PS111-4-FY-CO:
Discovering Psychology: The Science Behind Human Behaviour

The details
2015/16
Psychology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
30
26 July 2002

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

PS212, PS300, PS407, PS411, PS414, PS415, PS416

Key module for

BA L3C8 Criminology with Social Psychology,
BA L3H8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA LHC8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA 63C2 Psychological Studies,
BA C801 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA C802 Psychology,
BA C810 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C800 Psychology,
BSC C803 Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C811 Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BSC C806 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C808 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience,
BSC C809 Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience (Including Placement Year),
BA CL83 Sociology with Social Psychology,
BA CLV3 Sociology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

The principle aim of the module is to make students familiar with the way psychologists have tackled the investigation of human behaviour. This familiarity is also intended to offer the psychology student a basic command of areas of research that will be covered in more detail in future years of a psychology degree programme.

The module will therefore introduce students to a wide variety of psychological research. Students will learn about the most important empirical findings, theories, and the current state of research in a number of areas of psychological inquiry.

At the end of the module, students should be able to:
*Describe the important issues and current questions in each area covered.
*Outline main experimental findings, interpretations and theories relevant to a range of psychological areas such as: Sensation and Perception, Learning, Memory, Motivation and Emotion, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Social Cognition and Attitudes.

Module aims

No information available.

Module learning outcomes

No information available.

Module information

Compulsory for: Year 1 BA Psychology, Year 1 BSc Psychology.
Correct as at 05/11/2015 LC

Learning and teaching methods

A full outline of the module will be distributed during the first lecture. Module lectures run on Mondays, 13:00-15:00, in IC Hall B. In addition, you will have TWO small-group content tutorials this term and TWO content tutorials next term. These are at either 12:00 or Wednesday or 15:00 on Friday in room 1.703 (floor 1 of the psychology building). Finally, you will be allocated to one of a series of Essay writing skills classes delivered by the Talent Development Centre. These run at a number of different times throughout the week, and you will each receive one class per week from weeks 2-11. Your personal online timetable will inform you of the time and place of your tutorials and your classes. If you are unable to attend a tutorial or a class at the time you have been allocated, you must submit a 'class change request' via the University online teaching timetable. More tutorial timetabling details are also at the end of this document. Attendance at lectures, tutorials and classes for PS111 is compulsory.

Bibliography

(none)

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   PS111-AW Assignment 4: Two-part Moodle Test on Style and Expression    8% 
Coursework   PS111-AW Assignment 1: Reflections on Information Literacy Session with Practice References List    4% 
Coursework   Assignment 1 - Essay 1: How have studies of classical and operant conditioning contributed to the field of Psychology?    20% 
Coursework   Assignment 1 - Essay 2: Explain how the human brain processes visual information.    0% 
Coursework   PS111-AW Assigment 2: Re-edit of PS111 Practice Essay    4% 
Coursework   PS111-AW Assignment 3: Critical summary of a research article on the Bystander Effect    4% 
Coursework   Assignment 2 - Essay 1: Compare and contrast the personality theories advanced by Sigmund Freud and by Abraham Maslow.    20% 
Coursework   Assignment 2 - Essay 2: Describe the pre-operational stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.    0% 
Written Exam  Spring Term Test    20% 
Written Exam  Autumn Term Test     20% 
Exam  Main exam: 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 

Additional coursework information

Tests and the end-of-year exam will address material from the lectures, tutorials and textbook.

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr. Dean Wybrow, Dr. Vanessa Loaiza, Dr. Silvia Rigato, Dr. Andrew Simpson, Dr. Anthony O'Reilly, Dr. Philip Cozzolino
email: dpwybr@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Psychology

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.