BA Hons Psychology & Human Resource Management

Program Overview

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Why this course?

Our main focus in psychology is the study of human behaviour.

Studying with us, you'll look at conditions of behaviour – how we learn, remember, co-ordinate our actions and interact with others – and the reasons for differences between individuals, such as personality or intelligence.

Due to the popularity of the course and performance criteria for entry into Honours (Year 4) the numbers admitted to Years 2 and 3 of the course are limited.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is about the relationship between employers and employees and the ways in which people are managed in the workplace. This covers areas such as recruitment and selection, training and developing and managing conflict at work. These are an important part of the management process in all organisations.

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What you’ll study

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Psychology

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Year 1

The first year covers the basic principles of learning:

biological bases of behaviour

thinking

memory

personality

social influences on behaviour

changes in behaviour through the lifespan

research methods

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Years 2 & 3

Due to the popularity of the course, performance-related criteria may be in place to manage entry into Honours (Year 4); this means that the numbers admitted to Years 2 and 3 of the course are limited. The range of classes provides a greater understanding of human development and interaction, cognitive processes, individual differences and biological influences on behaviour.

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Year 4

We offer a variety of classes that allow you to study an area of psychology in greater depth. You'll study conceptual and historical issues in psychology and write a dissertation based on your research project.

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International placement

There's an opportunity for you to take an optional international research placement through Erasmus.

The School of Psychological Sciences and Health has Erasmus exchange agreements with several European universities. We currently have active exchanges with:

Humboldt University zu Berlin, Germany

Universidad de A Coruna, Spain

University of Twente, Netherlands

University Tubingen, Germany

Radbout University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

For general queries about exchanges to and from the School of Psychological Sciences and Health, please email Dr Kellyanne Findlay (kellyanne.findlay

@strath.ac.uk).

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Major projects

You can undertake an optional summer research project working with a member of staff. In addition, there are opportunities to apply for funding to complete summer internships between year 3 and 4.

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Human Resource Management

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Year 1

The introductory class – Managing People – provides an overview of HRM.

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Years 2 & 3

Core classes cover more in-depth HRM theories and techniques. Year 2 focuses on workplace behaviour from an organisational psychology point of view. Year 3 focuses on more sociological theories. Options include classes in employee development and equality and diversity.

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Year 4

You’ll study a range of specialist classes at single or joint Honours.

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Study abroad

In year 3 you'll have the opportunity to study in Europe, North America and elsewhere for one or two semesters.

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Student competitions

The Peter Bain Prize is awarded each year to the student with the highest mark for their dissertation.

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The HRM Society

The HRM Society is run by our students for our students. It aims to bring together all year groups into one network where they can share knowledge and practice, awareness of careers and build relationships with alumni and employers.

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Single & joint Honours information

English, English and Creative Writing, History, Politics and International Relations and Psychology may be studied to Single or Joint Honours level.

Education, French, Spanish, Law, Journalism, Media and Communication and Social Policy are available only as Joint Honours Programmes. Economics, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Mathematics and Tourism can also be studied alongside a Humanities and Social Sciences subject.

The available subject combinations may change each year. Once accepted on the programme you'll be allocated an advisor of studies who will be able to let you know which subjects can be combined, in first year, and beyond.

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Facilities

Our location in the Lord Hope building provides a social hub and access to student services such as the library, cafés, meeting areas and exhibition spaces.

Our high-quality facilities include six purpose-built experimental research laboratories:

driving simulator lab

memory lab

perception and action lab

psychophysiology lab

psycholinguistics lab

oculomotor lab

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Student competitions

The British Psychological Society Undergraduate Award is awarded annually for outstanding academic performance in the final year.

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Postgraduate study

Psychology graduates can progress into postgraduate training to become professional psychologists. We currently run a number of post-graduate courses which provide additional research training:

Research Methods (MSc)

Clinical Health Psychology (MSc)

Program Outline

Course content

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

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Psychology

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Psychology 1a

You'll take this class in semester 1 and are not expected to have any prior knowledge of psychology. It explores learning theory, developmental psychology, personality, biological psychology, and the scientific basis for psychology.

