module specification

PC5057 - Individual Differences (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Individual Differences
Module level Intermediate (05)
Credit rating for module 15
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Total study hours 150
 
114 hours Guided independent study
36 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
In-Course Test 50%   In Course Test
Coursework 50%   Written assessment
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Autumn semester North Tuesday Morning

Module summary

This module will help you to develop your knowledge and understanding of key concepts in individual differences. It will introduce you to the classic theory and research on which this branch of psychology is based and develop your understanding of how and why people differ in systematic ways and the consequences of such individual differences. You will learn how the psychometric methods used by individual differences researchers are constructed and how they are used by psychologists and social scientists in a variety of contexts such as education, recruitment and selection, and health and wellbeing. The knowledge and skills developed in this module will be beneficial in other areas of your course as well as in future training and employment.

Syllabus

Topics will be drawn from: theories and models of personality and individual differences; psychometrics scale construction; types and tests of reliability and validity tests; research ethics; applications and implications of this branch of psychology.

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

The learning objectives will be achieved through a combination of lectures, interactive workshops, seminars, supplementary guided web-based learning, and self-managed independent study. You will be encouraged to reflect on your learning throughout the module and take responsibility for identify gaps in your knowledge and skills.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. Understand and evaluate key theories and concepts in individual differences and appreciate what researchers working in this branch of psychology do and why. 
2. Be able to construct the type of psychometric instruments used to measure individual differences and understand different methods of assessing the reliability and validity of such instruments.
3. Critically discuss the practical and ethical implications of key concepts in individual differences and their application in different contexts.

Bibliography