Experimental Psychology (Conversion) MSc

This module will provide you with an overview of major theories, methods, research findings and debates in social psychology. You will examine classic studies and current findings and evaluate published research reports. The first half of the module focuses on micro-social phenomena and examines key areas of social cognition, including attitudes and attributions, the cognitive construction of self and others as well as identity and self-esteem. The second half of the module will cover basic intergroup and intragroup processes, such as social influence, group membership and identity, prejudice and collective behaviour, and the psychology of culture.

This module will consider the conceptual foundations of psychological research and is divided into three key elements. Ethics and research governance during this part of the module you will learn about the ethical principles and guidelines relating to research in psychology, in particular the BPS code of conduct and how it applies to research studies, and the UK frameworks for research governance. The ethical issues involved in using animals to study psychology will also be addressed. Philosophy of Science you explore different approaches to what it means for psychology to be scientific and why it matters. Half of the material considers classic philosophy of science as represented in the views of Popper, Kuhn and Lakatos and how they apply to psychology. The remaining material considers the foundations of statistical inference, comparing the conceptual basis of orthodox (Neyman Pearson) statistics with that of Bayesian statistics. The aim is to clear up popular misconceptions in interpreting statistics, not to teach any particular statistical technique. Qualitative methods ? are becoming increasingly important in psychology and related disciplines (eg, biology, medicine, sociology). Nevertheless, heated debates continue to rage about their essential qualities (if any) and 'quality' (if any). In this part of the module we will examine all aspects of qualitative research, from (claimed) philosophical underpinnings, through method selection, project planning, ethical considerations, data collection, data analysis, and the production, assessment, and presentation of results, though to the scientific, practical, ethical, and theoretical benefits of the end product(s). Particular attention will be given to the prospects of developing qualitative methods that are truly complementary to quantitative ones.

This module introduces you to the skills necessary for conducting psychological research. This module explores analysing the data obtained from experimental and quasi-experimental studies in psychology. You will be taught how to analyse data quantitatively, using statistical techniques as well as under what circumstances various statistical tests are appropriate. You will be shown how to produce written reports of their findings as set out by the American Psychological Association. You will be taught various research-related IT skills, including digital literature searches, and how to use SPSS to perform statistical tests and display data.

This module gives students the opportunity to explore child development and gain insight into the psychological processes that made us who we are today. This module has three main aims: to give students an overview of child development from birth through adolescence in five overarching areas: perinatal and physical (e.g., newborns and reflexes), emotional (e.g., regulating affect), communicative (e.g., language acquisition), cognitive (e.g., intelligence) and socio-cognitive (e.g., gender development), and social (e.g., the family), to explore these areas with reference to underpinning themes that permeate developmental psychology, including unpacking the influences of nature and nurture, and understanding why there are individual differences in child development, and to apply developmental psychology theory and research to societal problems such as psychopathology, sexual behaviour in young people and bullying in schools.

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 54 hours of contact time and about 96 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

This module enables you to undertake a piece of psychological research under the supervision of a member of faculty who is expert in the relevant area. For clinical psychology students this may involve collaboration with a field supervisor in the Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust. You will be involved in the design and execution of a substantial piece of empirical research on a topic that is relevant to your course. The dissertation will consist of a research report detailing the project you have carried out or been involved with.

With the help of a team of scientists and clinical practitioners you will consider theory, research and treatment of a range of psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and psychosis. You will learn about psychological perspectives on areas of mental health difficulty, research to better understanding of these problems and application to treatment/support.

This module provides an introduction to brain mechanisms and behaviour. Topics covered will normally include: functional neuroanatomy of the human brain; brain development and neurogenetics; ionic mechanisms underlying the nerve action potential; synapses and neurotransmission; neuropharmacology of commonly used drugs; neural mechanisms in emotion and motor behaviour; neural mechanisms underlying plasticity and learning.

This module aims to showcase psychological research methods that can be employed to address questions about consumers' interactions with advertising, products and companies. On this module, students will experience some traditional data collection techniques in psychology, such as online questionnaires, focus groups and interviews, and develop their knowledge of modern techniques and their applications (e.g. eyetracking). In each case, students will question how these techniques can be used to expose the cognitive or social processes that individuals are engaging in, culminating in the desing of their own potential research study.