Psychology with Clinical Perspectives

and a Year in Professional Practice

What do you need to know to do well studying psychology at university? How can you best demonstrate and articulate your abilities throughout your studies and beyond? You'll gain essential information and opportunities to develop skills that will see you through the next years of your course. From academic writing to self-reflection and career planning, this modules gives you a thorough grounding in how to learn effectively and independently, and to use this learning to think and write like a psychologist.

How do psychologists generate knowledge? How can we use scientific methods to better understand human behaviour? In this module, you will learn the essentials of the scientific method, and how we can use this to design psychology experiments effectively. Through a critical examination of classic studies in psychology and seeing how they can be updated with modern methods, you will develop essential critical thinking skills that will help you understand the history and future of the study of psychology. This module will help you understand how to operationalise and measure variables, and how different types of data can be analysed.

You'll start on an in-depth journey into cognitive and biological psychology, introducing you to the foundational theories, methodologies, and critical issues within these fields. Starting with the history and development of psychology as a science, you'll navigate through the complexities of the brain and nervous system, delving into the cognitive processes behind learning, memory, and decision-making, and explores the realms of sensation, perception, and multisensory integration.

Students will also examine the nuances of psychopathology, including the nature and treatment of psychological disorders, and the psychological aspects of social cognition, sleep, and dreaming. Through a blend of historical context and contemporary research, you'll be equipped with a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying human behaviour and mental processes, laying a solid foundation for further study in psychology.

Each lecture within the module is designed to not only impart theoretical knowledge but also to encourage you to critically engage with current research, methodologies, and debates in the field of psychology. Through this comprehensive programme, you are equipped with a deep understanding of the cognitive and biological bases of human behaviour, preparing you for further study or careers in psychology and related disciplines.

A fundamental part of being a psychologist is using data to get answers to questions about how people think and behave. You'll build on what you have learned about psychology and science in Research Methods – Science and Psychology, exploring how to use generic and specialist software to produce descriptive statistics and test hypotheses. You'll also learn how to present your findings in graphical and written form in line with professional requirements to allow you to communicate your findings to a range of audiences. You'll develop an understanding of which types of tests can be used on which types of data, and what conclusions can be drawn from these tests. These essential skills will help you to think and communicate like a psychologist.

What is a Clinical Psychologist? How do they think? How do they work with distress? What types of work can Clinical Psychologists do? And most importantly, what kind of Clinical Psychologist would you want to be? Clinical Psychologists are one of the most highly sought after mental health professionals in the UK at this moment. We will introduce you to the theories they use to reduce distress in others, along with some of the ethical dilemmas of clinical practice and the importance of being an evidence-based practitioner. Using a case study, we will take you through the process of assessment, formulation and intervention. This module will show you how theories from your textbooks can be applied in real life settings.

Why are some people attracted to each other? Why are some of your friends more open to persuasion than others? What motivates people to help or harm others?

Learn how people think, feel and act in relation to themselves, others, and the world around them. From personal choices to group conflicts, you'll gain a solid understanding of people and groups, and learn about the psychological underpinnings of the brighter and darker sides of human nature. Using fascinating real-life examples, we'll introduce you to classic concepts and research as well as emerging areas in personality and social psychology. You'll learn about their relevance to everyday life, and inevitably, you'll learn something about yourself, as you develop the ability to critically reflect upon psychological ideas and research findings and identify some of the most pressing questions related to human behaviour and the social world.

How do our early experiences shape us into the people we are today? Are we simply a product of our genetics or does the environment we grow up in impact the way we think and behave?

You'll gain knowledge of the crucial factors that influence us from before birth, through infancy and childhood, and into adolescence. Through engaging with key theories and methods you'll gain an in-depth understanding of how biological and cultural factors impact every child’s development, alongside developing key skills for a career in Psychology or further afield.

In Conducting, Using and Evaluating Research, you will gain experience of the research process from data collection through to the production of professional-standard research reports. You will have the opportunity to work on both qualitative and quantitative data, and to understand the different ways in which these can be used to answer fundamental questions about human behaviour. Building on Making Sense of Psychological Data, you will continue to learn how to apply and interpret statistical tests that will allow you to ask and answer more complex and interesting questions. You will also develop essential skills around the critical reading of scientific research to help you write your practical reports.

How do we study the brain and how it relates to cognition and behaviour? This module gives you grounding in methods, techniques and issues in cognitive neuroscience. It will focus on the biological bases of human behaviour (neural development and plasticity; anatomy and physiology of the nervous system), and on key cognitive processes such as perception, memory and higher levels of cognition with a particular focus on how these processes are instantiated in the brain.

You'll learn about the methods used to study and modulate these processes, such as the recording of physiological signals, brain-imaging, brain stimulation and psychopharmacology. During the seminars you'll gain familiarity with key contemporary research topics and methods in Cognitive and Biological Psychology and develop fundamental critical reflection skills through the discussion of scientific research articles. You'll have the opportunity to train in verbal presentation, a core skill to learn not only in academia but in almost all graduate careers.

How do we come to be who we are? Why do we show such a sheer variety in the ways we relate to ourselves, each other, and the social world? And why does this matter in everday life?

You'll be introduced to the major scientific discoveries in personality and social psychology, and learn what personality is, why it differs between people, and how social situations and intergroup dynamics can bring out the best and worst in people. You'll develop the ability to ask and discuss clever scientific questions about human nature and social phenomena, as well as the skills to design bulletproof scientific studies to find answers to these questions and test your research ideas.

