Atypical Child And Adolescent Development: Theories And Applications

The unit addresses the question of what makes a child atypical or exceptional. It therefore looks at the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment or outcomes of atypical development. You will also examine how different issues involved with exceptional children and atypical development affect and are influenced by families, education, and society. The unit aims to:

• introduce an aetiological developmental framework for understanding exceptional children.

• examine cognitive and psychosocial aspects of selected difficulties in learning, perception, attention and emotional and social development.

• introduce key issues in psychological assessment and intervention.

• develop a critical awareness of the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary research in the field of atypical development.

• discuss and evaluate the ways in which practice informs theory in our understanding of human development.

• provide information about research and assessment in developmental psychology and demonstrate how developmental research can be ethically applied in different settings.

• provide illustrations of the application of developmental theory and research to issues in the real world.

This unit has applications for those with interests in the field of education and welfare (teaching, child and adolescent mental health, educational psychology and social work).

Psychology Of Mental Health

This unit will allow you to familiarise yourself with the main issues relating mental health problems and therefore help you develop a good grounding towards further study and training or employment in role relating to mental health.
The unit aims to:
• introduce you to the main theoretical and therapeutic approaches to mental health problems
• present and evaluate major aspects in the classification of mental health problems
• familiarise you with the clinical symptoms of the most common psychological disorders
• encourage you to critically discuss aetiological models and therapeutic interventions of the major mental health problems in the light of traditional but also recent concepts and empirical findings
• discuss the importance of socio-cultural factors in the causation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health problems.

Applied Forensic Psychology

In this unit you will study the application of psychology to offenders post-sentencing. This will include the consideration of assessment practices which are necessary in order to determine the appropriateness of particular treatments, level of risk posed by the (ex)offender or the success of an intervention with particular offenders. Additionally, you will investigate and evaluate different treatment and rehabilitation programmes; both those delivered in custodial settings, and those undertaken as part of a community sentence or as relapse prevention following release from custody.
We will cover the main scientific and practical skills needed by psychologists in the field of forensic work including issues related to the evaluation of rehabilitative interventions, the preparation of reports, and assessment techniques. In relation to risk assessment we will also consider how assessment informs the management and amelioration of risk.
Further, you will gain a theoretical understanding of a range of advanced research designs and methods of data analysis that are likely to be employed in these contexts (e.g. meta-analysis, factor analysis, reliability & validity etc.).  We will also cover the research and practical ethical issues and debates in Forensic Psychology, as well as developing an awareness of professional skills that are required in practice for employability.

You will find that the topics in this unit complement those of the previous two units studied as part of the Forensic  Psychology degree. In particular this focuses more on the typical work of most Forensic Psychologists who tend to work within the prison system. However, the skills that you will develop whilst studying this unit will be equally transferable to a range of other occupational positions within or around the criminal justice system.

Occupational And Organisational Psychology

This unit addresses the question “How can psychology contribute to the contemporary workplace and the performance and wellbeing of organisations and employees?”
You will study a wide range of topics that emphasise the application of theory and evidence to improving aspects of the workplace. While the unit will have special interest to those planning a career in occupational psychology, you should be able to apply your learning to your future career regardless of your chosen field.
The unit syllabus is based upon research evidence, with material being updated by the teaching team.

Ba Psychology And Criminal Behaviour Honours Project

The Research Project is designed to enhance your pre-existing literature review skills and further develop independent learning abilities and critical thinking.

You will engage in an independent critical evaluation of your own learning and professional practices along with autonomous academic research under supervision.

This unit allows you to enhance your knowledge of a specific research topic in contemporary psychology and criminal behaviour, your professional and transferable skills, and your ability to reflect upon your learner development, framing these using key psychological theories.