Psychology BSc

This module will give you an overview of the fundamentals of social psychology. 

You'll cover two big themes: how people think, and how people feel and behave.

We'll introduce and explain key theories and research for understanding social psychological phenomena. You'll also learn how to critically evaluate social psychological research and theories, and describe how they can be applied to address real world issues.

This module will give you an overview of the core components of cognition, and how we can investigate these.

You'll cover perception, attention, performance, cognitive neuroscience, language, learning, memory and reasoning. 

We'll introduce and explore key studies in cognitive psychology, theoretical perspectives and foundational methods.

This module will give you an understanding of the key principles within neuroscience and clinical psychology. 

You'll cover the basic structure and function of the brain, techniques and assessments used within neuroscience and clinical psychology, and gain an awareness of the ethical issues. 

You'll also learn about the aetiology, development, assessment and treatment of specific psychological and neurological disorders.

This module will give you an overview of the fundamentals of developmental psychology from infancy to adolescence, and into later life.

You'll cover concepts of development, including cognitive development, social development, and neurological development. 

We'll explore major developmental changes, and discuss theoretical perspectives underlying developmental research.

This module will introduce you to the knowledge and skills that underpin the science of psychology. 

We'll explore why psychological scientists conduct empirical research the way they do, and how to conduct research in psychological science. 

You'll cover topics that span the various stages of the research process, including the logic of hypothesis testing; types of research designs, methodologies, and measurement strategies; descriptive statistics; simple qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques; and critical thinking about published research.

This module will equip you with the essential academic and professional skills you'll need to support your transition to university.

We'll help you develop skills in academic writing, including identifying, reading, and critically analysing psychological literature. You'll also learn how to use feedback to improve your work, effective time management techniques, and presentation skills. You'll then put these skills into practice, working in a team with your coursemates on projects focused on identifying and communicating real-world psychology problems.

Throughout the module, you'll also get the chance to explore your own strengths, interests, and career aspirations, as the first step in your academic and professional development. As part of this, we'll introduce you to the diverse career pathways that are open to graduates with a Psychology degree - both within and outside the field.

This module builds on your knowledge of social psychology from first year, covering topics in greater depth.

This year you'll delve deeper into areas including the intention behaviour gap and how to address it, as well as social influences on health and environmental behaviours. You'll also explore new topics like organisational psychology, prejudice and discrimination, and risk perception.

This module builds on your knowledge of the core components of cognition you gained in your first year. 

You'll continue to cover the same broad topics, but in much greater depth. These include: perception, attention, performance, cognitive neuroscience, language, learning, memory and reasoning.

We'll expand on key concepts and introduce more experimental methods and theoretical nuance.

This module builds on your knowledge from first year, covering the principles within neuroscience and clinical psychology in greater depth. 

This year, you'll cover the aetiology, development, assessment and treatment of more complex psychological and neurological disorders.

This module will give you a deeper understanding of development from infancy to later life, building on the knowledge you gained in first year.

You'll cover how cognition, language, perception, and social skills develop, and consider individual differences in development and developmental disorders. 

Together, we'll explore the major developmental changes, and discuss theoretical perspectives underlying developmental research.

This module builds on the knowledge and skills you developed in your first year and introduces more advanced concepts and techniques in research methods and statistics. 

We'll cover research ethics; scale development; questionnaire design; advanced qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques; and critical thinking about published research.

At Sheffield, we're carrying out world-leading research in many areas of psychology. This module will introduce you to some of the big questions and issues that your lecturers and other staff in the School are trying to address right now. You'll learn about the latest understanding in topics spanning the breadth of modern psychology. You'll also discover how we're using cutting-edge research techniques and approaches, the challenges that research can present, and how we hope to make a real difference in the world.

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

Feminists have famously claimed that the personal is political. This module takes up various topics with that methodological idea in mind: the family, cultural critique, language. We examine feminist methodologies - how these topics might be addressed by a feminism that is inclusive of all women - and also turn attention to social structures within which personal choices are made - capitalism, and climate crisis .

Ethical values shape our world and the lives we lead - from how we relate to our friends and community, to our social and political attitudes, to the aspirations and goals that guide our life choices. But ethics is also challenging. When our values clash, or we face unfamiliar problems, or we reflect on the objectionable values of people in the past, it becomes unclear what to do. Ethical theories attempt to help us solve these problems by giving a precise, unified and systematic account of moral values, ideals and duties.

