MSc Psychology

Explore the biological basis for addictive behaviours such as alcoholism, addiction to psychoactive drugs, and gambling. You will gain a deeper understanding of the brain, how cognition plays a role in addictive behaviours, and how people develop an addiction. You will understand the biological basis of behaviour as applied to the psychology of both substance and non-substance related addictive behaviours. You will learn how these behaviours are linked with the biological effects of drug use, and you will examine theories relating to the development, persistence, control and treatment of addictive behaviours.

Explore the genetic, biological, social, and cultural influences on the developing child from conception to adolescence. You will look at social, cognitive, biological, and emotional development. Discover why siblings and even twins are not the same and whether it is possible to make generalisations about child development. You will explore models of reading and types of dyslexia, the experience of autistic children, intelligence and learning disabilities, antisocial behaviour and ‘troubled children’ inside and outside the school context.

Develop an understanding of social psychology as the scientific study of human behaviour that focuses on the interplay between individuals and groups. You will learn about key theories, concepts, and empirical research in social psychology. This will enable you to gain insights into individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behaviour within social contexts.

This module uncovers the amazing and complex skills that underlie everyday activities and how cognition differs in animals, people with acquired brain injuries, or those who have extraordinary skills, such as polyglots and mnemonists. You will carry out, analyse, and report on a practical experiment in cognition, drawing together the knowledge you have learnt.

Observe lifespan development from adolescence through early adulthood and middle age to old age, focusing on identity and intimate relationships, including sex and gender identity. You will reflect on cultural norms, social constructs, and individual experiences and explore questions such as “When does a child become an adult?” “Is love a culturally constructed concept?” “What is masculinity?” and “What is the happiest decade of life?”. Finally, this module will introduce practical interviewing, transcription, and qualitative data analysis skills.

Examine how psychologists define and quantify individual differences and disorders in personality, where those differences might originate, and how those differences affect our personal and working lives. You will consider the implications of being introverted or sociable, cautious or impulsive, neurotic or carefree, kind or psychotic, and what personality traits might be useful to predict behaviour, success, or well-being in applied contexts such as in organisational, health, educational, forensic, sports, or clinical psychology.

This module looks at daily moods and motivations, moving on to examine biological, social, and environmental factors affecting mental health. In particular, you will discuss sleep and eating disorders, stress, anxiety and depression.

Develop a critical understanding of applying organisational psychology to work, employees, and organisations. You will gain analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills by investigating

contemporary issues facing employees and organisations and methods for assessment and evaluation. You will appraise literature and evidence linking interpersonal factors and the social and physical environment to developing a healthy workplace. Finally, you will present evidence-based arguments using effective methods of communication to communicate a range of workplace issues from an organisational psychology perspective.

This module focuses on decisions in the forensic context: reasons why people commit crimes, the difficulty of detecting crimes, eyewitness memory, pitfalls in interviewing suspects and eyewitnesses, lie detection, and jury decision-making. You will learn about cognitive and social biases, moral decision-making, the role of emotion, and the use of technology, including reflecting on free will and responsibility. This knowledge is also relevant for other areas of applied psychology, such as accidents in the workplace, misbehaviour at school, or misjudgements in everyday life.

This double module is the final module in your programme. In it, you combine all the skills and knowledge of psychology you have learned in previous modules to design and carry out an independent research project under supervision.