module specification

This module gives you the opportunity to learn about how different theories and research findings from all areas of psychological enquiry - from biological to social, from individual differences to cognitive psychology - can be used to help us to understand and interpret the range of human experience and behaviour in a wide variety of everyday contexts. 

The aims of this module are to:
1. develop your understanding of how psychological processes influence different aspects of everyday life (e.g. online, in the supermarket, on campus)
2. encourage you to think critically about ‘common sense’ explanations of everyday behaviour   
3. enable you to understand and interpret a wide variety of everyday behaviour from a psychological perspective

In sum, this module encourages you to develop a critical understanding of how psychology permeates all aspects of everyday life, and specifically when, where and how psychology can be applied to both your own life and the lives of your family, friends and community. The aims of the module align with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

In this module we will explore a range of different applications of psychological knowledge to everyday life.  For example, these might include exploring the psychology of design, beauty or fashion; the psychology of purchasing decisions and other consumer behaviour, sales and marketing.  We might explore how psychology can help us to understand human behaviour patterns such as perfectionism, procrastination, perseverance or creativity.  We might investigate how psychology could be used to understand altruistic behaviour and philanthropy, or anti-social behaviour, criminality, bias and prejudice; faith, hope, and kindness. The psychological perspectives on physical and mental health promotion; loss of health; chronic conditions and responses to sudden changes (such as the Covid pandemic and national lockdown) might be considered, or we might look at processes such as attention, memory and decision-making, for example, how, when and why eyewitness testimony is likely to be accurate or inaccurate, or how we make decisions everywhere from our daily shop to an unforeseen emergency situation.

Overall, you will be asked to reflect upon and challenge what you think you already know about how people ‘operate’ in a variety of everyday contexts [Learning Outcomes 1 and 2].  You will be invited to consider whether psychological knowledge and understanding can provide us with new insight into a wide range of everyday behaviours and experiences [Learning Outcome 3], and to consider psychology’s relevance both to your own lives [Learning Outcome 4] and to the lives of your family, friends, colleagues and communities [Learning Outcome 5].

The module is delivered through a combination of group and individual activities which will take place within a framework of lectures, seminars, and workshops. Supplementary guided learning via weblearn and self-managed private study will be provided when appropriate. You will receive different types of feedback from formative exercises and summative assessments to facilitate your learning and reflection on your understanding and progress.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. explain how psychology and psychological processes influence different contexts of everyday life (e.g. online, in the supermarket, on campus)
2. think critically about ‘common sense’ explanations of everyday behaviour   
3. understand and interpret everyday behaviour from a psychological perspective (e.g. social media use, racial discrimination, procrastination)
4. reflect upon how psychology can be applied to understanding aspects of your own life;
5. communicate to others how psychology influences and can be used to understand an everyday context or process in their lives.

The summative assessment for this module comprises an essay (50%) and an evidence-based information product (50%).

For your first assignment you should write an essay of 650 – 750 words exploring how psychology can be applied to one context, process or experience in your own everyday life.  Your essay should be based upon one of the topics in the first part of the module, and should demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of key theory or research studies from that topic [Learning Outcomes 1 and 2].  Your essay should also address how this information and understanding could be applied to your own life [Learning Outcomes 3 and 4].  For example, how has the study of the psychology of happiness impacted how you think about, or work to increase your own happiness?  How has the psychological investigation of parking and driving helped you to understand the behaviour of people on our roads and your own experiences of parking and driving (or being driven)?

For your second assignment you should create an evidence-based information product.  This information product should be designed to inform an audience of your choice about the psychological processes involved with one specific area of everyday life relevant to that audience, and to suggest how this knowledge might be applied to them and their specific context.  For example, you might choose to create in information product that explores how to help the over 70s to enjoy a happy and active retirement; or you may choose to create an information product aimed at helping small business owners promote their products in the best way to generate sales.  You may choose any topic considered in the second part of the module as the basis for this assignment.  Your evidence-based information product should include some key information about the psychological theory or evidence from your chosen topic area, and a link from this information to a ‘call to action’ for your intended audience – that is an invitation for them to consider starting a new behaviour, changing and existing behaviour, considering an aspect of their life in a new way or in some other way of learning from and benefitting from what you are presenting to them [Learning Outcomes 1, 3 and 5]. 

Your evidence-based information product could be presented in a variety of forms, for example an infographic, poster; infomercial (video or audio); podcast; or learning resource.  Your chosen format must enable you to communicate both a summary of key psychological evidence, and direction or a designed activity for how this could be implemented or applied in a specific context and for a specific audience.  Your assignment format should be chosen from a list of pre-agreed suggestions advertised on the module VLE (e.g., WebLearn).  This assignment format list can be extended by negotiation with the module leader. A deadline for such negotiations will be advertised via the module VLE by the start of the Spring Semester.  In all cases of negotiation, the decision of the module leader is final and your full list of assignment format choices will be posted on the VLE no later than the end of teaching week 20.

To pass the module students must achieve a minimum aggregate grade of 40%.

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