Master of Science in Psychological Science

Making sense of the world around us involves numerous biological, cognitive and social processes. This module aims to give students a comprehensive grasp of the psychological processes that are involved in individual functioning, behaviour and experience. Biological aspects of psychology investigate how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning, behaviour and experience. Cognitive psychology topics cover aspects of human mental processes such as the way we perceive, attend to information, remember and use language. Social processes refer to the individual in relation to others and consider how we understand how other people and think. By integrating these topics, this module aims to give the student a rounded systematic understanding of how typically and non-typically functioning individuals interact with the world and make sense of it. Furthermore, the module aims to introduce students to quantitative methods including descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will acquire skills and subject knowledge to critically engage with quantitative research findings and theoretical perspectives in biological, cognitive and social psychology.

This module is intended to provide students with the opportunity to develop a critical awareness of the factors that influence human relationships and the development of social behaviour. Students will study the contributions made by key researchers within both classic and contemporary approaches to understanding human relationships from perspectives of evolutionary, developmental and social psychology. They will further deepen their comparative understanding of quantitative and qualitative methods and their underlying epistemologies through hands-on experience of observational methods of human interaction-based data. In studying the empirical basis for understanding relationships, students will develop their understanding of the role of empirical evidence in the creation and constraint of theory, and also in how theory guides the collection and interpretation of empirical data. Students will apply critical skills as they compare and evaluate the main psychological perspectives and relevant research paradigms to the study of everyday human relationships and social behaviour.

The study of mental health is a key focus of theory, research and practice in psychology. This module is designed to stimulate critical thinking about current conceptualisations of mental health and ill-health as well as legal and ethical issues associated with diagnosis and treatment. Students will learn about factors which impact on individual and societal experiences of mental ill-health, such as stigma. This module will cover a range of topics exploring biopsychosocial perspectives on the aetiology and maintenance of common mental health disorders. In addition, students will learn to apply advanced quantitative methods and analyses, including Analysis of Variance and Multiple Regression to the evaluation of treatment effectiveness. The aim of the module is to develop mental health literacy by examining and critically evaluating a broad range of perspectives on mental health on the one hand, and to enhance practical research skills on the other hand.

In addition to delivering a solid foundation for students’ masters-level projects, this module seeks to integrate students’ knowledge of research methods with their understanding of core psychology areas, such as developmental and cognitive psychology.

The Dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to integrate their prior learning from the programme through designing, conducting and reporting an original research project under the supervision of an experienced Psychologist. Students will apply the analytical and conceptual tools and personal skills gained from the previous modules to an in-depth investigation of a specific psychology research question. The final outcome will be the presentation of a research report.