Module Information
Module Identifier
PS11520
Module Title
Applications of Psychology
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Reading List
Other Staff
- Dr Gareth Norris
- Dr Jason Bush
- Dr Rachel Rahman
- Dr Gil Greengross
- Miss Heather Heap
- Dr Saffron Passam
- Dr Catherine O'Hanlon
- Dr Ioana Mihai
- Dr Trefor Aspden
- Dr Eva Balgova
- Dr Gareth Hall
- Dr Alison Mackiewicz
- Dr Alexander Taylor
- Professor Charles Musselwhite
- Dr Heather Norris
- Dr Simon Payne
- Dr Valerie Todd
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 1500 Words | 50% |
| Semester Exam | 1.5 Hours Pre-Seen Exam | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 1500 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 1.5 Hours Pre-Seen Exam | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key distinctions and relationships between sub-disciplines in Psychology
2. Examine and evaluate the application of basic concepts to a range of applied areas of Psychology
3. Identify and describe the main applications of Psychology and their uses in contemporary practice
4. Identify, interpret and evaluate primary academic literature in relation to a range of health related topics and critique theoretical models that may be applied to better under the phenomenon.
Brief description
Psychologists have skills and understanding that may reduce harm or enhance potential at individual, group and societal levels. Within Psychology, a number of applied branches have developed to apply these skills that have well-structured training and career paths.
These branches of applied psychology include: counseling, clinical, health, forensic, educational, occupational, and sports performance. Other areas are emerging, such as consumer, environmental, community, and music psychology. This course introduces you to the concept of applied psychology and examines existing and emerging branches through the use of speakers who are academic experts and/or real world practitioners of applied psychology. In doing so, the module will describe and define the main branches of the discipline, demonstrating how theoretical knowledge informs contemporary practice.
These branches of applied psychology include: counseling, clinical, health, forensic, educational, occupational, and sports performance. Other areas are emerging, such as consumer, environmental, community, and music psychology. This course introduces you to the concept of applied psychology and examines existing and emerging branches through the use of speakers who are academic experts and/or real world practitioners of applied psychology. In doing so, the module will describe and define the main branches of the discipline, demonstrating how theoretical knowledge informs contemporary practice.
Content
The content of this module will include an introduction to Psychology as an applied discipline. Students will be introduced to a range of applications of psychology, dependent on staff specialism and guest speaker availability.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Not directly applicable, however, students will be sourcing and reading quantitative articles which will require interpreting statistics. |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing. They will 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 in both the essay and exam paper. Throughout the module there will be an emphasis on student participation and communication [in lectures]. Fellow students will be encouraged to question their peers to critique their approach or to suggest areas for the development of the chosen topic. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context which encourages students to consider their own learning styles; this will be supported by the facilitator. 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 essay. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information on the web, as well as seeking sources through electronic information sources (such as Web of Science and PsychArticles). |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Lecture discussions will help to develop students’ verbal skills, and will help students’ develop their ability to target information to differing audiences, apply psychological theory to problem solve real world cases and source literature. |
| Problem solving | Students will learn how a range of aspects of psychology are applied to solve real-world problems, issues and difficulties. 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 individually will be developed and assessed by asking them to: identify key principles across a range of literatures, deciding how to summarise and clearly present relevant literatures, justify their decisions, and to make links between theory and practice, allowing them to evaluate theory. |
| Research skills | Students will need to be able to identify academic literatures that can allow them to develop their arguments, and thus demonstrate an ability to locate appropriate research resources. The submission of the essay, and the exam, 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. |
| 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: * Demonstration of a familiarity with the techniques required for literature searches. * Appreciation of the nature of ethical research in the social sciences. * Demonstration of application of psychological theory to real world contexts. * Appreciation of the political and social nature of knowledge, including that produced in the social sciences. |
| Team work | Not directly applicable, however, students will be encouraged to participant in discussion during lectures on particular topics and respect each other’s point of views/contributions. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4