Psychology, the Science of Behaviour 1: Conceptual and Historical Issues, Clinical, Cognitive and Humanistic Psychology

 

 

ucl.ac.uk/ioe

Module Handbook

2019-20

UCL Institute of Education

University of London

20 Bedford Way

LONDON

WC1H 0AL

Tel: +44(0)2076126000

 

Psychology, The Science of Behaviour 1: Conceptual and Historical Issues, Clinical, Cognitive and Humanistic Psychology (PHDE0067)

Key module information

Credits:	15
Term time:	October to December 2019
Lectures:	Wednesdays 9:30 – 11:30
Venue:	Elvin Hall, 20 Bedford Way
Assessment:	Coursework: One 1500 word (+/-10%) essay (50% weighting). Please upload an electronic copy only via Moodle. Exam: One hour MCQ exam (50% weighting).
Deadlines:	Coursework essay: 11:59pm (i.e. 23.59) on Monday 9th December 2019 Exam: TBC by the exams office (during the main UCL exam period)
Feedback:	Approximately one month after submission

Contact and support:

Module leader: Dr. Amy Harrison a.harrison@ucl.ac.uk

Module administrator: ioe.bscpsywithed@ucl.ac.uk

Module Team: Dr. Jane Hurry, Dr Dawn Male, Dr Liory Fern-Pollak

Module Overview:

Date:	Lecture title:	Lecturer:	Room:
2/10/19	Psychology as a Science: Philosophy of Science, process of hypothesis testing. Can Psychology be regarded as a science?	Amy Harrison	Elvin Hall
9/10/19	Historical Issues in Psychology and Essay writing skills	Amy Harrison	Elvin Hall
16/10/19	Clinical Psychology 1: Paradigms in Clinical Psychology. DSM classification system of disorders	Amy Harrison	Elvin Hall
23/10/19	Clinical Psychology 2: Therapies	Amy Harrison	Elvin Hall
30/10/19	Essay writing skills tutorial.	Academic Skills Team	Elvin Hall
4-8 Nov	Reading week
13/11/19	Language	Liory Fern-Pollak	Elvin Hall
20/11/19	Motivation	Dawn Male	Elvin Hall
27/11/19	Learning	Jane Hurry	Elvin Hall
4/12/19	Perception: Sensory Processes – Visual perception, audition.	Liory Fern-Pollak	Elvin Hall
11/12/19	Revision session and end of term practice MCQ test	Amy Harrison	Elvin Hall

Module aims and learning objectives

Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes

Module Aims

 

· To introduce students to research and theory across the various key subfields that comprise psychology: historical and conceptual perspectives in psychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology (language, learning, memory and perception) and humanistic psychology (motivation).

· To introduce students to a range of theoretical issues and scientific research methodologies to assist them with the understanding of human behaviour and mental processes.

· To develop students’ ability to engage critically with a range of literature.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

· Understand key concepts and issues in psychology and be able to demonstrate that understanding by applying them to contemporary debates

· Develop their ability, resources and confidence to study challenging texts relevant to issues in the field of psychology

· Develop their ability to assess arguments and make critical judgments concerning psychological theory and research

 

Assessment

This module is assessed by two components, one essay and one hour multiple choice exam (40 items). Please check the programme Moodle space for details on assessment and grade-related criteria.

Component 1: Essay

You will be required to submit one 1500 word essay (+/- 10%). Your deadline for submitting the essay is 11:59pm (i.e. 23:59) on Monday 9th December 2019.

Please make sure you upload one (1) electronic copy via Moodle. You will choose ONE of the following essay questions to answer:

1. Discuss the claim that Psychology is a science, using a specific psychological research study from the field of Psychology to support your argument.

 

1. Referring to a specific research study, discuss why it is important for researchers to consider research ethics.

1. Using the example of a psychological research study, discuss a theoretical model or approach that underpins the field of psychology

 

Essay workshop

As well as a general tutorial session on assessment integrated into your introduction lecture, you will attend one essay-specific workshop. You will need to come prepared to the workshop with a plan/outline of your essay (e.g. in bullet point form). Information about the workshop dates will be posted on Moodle.

Additional essay guidelines

Please refer to the essay resources provided on the module Moodle page and further essay writing resources and support provided on the programme Moodle page. Your essay will be based on the review of the literature and research (e.g. both theory and empirical research) and should be written using academic language. When planning your essay a good starting place is the lecture slides, core readings and further readings outlined in the session content descriptions; however, you are expected to cite literature and research beyond those provided on the course. Essays should cite reliable empirical evidence (e.g. evidence found in peer-reviewed journal articles through the library electronic resource webpages); you should not rely on unreliable review sources (e.g. Psychology review websites such as Psychology Today or Simply Psychology). A critical evaluation of theoretical and empirical evidence is imperative in order to achieve a well-informed argument and a good grade.