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Psychology 1b

This class is taught in semester 2 and covers sensation and perception, cognitive psychology, social psychology, abnormal psychology, and research methods.

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Human Resource Management

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Managing People

In recent years the task of managing employees has been made more challenging by rapid changes in the business environment. This class focuses on the contemporary and practical issues of how people are organised and managed in the workplace and examines theoretical perspectives which help our understanding of the complex relationship between the employer and employee in facilitating the organisation and production of goods and services.

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Psychology

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Cognition & Neuropsychology

This class reveals how our understanding of higher mental functions has been enhanced through:

theoretical and experimental studies of normal human cognition

neuropsychological studies of how cognitive functions may be damaged as a result of brain lesions

Topics covered include disorders of the perceptual system, memory and attention, and the role of the frontal lobes in planning, motivation, emotion, and personality.

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Social & Health Psychology

This class introduces social psychological theories and research that provide insights into why people believe what they believe, and why they behave the way they do.

Topics covered include attribution theory, aggression, prosocial behaviour, group influence, norms, conformity, obedience, and attitudes.

It ends with an introduction to health psychology, demonstrating how social psychological principles covered earlier in the class are applied to pressing, real-world health issues such as dietary behaviour, smoking/alcohol-use, and suicide.

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Introduction to Research Design & Analysis

You'll be introduced to the main features of measurement, research design, and statistical analysis in psychology.

Following a general introduction, the course presents fundamental concepts, issues, and debates in the field of research methods.

You'll also become familiarised with the conceptual basis for inferential statistical testing, and introduced to different inferential statistics. Finally, a brief introduction to qualitative research methods takes place.

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Human Resource Management

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Work Psychology

This class develops understanding of managing people from a psychological perspective through understanding behaviour, attitudes, motivation and wellbeing of people at work. Areas covered include what leads to positive employee work attitudes like job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and their outcomes in terms of work behaviour, such as job performance, withdrawal, absenteeism, turnover, fair treatment and trust.

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Work Psychology for Human Resource Management

This class looks at applying psychological theories explaining effectiveness and well-being of people at work to Human Resource Management as an approach to managing people and the employment relationships. Areas covered include organisational and individual decision-making relating to the recruitment and selection process, the impact of performance management on employee perceptions, team working, and the impact of leadership on attitudes and trust.

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Psychology

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Research Methods in Psychology

This class builds on year 2 and equips you with a broader, more advanced set of methodological and analytic skills. These skills are essential for carrying out the year 4 dissertation and for being able to read and understand articles published in academic journals.

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Individual Differences

You're encouraged to think scientifically about conceptual and practical issues related to the study of individual differences, with specific reference to intelligence and personality. You'll gain the chance to put this knowledge into practice by designing your own measurement instrument.

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Cognition

You'll be introduced to some of the core topics in cognitive psychology

Perception and action, particularly how we perceive time and recognise faces

Memory and learning, including models of episodic and working memory

Language

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including word production, sentence comprehension, and discourse processing

Thinking

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specifically problem solving, deductive reasoning and judgement and decision making.

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Development

This class reviews the ways that children develop from infancy right through to the end of adolescence. Key theories are presented and used to explore the extent to which children’s development is continuous or stage-like and whether specific skills develop more quickly than others. Issues relating to infancy, ‘theory of mind’ (understanding others’ thoughts and beliefs), executive function (planning and monitoring abilities), language, and communication form the core themes in the class.

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Psychobiology

The purpose of this class is to provide the opportunity for you to learn the basic principles of brain function, and to encourage you to address the implications of this understanding for their own view of how behaviour is generated. It includes coverage of electrophysiology and psychopharmacology, neuroanatomy, research methods in neuroscience. There are focused sections relating to the visual system and the motor system.

