PYMCIS: Influential Studies in Psychology (Conversion)

Module code: PYMCIS

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Katie Gray, email: k.l.h.gray@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): This module is only available to students on the MSc Psychology Conversion programme. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 23 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The primary aim of this module is for you to gain an understanding and critical appreciation of the most influential studies in psychology, giving you important background information on the development of psychology as a field. You will learn how to develop arguments, debate, and critically evaluate research. This module also aims to build your skills in psychology through tasks that are relevant to the whole programme.

This module explores historical and contemporary issues in psychology through the critical analysis of papers describing influential studies in psychology. Each week, a different study will be covered, and discussed considering its influence on contemporary psychology. You will be taken through a historical journey of psychological approaches, focussing on key research from differential, biological, behaviourist, and cognitive approaches. Topics will cover individual differences, learning, perception, and memory research, along with other historical and contemporary issues.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Develop knowledge historical and contemporary issues in psychology, including the key approaches that informed psychological research over time (differential, behaviourist, cognitive and biological approaches)
2. Understand and critically evaluate research studies
3. Develop skills relevant to your programme, including how to read a paper, summarise a paper, use appropriate formatting, avoid academic misconduct, develop your own ideas
4. Develop oral presentation and debating skills

Module content

This module covers some important and influential studies in psychology. Each study will be explored with reference to the context in which they were conducted, and discussed in terms of their implications for contemporary psychology. Studies will be selected because they represent a pivotal point in knowledge or understanding, for example, behaviourism and cognitivism will be covered, including classic studies that have shaped our understanding of learning (e.g., Bandura, 1965).

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Screencasts will be used to introduce the topic each week, which will then be followed by an interactive seminar. You will be expected to prepare for the seminars by following the instructions given, which will include reading the Influential Study for that week. Workshops will cover presentation and debating skill development, student presentations, and class debates.

Study hours

At least 28 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs