PSY20150 Foundations of Psychology

Academic Year 2021/2022

This module will provide an introduction to the history of Psychology, its foundations in scientific and philosophical traditions and its impact on modern society and culture. Emphasis will be placed on considering psychological research in the light of the social and scientific context in which it was produced.

Through this module you will acquire a broad knowledge of the history of psychology. Topics will include early experimental work in psychology, the Behaviourist school, Gestalt psychology and the psychodynamic approach. You will also come to understand the relationship between psychology and the society in which it is produced. We will investigate how psychology has contributed to the construction of concepts such as ‘race’, ‘gender’ and ‘madness’, and will critically evaluate the social role that psychology has played and continues to play.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this module, students should be able to:
- Discuss the chronological development of Psychology as a discipline
- Describe the key features of the main Schools of Psychology (e.g. Structuralism, Functionalism, Gestalt, Psychodynamism and Behaviourism)
- Compare and contrast the main approaches to Psychology in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Critically analyse the relationship between Psychology and Society, e.g. with regard to concepts such as 'race’, ‘gender’ and ‘madness’

Indicative Module Content:

Lecture topics will typically include:
1. Early experimentalism
2. Evolution
3. Psychology and race
4. William James
5. Behaviourism
6. Neo-Behaviourism
7. Gestalt Psychology
8. Freud, psychodynamism & psychoanalysis
9. Social Psychology
10. Psychology and animals
11. Psychology and the meaning of madness
12. Ethics in Psychology

Note that these are subject to change.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Tutorial

2
Autonomous Student Learning

78
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The key teaching and learning approaches used in this module will include: lectures, tutorials, active/task-based learning and critical writing. Material will be delivered via multi-media presentations. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

None


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: Multiple choice exam on material covered in the first half of the semester. Week 6 n/a Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No

40
Essay: 1500 word essay Week 12 n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

60

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The mid-semester MCQ exam will be completed online via BrightSpace, and automated feedback will be provided. Individual written feedback will be provided on end-of-semester essays via BrightSpace.


Richards, G. (2010). Putting psychology in its place: Critical historical perspectives (3rd ed.). New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Fancher, R.E. & Rutherford, A. (2016). Pioneers of Psychology: A History (5th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Company. [Please note: any previous editions of this book, including Fancher (1996), are sufficient for this module].

Pettijohn, T. (Ed.) (2007). Classic Edition Sources: Psychology (4th ed.) Dubuque: McGraw Hill..