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Social Psychology

This class allows you to consider current ideas and positions within social psychology. Four themes drive the class

Attitudes and attitude change, covering the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Belief Model

Identity, with a focus on social, personal and group identities

Prejudice, connecting both attitudes and identities, and covering a broad range of areas such as social representations, stereotyping, prejudice and conflict

Epistemology, where consideration is given to the theory of knowledge, how social psychological knowledge is produced, and to what effect

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Human Resource Management

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Work, Employment & Society

This class critically explores changes in the nature of work, employment and society through investigating the extent to which current developments in the workplace can be seen to represent a fundamental shift in the nature of workplace regulation. It'll provide contrasting and complementary perspectives on workplace behaviour to those provided in year 2.

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Employment Relations

You'll be introduced to the British system of employment relations, and the general principles, processes and outcomes. It'll consider different theoretical approaches to the study of employment and industrial relations and then examine the role and objectives of trade unions, employers and the state, and their interactions in collective bargaining, employee participation and industrial conflict.

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Psychology

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Dissertation in Psychology

The dissertation is an opportunity for you to undertake an original piece of research, closely supervised by a single member of staff. Planning for the dissertation begins in year 3, and dissertations can be of such high standards that they are subsequently published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

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Advanced Organisational Behaviour

This class is offered by the Strathclyde Business School, and draws on current themes in Human Resource Management understood from the perspective of micro-organisational behaviour theory and research. Although the theoretical underpinning of the material covered is primarily about work and organisational issues at the level of individual behaviour in organisations, a contextual understanding of these issues is also encouraged.

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Advanced Psychological Theory & Practice

Choice of topics may include:

Belief & Anomalistic Experience

The Psychology of Mental Health

Artificial Intelligence

Psychology & Ageing

Psychology of Language

Critical Review

The Psychology & Cognitive Neuroscience of Face Recognition

Neuropsychology of Ageing and Dementia

Physiological Psychology

Health Psychology

Practical Aspects of Memory

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Study abroad

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International Work Placement

This class is an option which is available to a restricted number of students who'll apply to take part. It involves a placement with a European University partner working in a research team during the summer between years 3 and 4. Additional assessment is to be completed during semester 1 of year 4.

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Human Resource Management

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Advanced Organisational Behaviour

This class draws on current themes in work and organisational psychology, and HRM understood from the perspective of micro-organisational behaviour theory and research. It's structured around the concepts of Reframing Organisations and, although the emphasis is on ‘micro’, or individual-level, approaches to organisational behaviour, ‘reframing’ takes into consideration more ‘macro’ or sociological and critical management approaches as well.

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HRM & Employment Relations in Public Services

The aim of the module is to provide you with a critical understanding of the context and content of ‘New Public Management’ and alternative public management reform strategies. There's particular reference to impacts on HRM and employment relations.

The module will enable you to compare how different countries’ reform trajectories have impacted on changes in HRM and employment relations.

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Perspective on Work & Employment

This module builds on the year 3 class, Work, Employment and Society, and explores the contribution of social theory to understandings of the contemporary conditions of work and organisations.

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Human Resources in the Global Economy

This class looks at HRM within a broader understanding of globalization and the international political economy. It places current themes in an international and comparative perspective by analysing and comparing different national ‘models of management’, and a range of employee response to them and, amongst other things, asks questions about the ways in which these management practices are disseminated by multinational companies (MNCs).

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Cross-cultural Psychology

This optional class aims to help students gain an understanding of the ways in which human psychology is influenced by cultural context. This class builds upon your third-year psychology classes, attempting to expand the topics covered in these classes by emphasising the role culture plays in the mental life of human beings. This class will start with an introduction to cross-cultural psychology, discussing its various definitions and general theoretical orientations. Then, the class will explore the similarities and differences in social behaviour across cultures, and how culture influences people’s emotions and values. This class will also discuss intercultural contact (i.e., acculturation, cross-cultural competence).

This optional class will be delivered by a combination of lectures and seminars. An experiential/problem-based learning approach is adopted. Relevant theories and empirical research will be discussed, and students will have the opportunity to explore how the knowledge can be used to in real-world scenarios. Overall, this class will enhance students’ understanding of different perspectives on psychology and increase their awareness of cultural differences in psychology.

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Psychology of Mental Health

Mental health problems are a growing public health concern worldwide, at both personal and societal levels. This class will explore the application of psychology to the field of mental health, with the consideration of the theoretical, practical and ethical underpinnings of the mental health field. The class will also explore approaches to psychological assessment, formulation and treatment that are commonly used in mental health practice.

