BSc (Hons) Psychology

28 May

Welcome to BSc (Hons) Psychology. This course is designed to introduce students to the key principles, ideas, and techniques within the subject of psychology. In the first year we focus on making sure that you have all of the foundational skills that you’ll need to succeed at degree level. This means that not only will we improve your critical thinking and academic writing, but we will also ensure you have covered the basics of psychological theory. This will include introductions to the key areas within psychology: biological, cognitive, social, and developmental psychology, and an opportunity to begin to build your knowledge of research methods. You will also study modules in positive psychology, psychology in the digital world, and environmental psychology in the first year.

Optional Student Task 1:

Psychology is a science, so throughout the course we will be focusing on ensuring that you understand how to apply the scientific method to the study of human behaviour. This will include introducing you to key psychological research studies as examples. Conduct research about one of the following psychological studies:

Zimbardo (1973) - Stanford prison experiment
Milgram (1963) - Electric shock/obedience to authority
Sherif & Sherif (1953) - Robber’s cave

Prepare a factsheet (no more than 2 sides of A4) that outlines the study you have chosen, with a particular focus on evaluating the associated methodological and ethical issues. You should include:

The names of the researcher(s) and date of the research
The aim of the research (what they were investigating or trying to find out)
The method used (how they conducted the research)
The results of the study (what they found)
The implications of the study (what does it tell us about human behaviour)
The strengths and limitations of the study (e.g., were there any problems with how the study was conducted)
Any ethical considerations relevant to the study (e.g., were participants deceived or harmed)

Optional Student Task 2:

Students of psychology are encouraged to use their understanding of psychological processes to reflect upon and improve their own conduct and skills. Listen to this podcast episode from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest (Episode 13: How To Study And Learn More Effectively) and reflect upon your own experience of learning and studying. Is there anything from the podcast that you can apply to your upcoming degree study? Have you previously believed any of the myths that they debunk?