Assessment The course will be assessed by assignment on Units 2 - 6 and exams in February and June. 

The British Psychological Society (BPS) 
Have a look at the Web site of the British Psychological Society where you can find out how to train as a Psychologist, read a current list of accredited undergraduate courses, join The British Psychological Society, and more. 
Look up ethical guidelines for human participants and read the following studies (either in a text book or, by following the hints in brackets, search on the Internet).

MILGRAM Electric shock experiment (Search under Conformity & Obedience) 

HARLOW Monkeys separated from mothers at birth. Fed by wire mesh model, clung to towelling model. Attachment in animals. 

ZIMBARDO Prison guard experiment (Search under Conformity & Obedience) 

WATSON & RAYNOR- Little Albert (search under Classical Conditioning) 

A CENTURY OF PSYCHOLOGY - a short history of psychology

DURHAM UNIVERSITY Ethical principles for conducting research

The Course Content

Outline of the course units

Further information can be obtained under each of the following headings 

Unit 1  Research Methods and Analysis of Data  

• Research methods used in Psychology
• Methods of sampling 
• Hypothesis - different types of hypotheses (null, experimental, one-tailed and two-tailed) 
• Independent and Dependent Variables 
• Experimental design - Independent Measures, Repeated Measures, Matched Subject 
• Confounding variables - the control of variables through Standardisation, Counterbalancing, Randomisation 
• Correlation Technique 
• Statistics in Psychology - guided applications of statistical tests of differences and correlation, where applicable

• Distinctions between types of memory - the distinctions that have been made between types of memory in terms of duration of storage and mode or representation 
• The organisation of information in memory and explanations of forgetting 
• How memory can be improved and its relation to study techniques

• The stages of language development - stages in the development of language acquisition 
• The relationship between language and thought 
• The nature vs nurture debate - theories of language acquisition

• Anxiety and stress
• What are anxiety and stress?
• Causes of stress
• Learned anxiety
• Physiological responses to stress
• Psychological responses to stress
• Psychosomatic response to stress
• Indirect control of stress
• Direct control of stress
• Experimental method - experiments investigating anxiety and stress
• Self Assessment Questions on the concept of stress
• Self Assessment Questions part two
• Investigations and suggested assignments
• Links to stress related web sites

• How attitudes develop, their functions and how they relate to behaviour 
• Theories of attitude change and their practical application 
• Attempts to explain the origins and maintenance of prejudice and discrimination 
• The reduction of prejudice and discrimination
• Attitude and prejudice related web sites

• Short history of psychology 

A Century of Psychology - a potted history of psychology. 
• Behaviourism, Classical and Operant Conditioning, Social Learning Theory 
• Freud - Theory of Personality and Psycho-sexual stage theory 
• The applications of the above to Clinical Psychology to include Behaviour Therapy, Behaviour Modification and Play Therapy.
• Phobias word search