Lectures will cover the following key areas:

Psychological assessment

Psychological formulation

Overview of most common mental health problems (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Clinical practice and psychological interventions

Positive mental health

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Critical Thinking and Common-sense Reasoning

This class has two broad aims: 1) to provide students with an introduction to critical thinking and review some of the theoretical and empirical literature around critical thinking and epistemological thinking, and 2) to give students the opportunity to practice critical thinking and thereby develop and sharpen their skills in this important area . Literature on critical thinking and epistemological thinking will be reviewed, and both everyday aspects of critical thinking (such as interpretation of articles published in newspapers and on the world wide web) and more technical aspects (such as critiquing journal papers within psychology) will be covered. Following three lectures setting out the theoretical background, teaching will be workshop-based, in which students will work in tutorial groups engaging in critiquing exercises. Different kinds of articles will be jointly critiqued, beginning with ‘everyday’ materials such as newspaper opinion pieces, thence moving on to informal presentations of psychological material in the form of discussion articles published in magazine-style journals such as ‘The Psychologist ’, and ultimately building up to the critique of published articles in psychology journals. This will therefore simultaneously broaden the students’ knowledge on a psychological topic of great practical significance (just how good are ordinary members of the public at thinking critically?) and at the same time help to develop their skills in a way that should positively impact their studies of psychology at Honours level.

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The Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience of Face Recognition

In this class, we will cover the psychology , cognitive neuroscience, and real world applications of face perception and recognition. The class will cover current theory in relation to face recognition, but importantly we will also assess the critical use of faces in real world and forensic contexts. For example, faces are of critical importance in criminal identification in policing and the justice system ( e.g. from CCTV, bystanders, juries and the victims of crime), and in the prevention of identity fraud ( e.g. should we put our faces on our credit/debit cards?). There will also be a clinical aspect to this class as we’ll look at individual differences in face recognition, looking at patients with prosopagnosia and Metropolitan Police Super- recognisers . Each of these areas will be explored in detail, to show how our understanding of the science of face perception can inform us about our interest in, and reliance on, faces.

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Belief and Anomalistic Experience

This class introduces students to the scientific study of belief in religion and belief in / experience of ‘paranormal’ phenomena . The content is not concerned with the veracity of experiences or beliefs but rather how psychology can measure associated variables, explain the formation and maintenance of beliefs and examine the effect that holding such beliefs or having such experiences can have, both physically and psychologically . Students will be expected to critically evaluate experimental methodology and theories of cognition in relation to the class content.

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Introduction to Sleep Health

This class provides an introduction to the field of sleep health, which is a developing area of sleep psychology that focuses on the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders by addressing behavioural, psychological, and physiological factors that interfere with sleep. Sleep disorders impair quality of life and contribute to physical and mental health problems. Despite this, they are an under-recognised and under-treated threat to public health. Sleep experts have long recognised the need for greater public awareness of the impact of poor sleep and the importance of promoting the evidence-base for appropriate assessment and treatment. This class will introduce students to the specialist, multidisciplinary area of sleep health with a very clear focus on insomnia disorder, the most common sleep disorder and the one of the most prevalent mental health complaints in Europe.

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Psychology and Ageing

It is understood that our population is ageing; for example, the fastest growing age group comprises those aged over 85 years. The potential for health, economic, and social burden due to ageing is therefore increasing. With a better understanding of ageing processes, the burden of an ageing population could be minimised, successful ageing and better quality of life promoted, and the contributions of older adults to society celebrated. Contemporary psychological theories of ageing will be presented from a number of perspectives, and the class will draw upon research that has used a variety of methodological approaches. Students will also be encouraged to engage with the material via a range of teaching methods, including traditional lecture content, video clips, and interactive tasks. Typically, we will address: theoretical and methodological approaches to studying psychology and ageing; cognitive ageing; lifestyle factors; emotion in older age; ageing in society, including stereotyping; ageing in the workplace/retirement; wisdom; the positive influences of older adults in society. Teaching delivery is anticipated to be via 5 on-campus sessions and an online peer review task.

