Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | research report (1500 words) | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | poster presentation | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | class wiki (student discussion group supported by blackboard | 10% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours written examination | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 2 Hours Written examination Student may resit this module, as determined by the examination board. | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to.
1. Demonstrate advanced levels of explanation for some aspects of human social behaviour
2. Identify extraneous variables in modern life that affect human behaviour.
3. Understand the formation of attitudes and develop skill for scale construction
4 Be able to explain group behaviour and contrast different perspectives explaining group behaviour.
5. Will be able demonstrate good presentational and communication skills
6. Use an array of media to present and communicate knowledge gained on the course
7. Be able to demonstrate knowledge and awareness of social psychology and some of its applications in modern life
Aims
Social psychology has expanded rapidly into other fields of psychology and other disciplines. These disciplines have in their turn played a large part in enlightening social psychology principles and applications. There are now several micro-subfields within social psychology. These have included environmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, applied social psychology, consumer psychology, the psychology of attitudes (both individual and cultural), and the psychology of groups. These developments provide the basis for the module by making students aware of new dimensions to studying social psychology and highlighting the importance of understanding that disciplines progress and evolve.
Brief description
This module examines important and novel social psychological themes such as environmental psychology, evolutionary basis of social psychology, personal and social attitudes, and group processes such as intergroup conflict. The topics are strongly related as they have all developed out of applied empirical field work. The module aims to explore these advanced social psychological topics through understanding the applications of social psychological research in everyday life and in relation to current social issues.
Content
1. Emergence of evolutionary psychology
2. Relationships and human sexual behaviour
3. Altruism and intragroup and intergroup conflict
4. Evolution of culture and ethics
-Part II: Social psychology perspectives on our environment
5. Emergence of environmental psychology
6. Climate and human behavior
7. Urban life and architecture
-Part III: Attitudes and changing attitudes
8. Attitude formation, stereotyping and prejudice
9. Attitude change and management
10. Measuring attitudes in social psychology
-Part IV: Group process in social psychology
11. Group behavior and dynamics
12. Group attitudes, norms, and prejudice
13. Groups and the social identity approach
-Part V: Applying social Psychology in everyday life
14. The criminal justice system
15. The media and advertising
16. The work place
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Students will be expected to build on their research training from other modules. Students will be required to conduct research and choose the appropriate research methods and analysis, which may be either quantitative or qualitative based. |
| Communication | Students will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to the best advantage. They will learn to be clear and direct in their and to be direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic and to focus on the objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching. Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format and the presentation of work should reflect effective expression of ideas and good use of language skills in order to ensure clarity, coherence and effective communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the facilitator and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their research and presentation topics. The need to conduct a seminar presentation and to meet an research deadline will focus students' attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. In addition, students will be expected to maintain a class Wiki site that can be used by all social psychology students for reference. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as Web of Science and PsychLit). In addition, students will have to develop posters using Powerpoint for assessment. Students will also be encouraged to use the University's multimedia tools to encourage peer learning and engage in the literature further. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students' verbal and presentation skills. Learning about the process of planning research and a presentation, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing through to completion will contribute towards their portfolio of transferable skills |
| Problem solving | Group project work and problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module. The submission of a research report will require that the student develops independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The need to present their data will enable students to develop presentational skills that might be required for future employment. The need to research and prepare seminar presentations will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; consider case studies; reason logically; apply theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student's ability to work alone can be undertaken. |
| Research skills | The submission of research report will reflect both group and independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. Research preparation for a seminar presentation will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. Additional reading and contribution to multimedia facilities will enable students to evaluate and summarise large amounts of information relating to the course topics. A final examination will ensure that an assessment of the student's ability to work alone can be undertaken |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of subject specific skills that will help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and research publications presented on the module. These subject specific skills include: • Assessment of scientific methods in psychology. • Differentiation between quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry and identification of appropriate research methods. • Demonstration of a familiarity with the techniques required for literature searches. • Appreciation of the complex interactions and diverse influences on human behaviour. • Appreciation of the nature of ethical research in the social sciences. • Understanding of the applications of social psychology in the modern life |
| Team work | Students will engage in independent research project and written as psychology a research. Students will also be expected to deliver their results in the form of poster presentations during a scheduled course conference. Seminars will consist in part of small-group discussion where students will be obliged to discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics. Such class room debates and discussions are a vital component of the module. Students will also be expected to maintain a class Wiki site based on their seminar groups. This situation will enable students to take an active role in contributing to peer learning |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6