Year One

Questioning Sport and Exercise

(Module information to come)

Evaluating Sport and Exercise

(Module information to come)

Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology

(Module information to come)

Introduction to Skill Acquisition

(Module information to come)

Everyday Experience and Psychological Methods

(Module information to come)

Interpersonal Skills

The module will begin by considering of the nature of interpersonal skills and the elements that constitute effective communication. This will provide an opportunity to explore models of communication and effective verbal and non-verbal communication. This module will also consider how interpersonal skills may be evaluated and improved. Typically, lecture will focus on theory and research underpinning the key principles of effective interpersonal skills while practical seminar and workshop sessions will allow students to reflect on their own communication skills and consider interventions for improving the interpersonal skills of others.

Perspectives in Psychology

The module seeks to enable the student to understand the contribution of key thinkers to the development of modern psychology, and to appreciate their biographical backgrounds. The lives and work of key thinkers will be introduced, and contextualised with reference to contemporary ideas and mores.

Principles of Psychology

The module will examine the origins and development of modern psychology. It will focus on the main approaches to studying and describing human behaviour, for example behaviourism, the psychodynamic approach, the humanistic approach, the cognitive approach and the biological basis of behaviour. These will be examined with relevance to key studies in the area, contemporary issues and methods of investigation.

The module will be taught via two weekly lectures (which will explain the key theories and relevant research studies), practicals (in which students will experience some of the principles discussed in the lectures through participation in experiments), seminars (in which students will discuss and critique the practicals and consider the applications of psychology in real-world settings), and through directed reading.

Year Two

Analysis Methods for Sport and Exercise Psychology

This module will focus on qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. Students will become familiar with basic statistical procedures common to their topic area, their function and interpretation. Students will also further their understanding of qualitative methods, building upon the knowledge attained in their first year a gain a deeper understanding of the purpose, merit and application of basic qualitative methods. Also covered on the module is an introduction to single subject design, to develop their skill in relation to sport and exercise interventions and to further students understanding of the ability of analysis methods beyond sample-based statistics. Together, this will enable students a wider choice of methodology for their Independent Project completed in their final year as well as give insight to the different strands of methodology used in Sport and Exercise Psychology.

The classes will run across both Semester 1 and 2. The content will include coverage of:

ANOVA (one-way and two-way, incl. simple effects analyses and pairwise comparisons), ANCOVA, chi-square, Cronbach’s alpha, correlation and regression, qualitative methods and single-subject design.

Stress, Coping, and Emotions

This module explores the process of stress, anxiety, and coping. Concepts covered will include Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional approach, threat and challenge appraisals, coping strategies and their effectiveness, anxiety interpretations, and stress related growth. The module will also examine research methods that have been specifically used to examine stress, anxiety, and coping (for example verbal protocol analysis and longitudinal diaries). Finally the module will also introduce students to practical techniques designed to reduce stress and anxiety.

This module will include a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. Lead lectures will introduce core concepts that will be consolidated during seminar discussions. The workshops will provide an opportunity for students to engage in data collection using specific methods, and to experience applied techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.

Motivating Athletes

Even with all the natural talent in the world sports performers need to be highly motivated to achieve success. In recent years it has become accepted that although motivation is determined in part by personality traits, the environment plays a major role in shaping motivation. Thus coaches are in a unique position to influence the motivation (and hence performance, achievement and health) of the people they coach. The aims of this module are thus to evaluate current perspectives and research on motivation in sport and to examine strategies for enhancing motivation within the coaching process.

Cognitive Psychology for Sports Performance

(Module information to come)

Social Psychology

(Module information to come)

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology involves the study of development and maturation in cognitive, personality and social processes. The aim of the module is to introduce students to basic theory, research findings and methods of investigation in childhood, adolescence and lifespan development. The module will aim to provide a critical understanding of the ways in which behaviour is influenced by developmental factors, the nature of developmental processed, and the ways which empirical research can help us to understand how developmental processes influence what we do.