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Evolutionary Approaches to Human Mate Preferences

This lecture series will critically examine the contribution that evolutionary theories have made to our understanding of human mate preferences. It will cover fundamental questions in the area, such as how mate preferences are shaped by environmental and hormonal factors, and will have a strong focus on recent methodological and theoretical controversies in the literature.

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Critical Review

This is a one semester class in which students will select an approved psychology topic for intensive, non-empirical study. Students will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the conceptual and theoretical content of an area of psychology drawn from a list of approved topics. This class affords Honours students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills in literature search, information assimilation, evaluation and in depth critical analysis of a chosen topic. The class places emphasis on independent student learning. The course will help the student to develop critical writing skills over a period of time through independent writing and self-directed study. The aims are:

i. to develop an extensive in-depth knowledge of one key topic area in psychology.

ii. to develop critical thinking skills such as questioning the assumptions and conclusions of others and looking at alternative ways of dealing with questions, facts, and arguments.

iii. to develop and refine skills relating to the systematic acquisition of information.

iv. to develop and extend essay writing skills, including discussing and formulating arguments, summarizing, and presenting materials.

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Psychological Assessment

This class will build upon knowledge developed in second (Cognition & Neuropsychology C8201) and third year level (Cognition C8304). Specifically, it will provide further understanding on how to apply principles of psychological assessment in broader contexts. The class will pursue three aims: 1) promote understanding and knowledge about the contributions and challenges of psychological assessment in various contexts and settings, 2) familiarise with aspects related to the selection of appropriate testing procedures and 3) the generation of hypotheses to guide such procedures and interpret their outcomes.

The class will offer a critical appreciation of a range of tests, procedures and techniques used to better understand a person’s psychological makeup and behaviour. Knowledge will be acquired on how such tests and procedures are used in experimental and applied settings. Learning will involve case discussions, discussion of commonly used tests, with students investigating cases and procedures. Students will develop an appreciation of the types of psychological testing.

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Psychology of Physical Activity

The aim of the class is to facilitate the development of knowledge and understanding of theories and evidence-based research in relation to the psychology of physical activity. This class will provide opportunities for students to develop their critical evaluation skills of theory and research and to gain experience of measurement and behaviour change techniques in this area. The aim is also to give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a ‘real-world’ case study by implementing a behaviour change intervention to increase active behaviours.  This class extends material covered in previous years in biological, social, cognitive and health psychology but is applied to physical activity behaviour. Level 4 classes are very popular with students as they cover focussed, specialist topics and staff expertise.

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Theory and practice of learning and cognition

Cognitive Psychology (CP) is central to the understanding processes that are required for memory, attention, and learning. It can also provide insights into cognitive conditions that affect how people function and behave. CP underpins all aspects of psychological theory and practice (synonymous with developmental, social, educational and neuro psychology). The class will explore and critically examine key learning theory and consider transference and application from theory to real life contexts.

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Considering Sleep Through the Behavioural Lens

Sleep is a multidisciplinary field and is relevant for a variety of medical fields such as neurology, respiratory medicine, cardiology, and psychiatry. The focus thereby lies on the physiological aspects of sleep, as well as the organic sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea or narcolepsy. However, sleep is also a behaviour , and examining sleep through the behavioural lens has implications for the field of psychology at the individual and also the public health level. If we can understand how to change sleep behaviour , we can initiate change in the individuals and the public's health and wellbeing. In this class, we will explore the importance of examining sleep at the behavioural level, which can be modified to improve health and wellbeing.

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Neuropsychology of Ageing and Dementia

The class will offer you the opportunity to acquire an in-depth understanding of the theories and empirical data that are relevant within the field of neuropsychology of ageing and dementia. It will cover the differences between normal and pathological decline in old age and will provide information on the neuropsychological profiles and pathologies which characterize different forms of dementia. It will provide you with a solid foundation in neuropsychology. You will learn to identify the features which can aid early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the dementias (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia and Lewy body dementias). You will become familiar with how different aspects of cognition are distributed within the brain and will be aware of the consequences of impairment.

