Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Case Study Students will be required to produce a case study of an offender(s). 1500 Words | 50% |
| Semester Exam | 1.5 Hours MCQ Multiple choice questionnaire | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Case Study Students will be required to produce a case study of an offender(s). 1500 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 1.5 Hours MCQ Multiple choice questionnaire | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate foundational knowledge of principles and theories in Forensic Psychology.
Evaluate different approaches and explanations for offending behaviour
Describe the limitations of risk prediction and treatment success with offenders
Evaluate the role of theory and research in Forensic Psychology
Brief description
This module will introduce you to the key concepts of forensic psychology and provide an understanding of criminal behaviour. We will cover the history and developmemt of this exciting branch of applied psychology and recognise the contributions from other fields of psychology and related disciplines. We will develop an understaning of the developmemt of criminal behaviour and how psychology can provide explanations for many serious crimes and the potential to intervene and rehabilitate offenders.
Aims
The module aims to set the foundations for first year students on the Psychology with Forensic Psychology pathway and lead into existing second year option module (PS21220). Specifically, it will introduce some of the history and key debates in forensic psychology and the main elements of understanding criminal behaviour.
Content
Indicative content of this module will include: What is Forensic Psychology, History of Forensic Psychology, Understanding Criminal Behaviour, Developmental and Social explanations of crime, biological links with offending, understanding risk and treatment of offenders.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Adaptability and resilience | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context of assistance from both the facilitator and the fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, and deciding the direction of their case study. |
| Creative Problem Solving | Independent work and individual problem solving will be one of the central goals of the module; the submission of an essay will require that the student develops independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; use psychological theory to validate their opinions and estimate an answer to the problem; consider case studies and reason logically. |
| Critical and analytical thinking | The submission of the case study will reflect the independent research skills of the student. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. Research preparation for a seminar presentation will also enable the student to develop independent project skills. |
| Professional communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas and understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these for various target audiences. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic and to focus on the objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars will be run in groups where oral discussion and presentations will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis will be on student participation and communication. |
| Real world sense | The module will broaden students understanding of the career path to chartership in forensic psychology as well as career opportunities available to psychologists within the wider forensic areas. Seminar discussions in particular will help to develop students' verbal and presentation skills. Additional transferable skills developed include targeting information to differing audiences, applying psychological theory to problem solve real world cases and sourcing literature. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of subject specific skills that will help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and research publications presented on the module. These subject specific skills include: 1. Assessment of scientific methods in psychology. 2. Appreciation of the nature of ethical research in the social sciences. 4. Demonstration of application of psychological theory |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4