Psychologists who are interested in individual differences focus on the dispositional factors that influence how people think and behave, whereas social psychologists seek to examine behaviour through the social interactions that take place. This module examines the history of both fields of psychology, the principal theories and methods used and how this knowledge can be applied to solve real-world problems. Specific topics to be covered include interpersonal relationships, aggression, and intelligence.
The module will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. There will be 20 hours of lectures, combining core theoretical content with research-focussed content which will demonstrate how psychology is used in the real world. In order to explore the practicalities of conducting research in this area there will be small group research seminars (3 x 2 hours) where students will undertake practical work under the supervision of a member of staff which is targeted towards the assessments. There will be 4 hours of online unscheduled activities which focus on module-specific research questions and skill development, with a focus on the application of knowledge.
The module will be assessed via a social psychology blog (30%) and a systematic review focused on individual differences(70%).
Material will be available to students via online platform (e.g., lecture slides, recorded sessions, online activities, group discussion boards, formative and summative feedback).