BSc (Hons) Developmental and Education Psychology

Society: People, Groups & Relationships

To understand a broad area of everyday functioning and experience in terms of the behaviours, feelings, attitudes, and mental processes involved in interpersonal and intergroup relations. 

The module aims to use functional analysis so that a broad experience can be broken down into a series of questions concerning the sub-functions and behaviours involved, allowing the psychological constructs and theories that are associated with those behaviours to be elucidated and explored. 

Exploration will involve appropriate methods to investigate what psychological constructs and theories relate to relevant behaviours and function.  

The module will explore the experience of relationships through the processes related to forming an impression of people, feeling attracted or not to them, wanting to be their friend, getting to know them and forming a relationship with them, through a variety of behaviours, such as approaching them, talking to them, and meeting them socially. 

Psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into impression formation will be introduced, and methodology will be explored. 

Becoming a Social Scientist: Study & Research Skills

The module introduces research design skills essential for success and growth throughout an undergraduate degree. It provides guidance on the basics of data analysis using JASP software and covers key concepts in time management and teamwork.

Critical thinking skills are developed to enhance the ability to present convincing arguments and evidence in written work. Academic reading skills are also supported to enable access to complex scientific reports.

Additionally, the module offers instruction on producing high-quality assessments, including creating references and citations using APA style, presenting information effectively, and writing well-structured essays.

Reflection on strengths and weaknesses is encouraged to facilitate continuous improvement and progress toward academic goals.

Study skills are developed within a supportive and psychologically safe environment, offering opportunities to build confidence and knowledge without fear of judgment.

Learning is facilitated through various teaching methods, including lectures, discussion groups, interactive workshops, labs, problem-solving exercises, group work, independent study, and research participation.

The module accommodates all levels of ability, welcoming both those new to academic study and those seeking to further enhance their skills.

Diversity and Inclusion in Contemporary Education

This module aims to explore issues of equality and diversity within the context of contemporary education. Individual differences and attitudes towards these within contemporary education are explored in relation to other relevant contextual influences such as culture, policy and social systems.

Inclusion as a complex and contested concept is examined in relation to individual differences, identity, educational policy and practice. The module will examine issues central to inclusion, human rights, equal opportunities and social justice. It will examine patterns of inequality and theoretical models will be used to inform analysis of contemporary policy and practice.

Positive Psychology, Wellbeing & Human Flourishing

Based on the discipline of Positive Psychology, the module will explore the experience of living well relating the need to understand well-being, emotions, motivation, aspirations and goals to self-development, personality traits, needs for achievement, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, environmental influences and the enhancement of well-being. 

Psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into needs, motivation and traits will be introduced, as will the use of selected nonparametric statistics.

This module aims to give understanding a broad area of everyday functioning and experience in terms of the behaviours, feelings, attitudes, and mental processes involved in that experience. 

The module aims to use functional analysis so that a broad experience can be broken down into a series of questions concerning the sub-functions and behaviours involved, allowing the psychological constructs and theories that are associated with those behaviours to be elucidated and explored. 

Exploration will involve appropriate methods to investigate what psychological constructs and theories relate to relevant behaviours and function. 

The module will explore the experience of positive psychology relating the need to understand one’s own motivation, aspirations, and goals to self-development, personality, need for achievement, self-efficacy and self-esteem. 

Psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into emotions, traits and environments will be introduced and non-parametric methodology will be explored.    

Thinking with Machines: Cognitive Science in the Age of AI

The module will explore the experience of using everyday technologies such as cash machines, mobile phones, electronic tablets, computers, and AI-driven systems (e.g. chatbots and recommendation systems, alongside key AI approaches such as Narrow AI, Generative AI, Reinforcement Learning, Expert Systems, Computer Vision, Multimodal AI, Robotics, and Artificial General Intelligence). It will relate the need to learn and remember how to operate them to processes of memory, attention and decision-making on the one hand, and their usability and human–machine interaction on the other.

Psychological theories and empirical findings from investigations into learning, perception, memory, attention and human–computer interaction will be introduced, alongside emerging perspectives on human interaction with artificial intelligence, including issues of trust, agency and ethics. Experimental methodology will be explored, including how psychological questions are translated into testable designs.

The module will also introduce foundational statistical concepts to support the interpretation of psychological research, including descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), relationships between variables (correlations), and an introduction to group comparisons (t-tests). Emphasis will be placed on understanding and interpreting data in applied contexts rather than complex calculation.

