running experiments, applying statistical analyses to data generated, and reporting experimental findings. Lectures and labs are linked so that designs and analyses introduced in lectures are implemented in labs.
Topics include experimental design, research ethics, and statistical analysis of experimental data up to and including the analysis of designs with one independent variable and more than two experimental conditions.
You will be allocated to a lab class which you will attend on a weekly basis during terms 1 and 2. Your allocation will be posted on the first-year notice-board. In addition, you must attend a weekly lecture for your whole year group.
|
30 credits |
|
Practical Issues in Psychological Research
Practical Issues in Psychological Research
15 credits
This module acquaints you with the main areas of research in the Department of Psychology, fosters an understanding of practical issues involved in the planning and conduct of research, and develops your ability to critically evaluate research conducted by others.
|
15 credits |
|
Extended Essay in Psychology
Extended Essay in Psychology
15 credits
An extended essay, relating to topics taught on PS51005A, PS51006A or PS51007A, on a subject agreed with a supervisor in the department. It will involve some tutorial contact with supervisors, but mainly requires you to use library and bibliographic resources to search for relevant material.
|
15 credits |
|
Skills and Employability in Psychology
Skills and Employability in Psychology
15 credits
This module has been designed to develop the practical skills associated with the study of psychology, with a particular emphasis on enhancing your ability to study, research and gain employment in the field of psychology. An important part of this module is to promote personal development and enhance employability by linking in with Goldsmiths’ 3D graduate scheme.
|
15 credits |
Year 2 will provide you with a more in-depth knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories and relating to a broad range of psychological topics from social psychology to developmental psychology. You will also explore statistics and laboratory-based research.
You will be required to complete 120 credits (five to six taught modules and the required research project) during your final year. All the management modules are offered in the Institute of Management Studies and are only open to BSc Psychology with Management students. The management modules are not available for students studying general psychology. Some of the modules are new or not yet offered and may change.
You will also complete an individual research dissertation (45 credits), which should have a management focus.
You will also gain experience of oral presentation of your work during the spring term or early in the summer term, to a small group of your peers and your supervisor.
Year 3 option modules |
Module title |
Credits |
|
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Behaviour
15 credits
This lecture course will introduce you to the fundamentals of consumer psychology and behavioural economics.
It will give you an understanding of the fundamental decision making processes and the factors that influence these processes. It covers topics such as prospect theory and classical economics, brain structures and information processing, heuristics and rules of thumb, and framing and influencing techniques.
It also discloses the various strategies used by marketers to differentiate their products, leverage brands, set strategic prices, reduce the effectiveness of consumer search, and it compares the effectiveness of each.
The course covers topics such as the types and effectiveness of pricing strategies, individual differences in uptake of pricing strategies, value perceptions and subconscious influences (priming), and ethical and legal issues around influencing consumer choice.
The lectures in this course will be supplemented by several assignments designed to develop and enhance practical skills, and further develop familiarity with consumer psychological methods and theories.
|
15 credits |
|
Assessment and Selection
Assessment and Selection
15 credits
The objective of this module is to provide an introductory overview to the theory and practice of personnel assessment and selection. A guiding principle of the module will be the scientist-practitioner perspective, with particular emphasis on the value of scientific, theory-driven research for understanding and addressing pragmatic problems. This module provides the knowledge requirement for the DOP core curriculum domain of ‘Psychological Assessment at Work’.
|
15 credits |
|
Project Management
Project Management
30 credits
- Find out about project management and its application to a range of project environments
- Critically evaluate project management theories as they relate to practical application
- Understand and act upon the role of the project manager in relation to project stakeholders
- Develop an understanding of appropriate project management methods, tools, and techniques, and their application for problem-solving and decision-making in project environments
|
30 credits |
|
Multivariate Statistical Methods in Psychology
Multivariate Statistical Methods in Psychology
15 credits
Each week a two-hour lecture covers the major statistical analysis techniques used by psychologists, building on the knowledge covered in the first two years of the module. Each lecture is followed by a 1.5-hour session in which the student carries out analyses in SPSS related to the material covered in that week's lecture. The topics include:
- data screening and cleaning
- factor analysis
- psychometrics
- linear multiple regression
- extensive coverage of statistical analyses based on the general linear model including ANOVA, MANOVA, ANCOVA, plus executing specific contrasts
There are five screencast lectures, and accompanying SPSS worksheet exercises, that provide a "crash-course" revision of basic statistics and introduce students to the style of the module. Students may wish to take these in their own time before the start of reading week in term 1. The module proper starts after reading week in term 1. The module ends at reading week in term 2.