You must follow American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines when referencing (when citing within the essay and formatting your reference section at the end of the essay) and formatting your assignment. You can find a copy of the APA 6th edition handbook in the library. Please also refer to the general guidelines for submitting assignments, which can be found in your programme handbook.

Anonymous marking

Please do not put your name or student ID on your assignment. You must upload your essay assignment to Moodle for anonymized marking.

Feedback

You will receive written feedback on your essay a month after submission. You will also receive general feedback via Moodle, or in class. Please apply this feedback to your future assignments.

Component 2: Exam

You will be required to sit a 1 hour exam. The exam will take place during the main UCL exam period in the Spring term 2020 (exact time and location TBC by the Exams Office). This will cover all material discussed in the module. You will be asked to answer 40 multiple choice questions (MCQs).

Additional exam guidelines

In the last session of the module we will take a practice multiple choice exam and discuss revision.

Feedback

As well as a grade, you will receive general feedback on the exam across the cohort. This feedback will be provided one month after the exam date and will be posted to Moodle.

 

Session outlines

 

Psychology: The Science of Behaviour: Lecture Summaries

 

02.10.19 Psychology as a Science Amy Harrison

 

Can Psychology be regarded as a science? In this session we will explore the Philosophy of Science, and the process of hypothesis testing. We will consider how psychologists work with data, using descriptive statistics, and correlations to summarise the pattern of their data; and the use of inferential statistics. We will look at the role of observational studies and experiments in assessing cause and effect and the importance of research ethics. The power of the scientific method is critically evaluated and alternative methodologies are considered.

 

Please read before the first session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Prologue: What Is Psychology & Chapter 1: Research Methods).

Zimbardo, P. G. (2004). Does psychology make a significant difference in our lives? American Psychologist, 59 (5), 339–351.

http://www.zimbardo.com/downloads/2004%20Psychology%20makes%20a%20significant%20difference.pdf

Sutton, J. (2014) A new game plan for psychological science. The Psychologist, 27 (4), 222-223. (in the News Section of the April edition)

 

 

 

09.10.19 Historical Issues in Psychology Amy Harrison

 

 

How did psychology originate? When did it begin? Who were the people responsible for establishing psychology as a separate science? This session describes how from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the mid-19th century, philosophers and scientists thought about the relationship between mind, body and soul. Students are introduced to important early psychologists and the main schools of psychological theory including introspection, psychoanalysis, functionalism, psychometrics, gestalt, behaviourism and humanistic psychology.

 

 

Reading:

Valentine, E. (2008) The Other Woman: the story of Nellie Carey, one of the first women members of the BPS. Part of the British Psychological Society History of Psychology

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-21/edition-1/looking-back

Hacking, I. (2007) Kinds of People, Moving Targets. (p1-18) This British Academy lecture investigates the ways in which people who are classified interact with their classifications.

http://nurs7009philosophyofinquiry.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/4/0/6040397/hacking_20071.pdf

 

 

16.10.19 Clinical Psychology 1 Amy Harrison

 

This session will provide a review of how mental disorder has been conceptualised and then discuss definition, assessment and diagnosis, with reference to the categories identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM). One of the more common disorders, anxiety disorders, is described; as are mood disorders, such as major depression and bipolar disorder; schizophrenia and other Axis 1 and Axis 11 disorders.

Please read before the session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 16: Psychopathology).

Rosenhan, D. L. (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179(4070), 250-258.

 

Recommended book for further reading:

Bentall, R. P.  Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature. London, England: Penguin; 2003.

 

 

 

 

23.10.19 Clinical Psychology 2 Amy Harrison

 

The boundaries between biological and psychological aspects of contemporary treatments for mental disorders may not always be clear-cut. During this session we will consider various approaches to therapy, from psychodynamic approaches based on Freud; humanistic approaches, as exemplified by Roger’s client-centred therapy; behavioural approaches such as exposure therapy, the use of token economies; and the cognitive behavioural approaches of Ellis and Beck. Therapists may be eclectic, weaving together aspects of various approaches. We will also consider the role of biomedical treatments. These are designed to alleviate mental disorders by directly altering the brain’s functioning, with the use of a range of drugs, which can provide substantial symptom relief for many people. Methodological issues to do with difficulties in empirically evaluating treatments, such as randomised clinical trials, the placebo effect and use of meta-analysis to assess therapies are considered in more detail.

 

 

Please read before the session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 17: Treatment of Mental Disorders).

