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Social, Personality & Abnormal Psychology - PSY00005C

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  • Department: Psychology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Sally Quinn
  • Credit value: 30 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2021-22 to Summer Term 2021-22

Module aims

Social, personality and abnormal psychology address questions fundamental to our experiences of self and relationships. These topics examine various influences on our attitudes, opinions, feelings, and behaviours. Responses to these influences can vary to the point of being maladaptive. Abnormal psychology is concerned with extreme ends of these responses. Therapeutic interventions are evaluated in the context of known causes of these problems. The overarching aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the broad issues, theories, and methods in social, personality and abnormal psychology. Topics covered will include attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping, conceptions of normality, dissociative identity disorder, addictive behaviours including social networking addiction, drug addiction, obesity, anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders including hoarding and body dysmorphic disorder, depression, somatoform disorders, schizophrenia, the self, structure and origins of personality.

Module learning outcomes

  • understand the basic concepts and theories of social behaviour
  • outline and evaluate the problems of defining psychological abnormality
  • examine the neurobiological and psychological underpinnings of mental disorders
  • describe the therapeutic challenges of those facing mental distress
  • to present important theories and empirical findings of personality psychology

Module content

Topics covered in Year 1 will include prejudice, stereotyping, conceptions of normality, dissociative identity disorder, addictive behaviours including social networking addiction, obesity, anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, the self, structure and origins of personality.

  • TB1: Social Psychology 1
  • TB2: Abnormal Psychology 1
  • TB3: Abnormal Psychology 2
  • TB4: Abnormal Psychology 3
  • TB5: Self and Others

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
1650 Word Essay		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Practical		 N/A 20
Groupwork
Mini Project		 N/A 5
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Social, Personality & Abnormal Psychology (Paper 1)		 1.5 hours 25
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Social, Personality & Abnormal Psychology (Paper 2)		 2 hours 30

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
1650 Word Essay		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Practical		 N/A 20
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Social, Personality & Abnormal Psychology (Paper 1)		 1.5 hours 25
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Social, Personality & Abnormal Psychology (Paper 2)		 2 hours 30

Module feedback

The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision.

Students will meet supervisors in wk 6 in AuT, SpT and wk 9 in SuT to discuss their marks.

Indicative reading

These are two of the most useful textbooks for this strand:

Hogg, M. A., & Vaughan, G. M., (2011) Social Psychology (6th ed.). Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Kring, Ann M (2016). Abnormal Psychology (13th ed.). Chichester; Wiley.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.