Applying Social Psychology to Societal Issues
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PSGY3056 | Psychology | 3 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- PSGY3056
- School
- Psychology
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module will explore how Social Psychology is applied to societal issues. The module will take students through a series of examples, to include topics such as cyberpsychology, conspiracy theories, existential anxiety, justice and attitudes towards victims of injustice, environmental psychology, prejudice and discrimination and discuss how theories and evidence from social psychology can be used to address these in everyday life. Students on this module will consider how the evidence can be best communicated to a wider audience.
This module may include reference to some potentially difficult and challenging material, including perceptions and consequences of death anxiety, fears and anxiety over climate change, harmful consequences of social media use, perceptions of justice and victims of injustices, and prejudice and discrimination between different groups in society.
Target Students
BSc Psychology, MSci Psychology, BSc Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, MSc Psychology (conversion), BSc Hons Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience with Placement Year, BSc Hons Psychology with a Year in Computer Science, BSc Hons Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience (International Study), BSc Hons Psychology (International Study), BSc Hons Psychology with Placement Year, Jt hons Philosophy and Psychology Natural Science students, Liberal Arts students.
Classes
- Two 1-hour lectures each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework 1: Article: up to 2000 words aimed at a wider audience.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To apply social psychological research to real world issues; To understand the limitations of social psychological research to explaining complex societal issues; to communicate social psychological research to non-academic audiences; to critique social psychological methodologies.Learning Outcomes
Have an understanding of the theoretical significance of contemporary issues in social psychology.
Have an understanding of how contemporary theories in social psychology relate to everyday behaviour in the real world.
Have an understanding of how psychological theories and practice can be applied to real world issues.
Be able to write about how psychological theories are applied in the real world.
Be able to write about social psychology and its applications to a wider, non-specialist audience.
Have an understanding of how to write to different audiences.