This module introduces students to a range of contemporary and historical ethical theories. We discuss six broad approaches to ethical theorising, each centred on a core unifying value: altruism, relationships, freedom, agreements, rights and excellence. In doing so we will encounter theories such as Utilitarianism, Contractualism and Feminist Care Ethics, and the ideas of philosophers including JS Mill, Harriet Taylor, Simone de Beauvoir, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Mary Wollstonecraft, Aristotle and Freidrich Nietzsche.

This module will introduce students to contemporary philosophical discussions of environmental justice at the global level. Topics to be covered may include: The nature of global environmental injustices; responsibility for global environmental problems; the relationship between global environmental challenges and other historical and contemporary injustices; fair international sharing of the costs of environmental action; the justifiability of environmental activism; the rights of indigenous peoples; fairness in global environmental decision-making; and the politics of ‘geoengineering’ the planet.

This module will investigate a range of philosophical  issues pertaining to current developments in AI and  robotics. Example topics might include relationships with  AI and robots, responsibility concerns in regard to  autonomous technology such as self-driving cars, the rise of data ethics, and the rights of cyborgs and future  artificial beings. By studying these topics and others,  students will gain a broad knowledge of the philosophical  questions pertaining to contemporary and near-future  technology, develop their ability to critically assess and  discuss philosophy in regards to real world uses and  developments in AI and robotics, as well as improve their  understanding of how theoretical philosophical theories  can be applied and used to tackle practical challenges  posed by modern technology.

This module will give you a broad understanding of neuroscience, covering neurophysiology, molecular biology, neuropharmacology, model organisms, and simple behaviours.

Building on your knowledge from the first year, you'll learn about the concepts behind complex topics such as higher brain function, behaviour, biological psychiatry, and neurodegenerative disease.

This module aims to give a detailed overview of the developmental differences in children's speech, language and communication (including literacy) abilities. The module profiles these developmental differences in children and adolescents, and including learning difficulties, autism spectrum conditions and other neurodevelopmental differences. The module examines these developmental differences in the context of the diverse environments children grow up in. The impact of these developmental differences on children's lives as they grow older (eg. educational experiences, learning and well-being) are highlighted. Other perspectives are explored such as those of the parent/carers.

This course is an introduction to metaphysics. It will focus on two general themes: whether we are material things, and the nature of time. Readings will be drawn mainly from recent and contemporary sources.

This module will investigate a broad range of contemporary topics and issues in political philosophy. Example topics include the political rights of animals and children, how we should allocate scarce health resources, whether we should ban private education, and the limits of free speech in the workplace. By studying these topics and others, students will gain a broad knowledge of the state of contemporary political philosophy, develop their ability to critically assess and discuss real-world issues, and improve their understanding of how theoretical topics in political philosophy can be applied in practical ways.

This module provides a survey of philosophical theories of the mind, looking at such questions as: How is consciousness possible? Why is it that vibrations in the air around us produce conscious experiences of particular auditory experiences in our minds? Why is it that electromagnetic waves hitting our retinas produce particular visual experiences in our minds? What makes our thoughts represent things in the world? What is it about your thought that cats have whiskers that makes it about cats and whiskers? What is it about your thought that there are stars in the universe too far away for any human to have perceived them that makes it about such stars? What is the relation between thoughts and conscious experiences and brain states? We'll look at a variety of answers to these and related questions and examine some of the most important and influential theories that contemporary philosophers have to offer.

What, if anything, does religion have to do with a well-lived life? For example, does living well require obeying God's commands? Does it require atheism? Are the possibilities for a good life enhanced or only diminished if there is a God, or if Karma is true? Does living well take distinctive virtues like faith, mindfulness, or humility as these have been understood within religious traditions? In this module, we will examine recent philosophical work on questions like these while engaging with a variety of religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam, and Judaism.

Covid conspiracies and care home crises. AIDS activism and autism advocacy. Questions relating to health and illness are amongst the most crucial facing society today. From before people are born until the moment they die, everyone is profoundly shaped by their engagements with medicine. 

In this module, you will examine the ways in which engagements with, and understandings of, physical and mental health shape ourselves and our societies. You will explore topics such as: intersecting inequalities in healthcare provisions, patient experiences of ill health, activism and the fight for recognition, contemporary health crises, and the COVID pandemic. 