How did we get to the current model of ‘mental health’ that we have today? How do we understand distress and intervene to improve the lives of those we work with? What are some of the strengths and pitfalls of our current practice?

Examine the origins and identification of different forms of atypical cognitions and behaviours and investigate the psychological and social impact for clients. This will give you theoretical instruction and opportunities for critical evaluation in clinical psychology. You'll also cover some of the major mental health disorders, focusing primarily on what research has to say about their social/cognitive/biological bases and the implications they have for treatment.

You'll explore several methodological approaches, and ask fundamental questions about the meaning of normality. The historical developments in the field will be examined and current interventions and treatments will feature highly in this module. You're encouraged to think reflectively about the teaching you receive and how you might apply this new-found knowledge in the future.

Psychological tests from diagnostic measures, to personality tests, to tests of cognitive function have wide-ranging applications in areas including business, health, education and the law. They can be used to inform interventions at the individual, group, organisational and social levels, and are among the most important tools used by professional psychologists. You'll be introduced to some key psychological tests and learn how they can be used in real-world situations. You'll gain an understanding of how they are administered and scored, as well as developing a critical perspective on their use. You'll also learn how to make recommendations based on the results of these tests, and to propose interventions related to them. Learning how to apply psychological concepts and tests is an essential employability skill for anyone looking to work within the field of psychology.

What are the different approaches Clinical Psychologists use to reduce distress? How do we decide which approach to use? How can we tell how effective they are and for whom?

Gain an understanding of how clinical psychologists work with clients in a stepped-care setting from brief psychological intervention to longer pieces of work. You'll be introduced to a wide range of psychology intervention and therapeutic approaches and encouraged to think critically about when and how you would use them. Delve into three key models including cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy and systemic therapy, while also expoloring other specialist models of intervention.

The Clinical Psychology Project is the capstone of your degree, where you will bring together what you have learned in the first two years of your studies to produce a thorough, professional research report relevant to clinical psychology. You will evaluate existing evidence in your chosen area, develop your hypotheses and research questions, and select and run appropriate statistical tests to answer these questions. You will then present your findings in an accessible and professional style, and discuss how they fit within and build on psychological knowledge relevant to the field of clinical psychology. Research reports are the fundamental tool of communication in the sciences, and producing your own is an exciting opportunity to join the scientific community in making valuable contributions to key discussions in the field of clinical psychology.

To what extent are our thoughts and actions shaped by processes outside our awareness? Are we wrong to believe that we can act out of free will? You'll explore these questions to tackle a variety of current and/or critical topics in cognitive psychology/neuroscience.

The overarching theme focuses on free will and metacognition, looking in particular at the extent to which we control, or feel we control, our thoughts and behaviour. You’ll discuss research that has used a variety of methods, including behavioural, animal and neuroimaging techniques. Practical applications and relevance to everyday understanding of behaviour is emphasised throughout. You will learn how to evaluate pieces of original research in terms of their findings, conceptual underpinnings and/or methodological choices. This will enable you to gain a deep understanding of the topic areas as well as important communication and critical analysis skills.

For students interested in further study, or a research career, this module offers an opportunity for you to get experience of data collection at an advanced level. You will work in a research team under the supervision of an academic to collect data for your psychology project.

Working as part of a research team will allow you to develop professional and research skills ideal for further study. The exact nature of the research you undertake will vary depending on the project, but will likely require lab-based data collection. You will undertake supervision as a group, and work together to identify and evaluate evidence relevant to your project. This skills you develop through working in a research team help you stand out to employers, in whichever field or career you want to explore.

This module will build upon the cognitive theories and research methods explored at stages 1 and 2. It will focus on several forms of neurological deficit each of which affects a different domain of cognition. Students will learn about how different strands of neuroscientific research, relating to behaviour, cognition, anatomy, and physiology, have both advanced our understanding of human neuropsychology, and informed on the design of relevant intervention strategies.

How do we mentally simulate other times, places, and possibilities outside the present? This module focuses on imaginative cognition. We will consider theoretical perspectives and debates on the imagination from a range of disciplines, and will examine how the imagination – whilst seemingly intangible – can be empirically quantified and studied. We will discuss the contributions of the imagination to people’s decisions, actions, and beliefs. Teaching topics may include, but are not limited to, pretend play and imagination in childhood, counterfactual and future thinking, mental imagery, thought experiments, creativity, imagination in clinical populations, the neuroscience of the imagination, and imaginative cognition in other species. By the end of the module you will be able to describe and distill a range of interdisciplinary findings on imagination and identify how imagination-based interventions can be used to solve real-world problems.

Psychologists are often concerned about what makes ‘us’ different from each other. In this module we will focus more on what we have in common as human beings. How does evolution influence how humans think, feel, and act? Is human evolution still relevant to this day? One goal of this module is to discover and understand the principles of evolutionary psychology and other relevant complementary research paradigms. The module will provide an excellent understanding of the nature of universal human behaviour and develop skills in critical thinking. You will be encouraged to discuss and present relevant questions and observations about human nature to seminars and lectures.

To understand social and cognitive processes in adults, we need to understand how these processes interact in development. Developmental Psychology also has its own particular considerations such as the degree to which particular measures are appropriate for specific age groups. Moreover, to understand which children are likely to require additional support from clinical psychologists, educators or therapists, we need to understand how and when key milestones are reached in the general child population. You will develop your skills of critical analysis through discussion of empirical journal articles and consider how research conducted in Higher Education institutions informs practice and benefits patients. On completion of this module, you will be able to critique and summarise journal articles succinctly in addition to understanding the relationship between academic research and its implementation by practitioners.