|
15 credits |
|
Applications of Attention Research
Applications of Attention Research
15 credits
This module will provide detailed study of the scientific investigation of attention, a highly topical aspect of human cognition that plays a fundamental role in our experience of the world. Students will be introduced to current theories of attention and their application to other fields of psychological enquiry including cross-cultural psychology, social psychology, individual differences, and emotion.
|
15 credits |
|
Anomalistic Psychology
Anomalistic Psychology
15 credits
This module includes consideration of the relationship between psychology and parapsychology. This involves discussion of the distinction between science and pseudoscience. The module also involves critical evaluation of various claims, many of which would, if valid, have profound implications for mainstream psychology (including claims derived from astrology, psychoanalysis and alternative therapies). Various psychological processes, which underlie belief in such claims, will be discussed and non-paranormal accounts of ostensibly paranormal experiences, (for example, precognitive dreams, sightings of UFO’s, out-of-body experiences) will be evaluated.
|
15 credits |
|
Topics in Neuropsychology
Topics in Neuropsychology
15 credits
This module will explore a range of issues fundamental to understanding neuropsychology, including underlying theories, research methods, clinical manifestations and application of this expertise related to diagnosis.
Specific topics will include:
- causes and psychological sequelae of brain injury
- dementia
- dysfunctions of memory, perception, attention, consciousness, language and executive processes
|
15 credits |
|
Psychology and Law
Psychology and Law
15 credits
The module will provide the opportunity for advanced study of psychological science applied to the investigation of crime and the process of criminal law. Research will be primarily, but not exclusively, drawn from applied cognitive psychology. The syllabus will cover current issues in psychology and law, for example: interviewing suspects and witnesses, confessions, detection of deception, eyewitness testimony, eyewitness identification, offender profiling, and CCTV. Material from case studies will be used throughout.
The module will be of interest to students considering postgraduate study in forensic psychology.
|
15 credits |
|
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
15 credits
This module explores issues relating to diagnosis, ethics and research methods in relation to a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders, for example, autism, dyslexia, specific language impairment, developmental coordination disorder, sensory impairments, ADHD and Williams syndrome. Consideration will also be given to the implications of theories of neurodevelopmental disorders for understanding normal cognitive functions.
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15 credits |
|
Behavioural Genetics
Behavioural Genetics
15 credits
This module will provide a systematic introduction to behavioural genetics. Areas covered include: behavioural genetic techniques; behavioural genetic research into a range of different topics (e.g. psychopathology, cognitive abilities and disabilities); associations between genetic and environmental influences; and ethical issues in respect of behavioural genetic research.
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15 credits |
|
Angels or Apes: Origins of Human Nature
Angels or Apes: Origins of Human Nature
15 credits
A study of recent developments in evolutionary theory applied to social behaviour and cognition. Topics include: an introduction to the Machiavellian (or Social) Intelligence Hypothesis, Homo Sapiens’ place in nature, the evolution of deception, cultural learning, joint attention, altruism and co-operation, self-recognition, Theory of mind and the social organisation of human hunter-gatherers.
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15 credits |
|
Psychological Approaches to Music
Psychological Approaches to Music
15 credits
This module aims to provide an introduction to the study of music psychology. Lectures will focus on the perception, cognition and neural basis of musical understanding, the perception of musical structure and emotions and theories about music’s evolutionary roots. The scientific methods used in research will be explored in a lab-based class. Student evaluation will be made on the basis of a written assignment selected from a pool of questions.
This module is offered in collaboration with the Department of Psychology.
|
15 credits |
|
The Interpersonal Self
The Interpersonal Self
15 credits
This module will examine self-processes in interpersonal settings, drawing primarily on recent research from social psychology and personality. The module will introduce how interpersonal relationships affect self-concept, identity, self-regulation, and subjective well-being, as well as discuss how self-processes, including individual differences, in turn affect the dynamics of self-other interaction and relational processes.
