Research Methods: Quantitative And Qualitative

This aim of the unit is to advance your knowledge of empirical research within applied psychology and to develop your univariate data analysis skills to a sophisticated level. The direction of the unit will be firmly embedded within a relevant applied psychology context. We appreciate that you may have little background in research methods for applied psychology. Thus, this unit is suitable for students with diverse backgrounds or little previous exposure to research methods techniques in applied psychology.

• Introduce and develop your skills in evaluating the relationship between design and analysis in applied psychology research.
• Equip you with a critical sense of how to match data collection methods to particular research problems including experiments, observation, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.
• To develop a critical awareness of ethical issues (e.g. GDPR, informed consent) when conducting quantitative and qualitative research.
• To provide you with an understanding of a range of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• To develop your expertise in SPSS for data analysis.

Cognition And Performance

The unit is concerned with the empirical study of mental processes to include, human thinking, problem solving, perception, language, memory and learning. The unit takes an information processing approach to cognitive theories and aims to apply these theories to performance in the real world and the influence on everyday behaviour.
The unit aims to:

• Analyse theoretical frameworks and apply these to human behaviour Develop your critical understanding of information processing, research methods, and empirical findings related to the study of cognitive psychology.
• Examine the impact of the structure and organisation of cognitive systems on human behaviour applied to everyday life.
• Critical reflect on the various research methods, conceptual and historical issues relevant to cognitive psychology.

Developmental Psychology

This unit explores key concepts, theories and debates in developmental psychology and their application to aspects of everyday life. Throughout the unit you will address the question: How can developmental psychology explain individuals’ change and development across the lifespan? You will gain a critical understanding of theory and research relating to biological, cognitive and social development from the prenatal stage through to old age.

The aims of this unit are to:

·         Gain an advanced understanding of the historical context of developmental psychology and critically examine classic and contemporary theories.

·         Critically evaluate methods used in Developmental Psychology

·         Identify how developmental psychology theories and current research findings can be applied to the understanding of development across the lifespan

·         Apply developmental psychology theories and empirical findings to real-life situations (e.g., health, education and social care).

Demonstrate academic and transferable skills including communicating in academic writing.  

Personality, Intelligence And Assessments

The unit aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the underlying principles involved in personality, intelligence and the assessment of individual differences. These topics are expanded with different approaches and theories by selecting the best known and most recent findings within the topic areas. Combining the study of these areas will enable you to critically evaluate the biological, cognitive and social basis of individual differences and gain a better understanding of abnormalities in behaviour which are seen as the product of some psychopathologies.

The unit aims to:

• Provide the opportunity to critically discuss and integrate knowledge across psychometric, biological, psychoanalytic, phenomenological, social learning and cognitive approaches to personality.
• Provide the opportunity to discuss and integrate psychometric and contemporary modular models of intelligence.
• Provide an opportunity to acquire a better understanding of personality and intelligence and the ability to critically evaluate the relevant concepts and theories.
• Enable you to critically evaluate psychometric approaches to assessment of both personality and intelligence.

Advanced Research Methods (Applied Psychology)

The unit is designed to provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the process of advanced empirical research and to equip you with advanced data analysis skills in multivariate statistics and more complex qualitative designs. The direction of the unit will be firmly embedded within an applied psychology context. We appreciate that you may have little background other than Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative (Semester 1). Nonetheless, this advanced unit is suitable for students with diverse backgrounds. Specifically, we build upon your research methods learning from last semester in a way that allows for you to fulfil your applied psychological research potential. The aims of the unit are to:

• Provide you with advance skills in the relationship between more elaborate research designs and complex analyses in applied psychology research
• Equip you with a critical knowledge of sophisticated multivariate data collection methods and to relate these to research problems.
• To develop a critical awareness of ethical and historical issues in data analysis.
• Advanced data analysis (e.g., non-linear and multivariate models) using SPSS.
• To provide you with an in-depth level of knowledge and critical understanding of advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Biological And Neuropsychological Perspectives Of Behaviour

The unit aims to provide you with a critical understanding to the underlying principles involved in biopsychological and neuropsychological investigations and the impact on behaviour. Recent case studies and everyday examples are used to provide an accessible way to the understanding the more challenging ideas that underpin the topics covered.
The unit focuses on the history and development of biopsychology and neuropsychology and the development of neuroimaging techniques. Psychopharmacology and the brain, evolutionary, and genetic explanations of behaviour are also discussed, together with neuropsychological deficits. The combined study of these areas will enable you to critically evaluate the biological and neuropsychological basis of certain psychological abnormalities through acquired brain injury and disease and the impact on behaviour.
The unit aims to:
Provide the opportunity to critically discuss and integrate knowledge across areas of biopsychology and neuropsychology.
Consider the impact of physiology and neuropsychology in developing our understanding and explaining psychological processes and concepts.
Provide the opportunity to critically discuss the neuroanatomy and the physiology of behaviour.
Examine the impact of acquired brain injury through the structure and organisation of cognitive systems and the impact on behaviour.
Encourage critical reading and discussion of primary sources.

Social Psychology

This unit will address key questions debated by social psychologists in relation to theories, concepts and research that contribute to our understanding of the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals in a range of social settings.

Aims of the unit are to:

• Gain an advanced understanding of the historical context of social psychology and examine classic and contemporary theories.

• Critically evaluate social psychological theories and discuss how theories and current research findings can contribute to the understanding of the complex social nature of human beings.

• Apply social psychological theories and empirical findings to real-life situations and social issues with a view to evaluating implications of research and research based interventions in public life.

Applied Psychology

This unit will answer the question, “How can psychology be applied to some of the key challenges facing society?” This unit therefore aims to cover a range of areas within the field of applied psychology to provide you with a critical understanding
of how psychological theory and research can be put into practice in a number of settings.

Applied Psychology Dissertation Project

The Applied Psychology dissertation project is designed to enhance your pre-existing research method skills in psychology and further develop independent learning abilities and critical thinking at a Master’s level.
You are required to blend the elements of supervised academic research with an independent critical evaluation of your own learning and professional practices.
This unit allows you to enhance your knowledge of a specific research topic in applied psychology, your professional and transferable skills, and your ability to reflect upon your development as a learner, framing this by using key theories.

The aim of the unit is:

• To foster autonomous research skills
• To offer students the chance to research a topic in psychology systematically and in depth
• To provide students with an opportunity to carry out a substantial, independent research project in applied psychology
• To promote scholarly activity necessary to produce a substantial research report approaching publishable standard and expanding / redefining current knowledge;
• To develop skills in planning, managing and critically reviewing the research process
• To provide a platform for the further development and application of advanced qualitative and /or quantitative research skills to real life research questions