Psychology Foundation Year

On this module you will learn about several of the key concepts and studies that have influenced our formative understanding of Psychology as a subject and importantly how we research psychological processes today. You will cover classic studies in a range of different areas such as behavioural psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, evolutionary psychology and cognitive psychology. In addition to this, you will learn about the development of neuroimaging, discuss ethics in psychological research, and look at classic studies in applied domains such as eyewitness memory.

Psychology is a relatively new discipline, and is still developing its identity as a science. On this module you will learn about some of the questions that excite researchers right now: what are the boundaries of knowledge and the big questions in areas such as perception, neuroimaging, culture, and consciousness, and which directions are currently being explored?

On this module you will learn academic skills that will assist your learning and development on this programme and your future degree. The skills you acquire will also be transferable to enhance your employability.

You will be introduced to the learning resources that are available to support you. Using these resources you will learn how to conduct effective bibliographic searches and how to evaluate the credibility of the sources. You will learn about the sections of a journal article and how to read journal articles effectively. You will explore what it means to be a critical thinker and begin to learn how to evaluate information. You will focus on writing skills – essay writing and writing for different audiences – and learn the processes involved including referencing and how to avoid plagiarism. You will be introduced to the University’s Assessment for Learning policy and how assessment criteria and feedback can be used to help you develop your skills. Integrated within this you will develop your understanding of research by learning and reading about research, taking part in research studies and reflecting on research activities.

The Psychology for Life module will primarily focus on developing your knowledge of how psychology is applied in the real world, and supporting you in making longer term decisions about your career. You will be introduced to different chartered routes in psychology, as well as broader professions, in which psychology can be readily applied. This knowledge in the application of psychology will help you to develop your understanding and self-efficacy when it comes to making career-related decisions. In-class discussions will also enable you to develop transferable skills valued by employers, such as communication skills and the role of teamwork.

You will have access to specialist input from the Careers and Employment Service in how to begin your journey in psychology, looking at securing relevant work experience, reflecting on your own skills and interests, CV writing, and interview support. Making use of this service will ensure that you are building your employability from the early stages of your journey in psychology.

Within the department of psychology, we also run invited speakers’ programmes for you to network with a range of practitioners and academics from outside of the university.

On this module you will learn basic techniques for collecting and managing different types of data. You will learn to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative data and to understand how these types of data are used by psychologists. In taught sessions, you will gain practical experience of collecting both qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., through interviews, questionnaires and experiments). You will then learn how to collate and describe these data by identifying themes or calculating appropriate summary statistics, using appropriate software where appropriate. Towards the end of the module you will be introduced to the concept of inferential statistics, which allow us to make inferences about the wider population based on data from a sample of that population.

On this module you will learn research skills that will assist your learning and development on this programme and your future degree (e.g., how to read a journal article, how to find psychological literature, how to form a research question, how to design a psychology study, and how to interpret and communicate results). The skills you acquire will also be transferable to enhance your employability.

You will be introduced to the learning resources that are available to support you. You will learn how to conduct research and how to best report your findings. You will work individually and in groups to test your own abilities. You will explore the psychological theories behind the psychological phenomena and relationships that you investigate. Integrated within this you will develop communication skills by learning how to present information using posters, PowerPoint slides, and learn how to give confident oral presentations. In teaching session discussions, you will develop group working skills and enhance your understanding of the role of teamwork.