Business Psychology with a Placement Year - BSc (Hons)

SP300 is concerned with methodology in psychology, with statistics in psychology, and how they interact. In the lectures, relevant topics in methodology and statistics are introduced over the course of the year (examples are design considerations, counterbalancing, sample versus population, descriptive statistics, histograms, summary statistics, hypothesis testing). There are a number of dedicated lectures looking at how the psychological literature reflects the methodological and statistical issues that have been addressed in the lectures, and how researchers have balanced the requirements of methods, statistics and theory-driven investigation

Psychology is an increasingly popular discipline, possibly because of its relevance to the problems of everyday life. It is also a scientific discipline and draws on other areas of scientific investigation for its concepts and ideas, including Biology, Linguistics, Computer Science and Philosophy. The general aim of this module is to introduce students to the scientific study of behaviour, covering the basic approaches to the subject, including the Biological approach, the Cognitive approach, Behaviourism and Ethology, the Development perspective and related philosophical ideas. Rather than teach these topics in separate blocks, the module is organised so as to emphasise how the theoretical frameworks underlying these approaches relate and contrast. The module also shows how psychological theories and ideas can be used to account for both everyday and abnormal human behaviour.

This module, along with other Stage 1 psychology modules, provides a foundation for Stages 2 and 3. It will provide students with an introduction to the methods, techniques and issues involved in the study of social psychology. The emphasis of the module is on theory as the foundation of an empirical discipline and the importance of scientific methodology. It highlights the interplay between theory, research, and application in social psychology. Focus is placed on core theories and research in social psychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology, and applied psychology. The module is taught through lectures and skills workshops.

This module will introduce students to key topics about Psychology in the workplace such as leadership, corporate crime, and workplace motivation – there will be a focus on the application of psychology to real business issues and questions, and lectures will focus on expertise within the School of Psychology at Kent. In particular, this module will focus on (1) fundamental applications of psychology, as a science, for understanding important business, work, and organisational issues, and (2) key research methods common in work and organisation psychological research. Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to apply contemporary psychological concepts and methods to understand the application of psychology to core work and organisational issues.

The module provides a comprehensive overview of the main theories in personality and differential psychology and introduces a number of key topics in research on personality and individual differences. We will consider what personality is, why it differs between people, and what the impact is of personality on life outcomes. The module introduces the basic principles of the scientific study of personality and the major dimensions of personality variation. We examine personality change and stability, the biological bases, and genetic and environmental influences. We will also focus on other important individual differences such as mental abilities (intelligence), political attitudes, religious beliefs and sexuality.

This module introduces you to the major orientations and discoveries in the social psychology of group processes. The material covers both behaviour within groups (e.g. group structure, social influence, leadership, and group performance) and behaviour between groups (e.g. intergroup conflict and co-operation, social categorisation and social identity, and prejudice and its reduction). We analyse the basic mechanisms in groups that occupy the same position in the social structure in terms of power, status, and group size, as well as mechanisms that characterize asymmetric groups. There is a strong emphasis on social psychological theory being examined by systematic empirical research. Teaching is by lectures and seminars with additional practical demonstrations from time to time.

This module introduces you to the major theories and research in the social psychology of interpersonal behaviour. The emphasis throughout is on social cognition, and three main areas will be considered: social cognition and the self, attitudes (including attitude-behaviour relations, attitude change and persuasion), and interpersonal relationships. There is a strong emphasis on social psychological theory and systematic empirical research in both field and laboratory settings.

The module focuses on current issues in the law and practice of international business and trade law from critical perspectives. This includes exposing deficiencies in the regulation of international trade finance, international marketing operations, Countertrade, international commercial dispute settlement mechanisms and corruption in international business. The module considers the involvement of emerging business and financial jurisdictions in international trade. It broadly explores the inequities of global integration of international trade law and considers the influences of European Union law and those of leading developed economies and financial jurisdictions on regulation and actual practice of the field of international business transactions. Attention will be given to specialist and emerging areas of law such as international mergers and acquisition as well as philosophical aspects of international trade such as the Lex Mercatoria. It seeks to provide a comparative overview of emerging trends in international business regulation and aims to make students aware of ethical dimensions of international business transactions. Topics to be covered include International Trade within the contexts of public and private international law and international politics; Development and underdevelopment of commercial laws in international trade; mergers and acquisitions; counter trade as an alternative to current system of international business and trade; international franchising and agencies abroad; international commercial dispute settlement mechanisms; international corruption and the bribery of foreign officials; doctrine and practice of the New Lex Mercatoria.

This module focuses on the study of the biological bases of human behaviour, relating actions and experiences to genetics and physiology. The study of brain functioning is central to this module. It will address questions such as: How do genes, drugs and hormones influence behaviour? Why do we sleep? What causes behaviour? How are memories stored in the brain? What is the role of bodily reactions in emotion? Is schizophrenia a disorder of the brain? In addition, the module will focus on the methods that are used to answer these questions, such as the recording of physiological signals, brain-imaging techniques, and the study of brain-damaged patients.

The focus of this module is on understanding how children develop, with particular emphasis on the historical background of this part of the discipline, and the key theories, explanations and research conducted within developmental psychology. Certainly, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that for all of us, the period of our lives we go through described as 'childhood' has a significant influence on who we become as adults. Understanding something of the processes we all appear to go through is a central part of any psychology degree, and by the end of this module you should be in a much better position to understand the significance of child development for human psychology. As the course progresses we will move from issues germane to early infancy, then through early childhood and the associated social, cognitive and emotional changes the child experiences during that period, and then a detailed look at adolescence. An additional major component of the course examines how children acquire language and learn how to talk - possibly the most significant development of all.

In this year you undertake a placement within an organisation that delivers a form of psychological or related service, such as the Health Service, Home Office, Education Department or Speech and Language Therapy Services. You may also undertake a research placement, so long as the work is clearly relevant to psychology. During this time your work will be under the joint supervision of an academic member of staff and a supervisor within the placement setting. The placement is typically 30 weeks in duration, and starts in September at the latest. While on placement you submit monthly blog entries and/or keep a diary where you reflect on your experiences on the placement. Under the supervision of the placement supervisor and the Kent academic tutor, you also complete a research project (including either empirical work or an extensive literature review to summarise how the latest psychology research can inform practice in the placement environment). You are typically on placement four days a week, and the fifth day is dedicated to completing coursework (reflective diary and project). You also attend regular 'Back to Kent' days, when you return to the University and meet with one other placement students and the Placement Year Co-ordinator to discuss your experiences.

In this year you undertake a placement within an organisation that delivers a form of psychological or related service, such as the Health Service, Home Office, Education Department or Speech and Language Therapy Services. You may also undertake a research placement, so long as the work is clearly relevant to psychology. During this time your work will be under the joint supervision of an academic member of staff and a supervisor within the placement setting. The placement is typically 30 weeks in duration, and starts in September at the latest. While on placement you submit monthly blog entries and/or keep a diary where you reflect on your experiences on the placement. Under the supervision of the placement supervisor and the Kent academic tutor, you also complete a research project (including either empirical work or an extensive literature review to summarise how the latest psychology research can inform practice in the placement environment). You are typically on placement four days a week, and the fifth day is dedicated to completing coursework (reflective diary and project). You also attend regular 'Back to Kent' days, when you return to the University and meet with one other placement students and the Placement Year Co-ordinator to discuss your experiences.

This module offers an exciting opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge research into groups.

You will understand and apply group research to social policy, business, politics, marketing, etc. and get the chance to consider current affairs and personal experiences with the opportunity for small group discussions and team work. Example topics: group decision making, leadership, organisational identity, improving co-operation in groups.