By critically examining these examples, you will develop a nuanced understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.

Drawing on current examples and comparative references, you will explore social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. This module is team taught which means sessions are delivered by a range of leading experts on different social problems.

Some of the key concepts and themes in social policy and practice that you will cover include inequality, justice and fairness, individual versus collective responsibility, and welfare versus social control. The content of this module mainly focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work, housing and homelessness, and community participation.

By the end, you will be equipped with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

Your research project will give you an opportunity to bring together the knowledge and skills you've developed from your studies so far to investigate a topic within an area of Psychology that interests you.

You'll work closely with a Psychology academic who'll offer ideas for your research project, while supporting you to shape the project around your own interests and ideas.  Projects span a wide range of areas, from Clinical, Health, and Environmental Psychology through to Cognitive and Developmental Psychology and Neuroscience. 

Over two semesters, you'll conduct an empirical research study or undertake computational modelling using large existing datasets. You'll work individually or within a small group to design your study, gain ethical approval,  collect or access data, and analyse your results. The project will lead to a written report, allowing you to showcase your ability to conduct psychological research and engage with important research questions in the field of Psychology.

In this module, you'll explore the relationship between brain structures and sensory experiences in the context of 'normal' function and the consequences of neurological differences, injury, and illness, bringing together your relevant knowledge from the first two years of your degree.

We'll take a 'structure-to-function approach': talking about the neuroarchitecture of the senses and how this relates to overall functioning. By understanding the structure, we can better understand the functional and behavioural changes following injury or disease, shedding light on how disruptions in sensory perception may serve as early indicators or contributors to neurological conditions.

By the end of this module, you'll understand the complex dynamics of sensory perception, the implications of sensory changes for health and wellness, and the variety of resulting changes in sensory experiences and behaviour for individuals.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to key theories and empirical research in the field of sports psychology. You will learn about how psychological factors can influence athletic performance and how participation in sports impacts psychological wellbeing. Specific topics may vary, but could cover content such as: motivation, goal-striving, individual versus team sports, interventions and performance enhancement, cognition and expertise, and emotion regulation in sport.

This module will give you a comprehensive overview of the field of cognitive neuroscience, which aims to understand the neural mechanisms involved in cognitive processes. 

We'll focus on methods and techniques, and how these have contributed to a broader understanding of human cognition and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum conditions and ADHD. You'll also learn about modern applications of cognitive neuroscience to real-world issues, such as the development of brain-computer interfaces and the use of cognitive neuroscience techniques in assistive healthcare.

This module will explain a range of cognitive neuroscience techniques, with the main focus on EEG due to its flexibility and adaptability to a wide range of environments and participant groups.  

Diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity is a fact of human existence. Starting at the end of the 19th century, scientists have made efforts to understand the psychology underlying this diversity. Since then, and in the past few decades in particular, social attitudes towards sexual/gender diversity have changed substantially, and so has our scientific understanding.

In this module, we'll explore current and historic scientific understanding of sexual/gender diversity, and current efforts to understand and improve the lives of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority) individuals. We'll consider empirical psychological research from multiple psychological disciplines: developmental, clinical, health, and social. We'll cover major themes including current research into the development of LGBTQ+ identities, wellbeing, social stereotypes and prejudice. Throughout the module we'll discuss and critically analyse how, when it comes to these topics, social attitudes and psychological research are closely intertwined.

If you're interested in the psychology of sexuality and gender, this module will develop your critical thinking and will prepare you well for researching LGBTQ+ issues.

The neurodiversity movement emerged from early online autistic culture which was self-advocating against ableist practices. The concept of biological diversity was adapted to state that neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD, are all part of natural variation in the human species rather than disorders that need to be corrected. 

The neurodiversity movement asserts that: a) diversity in cognition and behaviour has collective benefit for humanity, and b) neurodivergent people should be granted rights and opportunities to lead on decision making which impacts their lives. 

These ideas have led to the development of the neurodiversity paradigm which is reshaping psychological research and practice. 

This module will introduce you to neurodiversity and how these ideas contrast with those from the 'medical model' of disability. You'll explore the implications of the neurodiversity paradigm for psychology by engaging with contemporary theories and research from a range of disciplines. 

This module examines research on psychosocial origins of criminal behaviour and how this research can inform strategies to prevent offending.

