PC5062 - Social and Cultural Explanations of Behaviour (2024/25)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2024/25 | ||||||||||
| Module title | Social and Cultural Explanations of Behaviour | ||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||
| School | School of Social Sciences and Professions | ||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||
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| Running in 2024/25(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
The aim of this module is to examine how people think about and seek to understand their social worlds through their interactions with others at the individual, social and cultural levels. You will develop a critical understanding of key theories and models of social psychology in their historical and cultural contexts. It will allow you to develop a critical understanding of how such theories and models can be ethically investigated using appropriate research methodologies; how social psychological knowledge (concepts, theories, and research findings) can be ethically applied to address a range of personal, social, and cultural issues; and the extent to such knowledge may differ across cultures.
Syllabus
Areas covered will be drawn from: social attribution and social cognition; attitudes and attitude change; social influence; self and identity; self-motives and self-presentation; attraction and relationships; intergroup behaviour; language and communication; methodologies used to conduct research and support social psychology theory; applied social psychology; and critical and cross-cultural social 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 upon and manage your own learning and to identify gaps in your knowledge and understanding of the topics.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you will:
1. Be able to explain and evaluate key theories and models in social and cultural psychology (e.g., cognition, attribution, attitudes, self and identity, language, interpersonal and intergroup interaction).
2. Have a critical understanding different methodologies used to investigate social psychological phenomenon, including cross-cultural research.
3. Demonstrate your ability to apply the knowledge and skills developed in the module in different settings to address a range of personal, social, and cultural issues.