Applied Psychology – BSc (Hons)

This module seeks to explore the foundations of contemporary psychology, both chronologically and thematically. It aims to familiarise students with influential figures in the development of the academic discipline, tracing the continuities and shifts in psychological thought over time. The goal is to actively involve students in examining the antecedents and evolution of psychology as a science. Furthermore, the module underscores the significance of studying under-represented narratives in shaping the foundations of contemporary psychology, fostering a comprehensive understanding within a professional and academic framework.

In this module students are introduced to the scientific approach within social science and psychology and to the major theoretical approaches and research methods within psychology.

This module introduces students to the structure and function of the brain and to an examination of the biological underpinnings of behaviour.

This module aims to provide Applied Psychology students with the personal, professional and academic skills needed to succeed at university and beyond.

This module introduces students to descriptive statistics. The aim of this module is to equip students with the skills and knowledge to describe the basic features of psychological data using relevant statistical techniques. This module also introduces students to the statistical software SPSS.

This module will introduce students to the concept of development across the lifespan. The module will provide an in-depth understanding of the psychological development taking place in infancy, early and middle childhood through to adolescence. Various theories and perspectives on child and adolescent developmental psychology relating to an individual’s physical, social, cultural, emotional and cognitive development will be explored. The module will afford students the opportunity to examine empirical research on current debates and real-world issues within the field of developmental psychology.

This module provides an introduction to the experimental research method within psychology. A crucial aspect of the module is the practical aspect of carrying out a small-scale experimental project, analysing and interpreting the data and writing the report.

The aim of this module is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of social psychology by exploring some of the key topics in social psychology. It equips students with an understanding of how social psychological perspectives, theory and research findings can be used to understand everyday life and to offer real-world solutions for a variety of social problems.

This module will explore adult development in late adolescence, early, middle and late adulthood. It will examine multiple levels of behaviour including the physical, social, emotional, psychological and cognitive levels. A broad range of contemporary issues and related research findings will be addressed reflecting the important life stages and transitions and the variety of contexts in which development occurs. The module will enhance students’ understanding of the challenges and opportunities in adulthood and ageing.

This module provides an in-depth examination of the cognitive processes which affect human behaviour. Topics include attention and perception, memory and cognition.

This module is intended to develop and extend computing knowledge and skills. It provides a thorough grounding in the basics of probability and statistical data analysis for students. Importantly, the course focuses on statistical methods as a tool for answering research questions.

This module explores the explanation of psychological processes at the level of the brain and biology with a particular emphasis on automatic behaviours such as the experience of pain, emotions, and stress.

This module focuses on the interrelationship between the individual, the group dynamic and the internal environment within an organisation. Topics covered will include group dynamics and team performance, leadership and organisational culture. The module will facilitate and engender an ability to assess the impact of organisational environments in a critical and analytical fashion.

This module will introduce students to health psychology as a field of inquiry. The module provides a critical evaluation of the biological, social and psychological determinants of health and illness. Core psychological theories and models will be examined to demonstrate how health behaviours are learned, established and modified. The module aims to equip students with knowledge, understanding, and skills to recognise the role that Health Psychology can play for individuals’ wellbeing. The importance of experiential learning and reflection is recognised, with critical thinking skills enhanced through the assessment process.

This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of the major schools of thought within the field of personality and individual difference psychology. Topics explored include the psychoanalytic, trait, behavioural, social-cognitive and humanistic approaches. Students will also be introduced to practical issues involved in the measurement of personality and will gain an appreciation of the application of the diverse perspectives to real-world contexts.

In this module, specialist issues within biological psychology are examined and knowledge of the brain and biological psychology is applied to an understanding of real-life experiences, behaviours and problems.

This research module explores the use of qualitative research in psychology. A crucial aspect of the module is the practical aspect of carrying out a qualitative research practical, analysing and interpreting the data and writing the research report.

This module provides an examination of the role of cognition in producing action, as well as how higher order processes like reasoning, problem-solving, and decision are performed.

This module is intended to progress knowledge gained from Introduction to Inferential Statistics for Research by expanding statistical competencies to complex statistical analysis.

After completing this module, students will be able to critically analyse perspectives on mental health and mental illness. This will include a clear understanding of the nuanced continuum of mental health, distinguishing the spectrum from optimal functioning to mental illness. Students will gain knowledge about the defining characteristics of various mental illnesses and will be able to identify potential risk factors. They will explore the causes of mental illness, considering biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to psychological disorders. Additionally, students will evaluate therapeutic modalities for mental illnesses, which will incorporate evidence-based practices. By understanding the philosophy, values, and principles that underpin the recovery framework, students will learn to respect and uphold the rights, dignity, and autonomy of every service user, including their role in the assessment and therapeutic process. The importance of the lived experience of mental illness as a basis for recovery-led services will be emphasised.

The module will provide an advanced study of topics in developmental psychology with a specific focus on patterns of atypical development and childhood development disorders such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and genetic disorders. The module will equip students with an analytical appreciation and understanding of the varied and complex causal/risk factors of atypical development. The module will enable students to appraise psychological interventions and educational supports used in working with children with additional needs.

The aim of this module is to prepare students for both their work placement experience and for their future professional careers. Students will engage in experiential learning and learn to apply the principles embodied within the ‘PSI Code of Professional Ethics’ and the ‘Applied Psychology Work Placement Handbook’ to an authentic work experience environment. The module will instil in students the importance of adopting and adhering to standards of professional practice and conduct in the interests of the health and safety of service users and the public.

This research module explores the application of different research methods and skills in Psychology. An important aspect of this module is identifying and applying the most appropriate type of analysis to different research questions. This module contains the practical application of different research methods building on previous research modules.

The aim of this module is to provide students with a semester long placement or internship opportunity in Ireland or overseas to acquire work experience or alternatively to participate in the Erasmus Exchange programme.

Option 1 is supervised practice placement in Ireland or overseas, designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire and develop knowledge, skills, experience and values to prepare them for entry into the professional world of work.

Option 2 is a semester long Erasmus Exchange programme, designed to provide students with both additional educational and cultural experiences in an international setting.

In this module, students will design their final year project and develop an ethics application for their study to be assessed at departmental level.

This module explores issues pertaining to our understanding and measurement of cognitive processes, progressing knowledge from previous Cognitive Psychology modules. Topics covered will include consciousness, cognition, memory, emotion, intelligence, perception, expertise, meta-cognition, social cognition, language, and measurement of cognitive processes.

Major theories and professional issues linked with psychotherapeutic intervention will be considered.  The module will provide students with an opportunity to develop an advanced understanding of the major approaches to counselling and psychotherapy. In addition, the module will provide an opportunity to develop core counselling skills and reflect on practice.

This module examines the psychological contribution to our understanding of learning and education and the extent to which developments in psychology have succeeded in impacting educational policy and practice.

In this module, the student will undertake an empirical study and will write a research report (8,000-10,000 words) based on this study.

This module requires students to critically examine topics that are currently relevant in the field of psychology. The module builds on developmental, biological, cognitive and social psychology modules in years 2 and 3. Topics will vary from year to year but may include, for example, new issues in psychological science, the replicability crisis in psychology, emerging technologies and their psychological impact and how open science practices can strengthen our confidence in psychological findings.

This module is designed to further the knowledge acquired in previously dedicated modules on Personality and Individual Differences and Social Psychology by considering more advanced theoretical and empirical work in the areas of individual, interpersonal and group processes. The module is intended to deepen and challenge students’ knowledge in relation to both social and personality psychology, with emphasis on comparison and synthesis, both within and across these two main thematic areas.