The module will seek to bridge the current literature in social psychology and personality between self and interpersonal processes among adults. The module will promote an understanding of how self-concept and identity continue to be shaped by our interpersonal interactions and how other people affect motivation, self-regulation, and well-being. The module will also explore how self-processes and individual differences, in turn, affect interpersonal relationships and promote our scientific understanding of the dynamic nature of this mutual influence.
|
15 credits |
|
Psychology and Education
Psychology and Education
15 credits
This module aims to give an overview of the contribution that psychology can make to education. This will include subjects of direct relevance to the classroom, including learning styles, development or mathematical and reading abilities, as well as challenges in the classroom (for example dyslexia, behavioural problems, gifted and talented pupils).
This module will also cover more broad contributions of psychology to education, including how brain development across childhood and adolescence might inform education practice and a critical view of education intervention programmes.
Policy-relevant topics like inclusion for special educational needs, gender differences and antisocial behaviour will also be covered. This module will develop your applied skills and will be relevant for those interested in a career in educational or clinical psychology.
|
15 credits |
|
Social-Moral Development
Social-Moral Development
15 credits
|
15 credits |
|
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
15 credits
This module covers the current state of knowledge in the field of cognitive neuroscience. It covers lower-level, fundamental cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, action, vision, audition, and motor control, as well as higher functions such as memory, speech, language, executive functions and cognitive control.
Tutor: Dr. Maria Herrojo Ruiz
|
15 credits |
|
Magic and the Mind
Magic and the Mind
15 credits
Magicians have developed powerful methods of manipulating our conscious experience. This module will examine a range of these techniques and relate them to psychological phenomena, such as misdirection attention and awareness, illusions, hypnosis, magical thinking, memory illusions and other confabulations.
|
15 credits |
|
Social Psychology of Social Problems
Social Psychology of Social Problems
15 credits
This module will allow you to engage with social psychological approaches to understanding major social problems of contemporary society.
You will learn how to apply social psychology to analyse and solve social problems in intergroup contexts. You will gain experience in applying social psychological knowledge to understand and explain such issues as social inequality, tyranny, revolution and collective action, conflict escalation and resolution, genocide, terrorism and war.
|
15 credits |
|
Psychology of the Arts, Aesthetics and Attraction
Psychology of the Arts, Aesthetics and Attraction
15 credits
This module aims to provide students with an introduction to the psychology of art appreciation, beauty and human preference, both from a basic science and an applied psychology perspective.
The lectures will focus on a wide range of topics, including aesthetic perception across the senses, including visual and auditory aesthetics, as well as the attractiveness of human faces and bodies. We will approach these topics from a wide range of theoretical and methodological angles, including neuroscience, cross-cultural and evolutionary perspectives. We will also focus on applications of aesthetic science in the real world, as in advertising and marketing.
The module will be structured to cover:
- Psychological theories of aesthetic appreciation
- Aesthetics across the senses: vision, audition, taste/smell and touch
- Attractiveness of faces and bodies
- The role of expertise, personality and cross-cultural differences in aesthetic perception
|
15 credits |
|
Psychology of Marketing and Advertising
Psychology of Marketing and Advertising
15 credits
This module will introduce students to the science of marketing and advertising. It will compare and contrast the old and the new in terms of theory and research, and examine the scientific literature on buyer behaviour and psychology in order to provide the state-of-the-art in the field. It also considers research on the most effective ways of communicating information to consumers – knowledge very much rooted in cognitive psychology and information processing models. It will examine different types of media, present research on the relative effectiveness of each, and identify best practices within each media strategy. The module will cover topics such as: advertising effectiveness, different types of media: online, TV, radio, print, communication strategies and cognitive psychology: Attention and Memory, and the six general principles of influencing. This information will help students understand the complexities and best marketing and advertising practices in creating and growing products, brands, and organisations.
The lectures in this module will be supplemented by several assignments designed to develop and enhance practical skills, and further develop familiarity with consumer psychological methods and theories.
|
15 credits |
This programme is taught through scheduled learning - a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops. You’ll also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work.
The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*:
You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework, examinations, laboratory reports, group work and research projects.
The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:
*Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2018/19. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about how this information is calculated.
An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.