Different methodologies that are used for the study of the dementias will also be explored (e.g. neuropsychological assessment, functional and structural neuroimaging) and you will learn to critically evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of each method.

Overall, the class will provide you with key knowledge that will be relevant for the study of neurological conditions, for health-based research more broadly, and relevant should you choose to work in academia, healthcare or other industries (linked to older adults or neurological populations).

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Semester 1 and 2 classes

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Advanced Organisational Behaviour

Advanced Organisational Behaviour is an Honours year elective, which runs over two semesters, offered in the degree subject Human Resource Management (within the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation ). It is also an elective in Psychology. There is no prerequisite for Psychology students and it is expected that students with no prior experience of HRM courses will be able to fully engage with this class. The class draws from organisational behaviour , work psychology and work sociology to explore current topics within work and employment, and the implications for people management.

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Psychology Work Placement

This class will support students' development in applying their knowledge and understanding of psychological theory and evidence in a work setting, as well as their ability to articulate the knowledge, understanding, and skills they have developed through the placement, their studies, and other extra-curricular activities.

The class aims to provide students with an opportunity to gain practical, work-based experience in an area that is professionally relevant to psychology. The placement experience should encourage the transfer of academic psychological knowledge, understanding, and subject-specific skills to an applied context. Students will also be supported in developing reflective and professional skills, and the ability to articulate these skills. This class is intended to support students' transition into employment and/or further study after graduation. It is also anticipated that there will be benefits to placement providers in the roles fulfilled by students, and in the longer term in supporting the development of the future workforce.

The placement involves completing a minimum of 60 hours of active engagement within a suitable organisation. An additional 50 hours has been added to account for travel time.

Students will be responsible for setting up a placement with an organisation relevant to their interests. We hope to provide students a list of organisations who have indicated a willingness to receive applications from students seeking a placement.

In the assessment for the class, students are required to submit a 2000 word written assessment that covers:

An account of their role within the placement organisation, including a critical reflection on the student's professional practice in fulfilling the requirements of the role. The student will also relate back to the self-evaluation assessment written at the beginning of the placement;

Demonstrate an understanding of the application of psychological theory and evidence relevant to the placement organisation and/or experience in the placement role;

Discussion of their personal and professional development, following the placement, with a view to their future development.

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Assessment

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Psychology

We assess students using:

class tests

essays

practical reports

dissertations

individual presentations

group presentations

degree examinations.

Online and face-to-face group project work is also included in the course. You'll take part in practical assignments from first-year onwards.

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Human Resource Management

The majority of classes are assessed by a final, unseen, examination in addition to one or more forms of individual and/or group coursework. In some cases, you can earn an exemption from the exam by achieving a specified coursework mark. Exams are normally held at the end of the semester in which the class is taught.

You normally have one opportunity to be re-assessed for a failed class.

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Learning & teaching

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Psychology

Our methods include:

lectures

small-group tutorials

practical labs

online tutorials

online wikis

group work

problem-based learning

one-to-one supervision

These methods are used across all years of the degree and aim to provide you with opportunities to learn and work in different ways.

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Human Resource Management

Teaching is given over two semesters in blocks of 12 weeks each.

Methods include lectures, tutorials and seminars. As a student you'll take part in team-based projects and make use of online teaching materials. Our industrial partners regularly assist in teaching and the assessment of student presentations.

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Studying psychology at Strathclyde

Find out from our lecturers and students about what it's like to study psychology at Strathclyde.

Psychology's anything about people and how they behave, how they think, how they act in society, how they behave in different settings.

Dr Sally Wiggins, Senior Lecturer

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Careers

As a psychology graduate, continuing your studies will help you become a professional psychologist, which can lead to working in areas such as clinical, educational or occupational psychology. Many graduates also work in research.

Other possible careers are teaching, human resource management, social work, counselling and management and professional positions throughout the private and public sectors.

Recent HRM graduates have found employment in insurance, retail, manufacturing, recruitment consultancy and in the public sector. Some are employed in jobs such as HR trainee, HR assistant and recruitment consultant while others are employed in general administration and management.