Big Ideas That Shaped Psychology

This module aims to introduce the Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology and work of prominent figures who influenced the development of modern psychology and encourage students to begin to explore for themselves key thinkers in Psychology, focussing on how key thinkers design and conduct research in their field.   

Human Cognition and Individual Differences

This module explores how we think (Cognitive Psychology) and how we differ from one another (Individual Differences).

The aim of this module is to introduce you to basic theory, research findings and methods of investigation in perception, attention, learning, memory, face and object recognition and problem-solving.

Developmental Psychology across the Lifespan

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 fundamental theory, research findings and methods of investigation in infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and overall lifespan development. 

The module will aim to provide a critical understanding of ways in which behaviour is influenced by developmental factors, the nature of developmental processes, and ways which empirical research can help us to understand how developmental processes influence what we do. 

Scientific Inquiry: Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis

This module develops students’ understanding of key research designs and analytical approaches in psychology, including experimental, survey, and qualitative methods, alongside an introduction to research ethics and integrity.

Students will explore how different research designs relate to forms of reasoning, including causal inference in experimental research and predictive reasoning in correlational studies. The module covers core analytical techniques such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for group comparisons, multiple regression for multivariate analysis, and thematic analysis for qualitative data.

Through this, students will gain practical and conceptual knowledge of how to investigate and analyse psychological data using a range of methodological approaches, as well as research ethics considerations.

Biological Psychology and Neuroscience

Biological Psychology involves the study of the biological and psychological bases of mind and behaviour.  The aim of the module is to introduce students to basic theory, research findings and methods of investigation in behavioural genetics, neuroscience and neuropsychology.

The module will aim to provide a critical understanding of the ways in which behaviour is influenced by biological factors, how we study these biological processes and why these processes are important in applied psychological settings.

This module will examine areas of behavioural genetics, brain development, brain structure, plasticity and neuropsychology in terms of underlying theory and empirical research.

This includes an introduction to the ways biological processes have been investigated, for example through brain lesions, neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques. 

Forest Schools: Principles and Practices

A Forest School is a journey of self-discovery and awareness in the outdoors in which participants are given the freedom to explore their surroundings, themselves and others through their curiosity and imagination.

The approach is heralded by some as inspirational but described by others as re-branding of old ideas giving questionable impact. This module explores principles that underpin the Forest School approach and reflects on evidence for its effectiveness.

To enable them to engage fully in these reflections, you will learn and use practical skills expected of a Forest School Practitioner.

Independent Project

The Independent Project provides an opportunity to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts, techniques and research methods of psychology to an in-depth study of a particular question or problem related to psychology.

This module aims to foster a greater understanding of the processes involved in undertaking a research project and marks the culmination of your learning experience.

The study will enable you to produce a written research report, and a poster presenting a summary of your research and findings.

Managing Research Projects: Communicating Evidence with Impact

The Independent Project in Psychology is demanding of a wide range of skills, from project management to presentation of results in an accessible form. 

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their project management skills, to further develop their scientific reasoning and reporting skills, and to learn skills enabling the production of a poster presenting research work.   

The course will cover the project management skills involved in independent psychological research and its presentation. 

Areas covered will include time-management, assertiveness, risk assessment, scientific reporting, and use of visual presentation software.   

Creativity, Technology and Learning

This module enables you to investigate, both academically and practically, how new technologies can be used in learning and teaching in a wide variety of mainstream and/or specialist educational settings.

You will evaluate how technology can be effectively harnessed to engage pupils and help them to learn. In particular, it will consider the potential for new technologies to be used creatively by students and teachers.

Work-based Placement

The module provides you with an opportunity to work with children and young people in a professional setting.

The placements are organised by you in conjunction with relevant staff and provide you with a choice of approved setting, according to availability. Settings may include, for example, special school, day nursery, family support teams, out of school provision, libraries, community play or youth scheme, medical provision for children or young people. You might complete your placement outside the UK.

You will be enabled to demonstrate your capacity to engage in the workplace alongside professionals and to learn by observing, doing and reflecting on their performance.

During the placement, you will support your own development by keeping a learning journal or diary which incorporates targets and self-evaluation.

Psychology of Social & Environmental Change

The module aims to provide a psychological and interdisciplinary understanding of contemporary social issues, with a particular focus on social justice, inequality, and environmental sustainability.

It explores how psychological processes shape, maintain, and challenge systems of power, and how behaviour change can contribute to more just and sustainable societies.