 

 

30.10.19 Essay writing skills tutorial. Academic Skills Team

This session which will be delivered by expert trainers from the UCL Academic Skills Team will support you to begin to develop an understanding of the skills needed to successfully produce essays at the level expected at University. You are strongly encouraged to use this support to begin to research your essay for this module over the reading week.

 

 

06.11.19 Reading week – no class

 

 

 

13.11.19 Language Liory Fern-Pollak

 

Language is fundamental to learning and development. This session will explore the basic building blocks of language as a hierarchy of units: phonemes, morphemes, words and phrases. We will consider how language conveys meaning and look at theories of word and sentence meaning.

In the session we will also explore how babies learn a language and how parents support them during the early stages of development. Other questions to explore include: how is language learned in changed environments? What is the relationship between language and thought? Does the language we speak determine the way we think?

 

Please read before the session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 10: Language).

 

Saxton, M. (2010). Child Language: Acquisition and Development. London: Sage. (Chapter 4: Input and Interaction).

 

 

 

 

 

20.11.19 Motivation Dawn Male

 

In this session we will look at different theoretical approaches to motivation – psychodynamic, behaviourist and humanistic. We will look at how motivation influences our behaviour: how it ‘starts, steers and stops it’. We will critically consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework for examining motivation and we will discuss some of the practical applications in ‘real world’ situations.

 

Please read before the session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 12: Motivation & Emotion).

Larsen, R. J., & Buss, D. M. (2013). Personality Psychology. (5th edition). London: McGraw-Hill. [Chapter 11: Motives and personality, especially humanistic tradition: Maslow’s contribution, Roger’s contribution pp. 354-360.]

 

 

27.11.19 Learning Jane Hurry

 

What is learning? Is it a change in behaviour or understanding? We start with an overview of Learning Theory, from the simplest form of learning, habituation; classical conditioning, where animals learn about the association between one stimulus and another; to operant conditioning, where the trainer delivers a reward or reinforcement only after the animal gives the appropriate response. During this session, we will discuss the phenomenon of learned helplessness and observational learning, and the learning theory perspective will be critically evaluated.

 

 

Please read before the session:

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 7: Learning).

 

 

 

04.12.19 Perception: sensory processes – visual perception &

audition Liory Fern-Pollak

Perception is one of the building blocks of behaviour (along with our genes and our experience). In this session we will explore how the five senses interact with higher cognitive functions such as attention, to help us understand the world we live in. We will look at the different parts of the brain that process each sense, and also what happens when things go wrong. We will illustrate how clever our sensory system is by looking at optical and auditory illusions.

Please read before the session:

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th ed.). New York, London: W.W. Norton & Co. (Chapter 5: Perception)

 

11.12.19 Revision Session and Practice Multiple Choice Test

Amy Harrison

In this session, we will work to consolidate your learning and help you to prepare for the exam which will be held in the April exam period. You will take a 40 item multiple choice during the session and you will receive feedback on this to allow you to understand where there are gaps in your knowledge.

 

Gleitman, H., Gross, J. & Reisberg, D. (2011). Psychology: International Student Edition (8th edition).

The core textbook for this module provides some useful pedagogical techniques for students to use, if they wish. The Study Space site is organized into 3 parts:

Organize

Before reading each chapter, there are:

· Chapter study plans which guide students as they work through the online materials

· Chapter outlines which give an overview of the issues each chapter explores

· Quiz+ allows students to learn from their mistakes with customized study plans based upon their answers to quiz questions.

 

Learn

These exercises help students master what they have read

· Chapter Reviews allow students to quickly review what they have read and help them identify important concepts in each chapter.

· Vocabulary Flashcards test knowledge of important terms and concepts.

· There are Drag-and Drop Labelling exercises for some of the diagrams and figures in each chapter

· Audio Podcast Chapter Overviews can be streamed online or download to portable media players for the opportunity to review chapter content on the go.

· Visual Quizzes test student’s knowledge of the figures, charts, and diagrams in the text.

Connect

Here students can apply what they have learned from the chapter and make connections between concepts they have mastered.

· Critical Thinking Activities help students solidify their knowledge of core topics from the chapter and build critical-thinking skills. They can watch interviews with researchers in brain science and cognition, and download them to a portable media player with the “Studying the Mind Video Podcasts”.

· There are online Video Exercises for each chapter introduce students to the current psychological research.

· Animations clarify and explain difficult concepts from each chapter.

· ZAPS Psychology Labs help students understand the significance of psychological research within an experimental context.

 

We hope that you enjoy this module and look forward to working with you Any queries, please do not hesitate to ask.