Biological Psychology

The module will provide an introduction to the ways biological processes have been studied, for example through brain lesions and cell stimulation methodologies. The areas of behavioural genetics, neuro-imaging, neuropsychology, socio-biology and evolutionary psychology will be investigated in terms of underlying theory and empirical research.

Psychology of Physical Activity and Health

(Module information to come)

Year Three

Research Project

Students are encouraged to adopt a problem-oriented approach of which the first stage is to identify a problem in sport, exercise or sports therapy which is of interest and relevance to their degree studies. An appropriate approach to addressing the problem is then determined through discussion with tutors who have relevant theoretical and practical expertise. The investigation may be based within a single discipline, or it may involve more than one discipline, but it must be based within the student’s chosen degree program. In all cases, tutors will advise on the capability of the student to complete the complexity of the study in the time available and with the necessary resources. Students are introduced to the preparation of a research project during the Researching Sport & Exercise module at level 5. Students can work independently on a project of their own design or in a group on a pre-determined project, in consultation with and with support from a tutor, reading, collecting data and performing analyses. Students will submit an ethics form for a pass/fail grade as part of the approval process for the project. The project cannot begin until the ethical approval process is complete. Students are allowed to request feedback on one draft of each section of the research report with the exception of the discussion.

Applied Sport Psychology: Delivering Mental Strategies

Traditionally, sport psychologists have advocated the use of numerous mental training strategies that are purported to enhance the cognitive, affective and behavioural states of the performers that they work with. These might include imagery, goal-setting, relaxation techniques and pre-performance routines, and advanced strategies such as REBT and hypnosis. The aims of this module are to provide students with the understanding of the efficacy of these strategies, to provide opportunities to deliver these mental strategies, and to, reflect on the delivery of these strategies.

Group Dynamics in Sport

(Module information to come)

Applied Sport Psychology: Professional Practice

The module will explore the nature and scope of practice, and the varied role of the applied practitioner as a mental skills trainer, counsellor, clinician, and in an organisational capacity will be examined. Approaches to and models of practice will be explored, alongside research evidence for their relative efficacy. Practical case examples will be used throughout the module as exemplars of applied practice in action, and to discuss critical professional and ethical issues that the practitioner might encounter.

Exercise and Physical Activity Interventions

The course will evaluate the evidence supporting current practices of professionals involved in physical activity adoption and maintenance. The areas of individual, group-based and community interventions will be examined in terms of their theoretical underpinning, structure and evaluative methods. A particular emphasis will be placed upon interventions with specialised populations including individuals with mental health problems.

The course will progress through lectures, seminars and practical workshops. In most cases, a lecture will precede a follow-up workshop or seminar. The workshops will be designed to enable the students to gain experience of a more specific aspect of the area covered. Students will be required to read the designated material before the seminars and workshops, so that they may be able to observe and critically comment upon work in the area. Where appropriate, suitable external speakers will be invited to offer students and insight into the application of exercise intervention and health promotion. The written assignment will be submitted and marked during the module delivery to provide students with feedback on their progress.

Including a choice of two from:

Psychology of Injury and Rehabilitation

The module will examine the social and psychological factors thought to underlie susceptibility to injury, drawing from theory and research. It will then examine the theory and research on athlete response to injury, and progress to consider key psychological factors which impact on the athlete’s progress through rehabilitation. The module will take a broad approach to injury focusing on both acute and chronic injury, as well as trauma and disability. It will take an applied perspective in focusing on various techniques and strategies that could be used to promote psychological recovery from injury. Typically, lectures will introduce the theoretical underpinning of an area and examine the associated research evidence. Seminars or workshops will follow where students will engage in small group discussion on specific topics, consider case examples, or develop their research and/or applied skills.

Psychology in Context: Work and Organisations

The course will consider a range of relationships between working conditions, jobs and organisational processes, psychological outcomes and their impact on job and organisational performance. Psychological reactions including job satisfaction, job stress, motivation, work engagement, and organisational commitment are investigated, and organizational functions such as job design, health & safety at work, and organisational team-working, are considered.

Body Image in Performance

(Module information to come)