We'll consider developmental, social, biological, and genetic perspectives on the origins of criminal behaviour, and explore different types of crimes including homicide, juvenile delinquency and intimate partner violence.

During this module, you'll conduct a case study on an offender of your choice to evaluate evidence into the potential causes of their offending and prevention strategies that could prevent similar offending in the future.

Psychological case formulation lies at the heart of effective cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) — it is the bridge between theory and the person sitting in front of you. In this module, you will explore a range of CBT formulation models across several mental health conditions, grounded in current research evidence. You will examine the predisposing, precipitating, and maintaining factors that shape psychological distress, developing a scientifically informed understanding of why difficulties emerge and persist. Applying this knowledge, you will develop practical skills in constructing individualised case formulations that draw on evidence-based psychological models. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to think critically and clinically — a foundation for effective, formulation-driven practice across a range of professional contexts.

This module will explain current research, both experimental and theoretical, into the brain mechanisms that form the basis of reward processing, associative learning, and the formation of episodic memories. 

You'll start by covering the neural responses to pleasurable stimuli, including drugs of abuse. You'll then move on to the anatomy and physiology of the hippocampus and its involvement in learning and memory. Here we'll focus on episodic memory and how neural coding in the hippocampus might be used to store and recall memories.

You'll then learn about classical conditioning and cerebellar anatomy and physiology: a necessary basis for the evaluation of models of cerebellar function as applied to classical conditioning. 

Throughout the module, you'll explore examples in the diseased brain and discuss where the relevant structures are affected.

The workplace is changing fast, are you ready for it?

From the rise of AI to tackling workplace inequality, this module explores how psychology shapes the world of work. Whether it's understanding what motivates employees, how organisations can foster inclusivity, or the psychological impact of leadership, we tackle the biggest challenges facing workers and businesses today.

You'll debate real-world dilemmas, engage in interactive activities, and learn from top experts in the field.

This module will cover the fundamental principles, theoretical foundations and practices of counselling and psychotherapy. 

We'll consider diverse therapeutic approaches, including Psychodynamic, Humanistic and Cognitive models, alongside the ethical frameworks and self awareness required for effective practice. 

Throughout the module, you'll examine the nature of the therapeutic relationship and the process of case formulation, mapping a client's presenting issues to understand their needs. You'll learn about the evidence base for interventions and challenges facing the profession. You'll also have the opportunity to apply your learning to real world scenarios through case studies, developing practical skills in active listening, empathy and communication.

This module explores the psychological and neurological foundations of sleep, examining the neural architecture and chemical signaling that govern circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle. 

You'll explore the distinct stages of sleep and evaluate the role sleep plays in important human processes like memory consolidation and emotion regulation. 

We'll also address the aetiology and evidence-based treatments for major sleep-wake disorders such as  insomnia and narcolepsy. 

By integrating insights from neuroscience, clinical, cognitive, and health psychology, this module will give you a holistic understanding of how sleep functions as a vital biological process and its profound impact on overall mental and physical wellbeing.

This module will introduce you to controversial issues related to addiction from a psychological perspective. You'll cover the nature of addiction, its determinants, underlying neurological basis, treatment, and prognosis. 

During each lecture, you'll be introduced to the controversial topic before relevant evidence is described and critically evaluated. Clinicians and/or service users with direct experience of addiction may contribute to some of these sessions.

Topics covered may vary from year to year as new controversies emerge, but are likely to include critical appraisal of theories of addiction (such as the brain disease model), the public health implications of vaping, and innovative approaches to treatment.

This module will introduce you to the psychology of eating behaviour within the context of obesity as a societal issue. 

You'll cover key theories and empirical research on the main issues in this field such as drivers of energy intake, the obesogenic environment and weight stigma. You will also explore the role of individual differences in eating behaviours and weight management. You'll discover the methods used and the challenges faced by researchers in this topical area.

During this module, you'll have the chance to apply your learning to propose solutions to tackle the important societal challenge of obesity. You'll also consider organisations that overlap with the module topics covered, and who are aiming to address these important issues. 

How do children learn to use language with other people? And how can our social communication skills adapt when we face challenges? 

In this module, you'll explore these questions by reviewing research on pragmatic development across the lifespan. You'll start with some theory on the nature of human communication, then you'll be introduced to the series of pragmatic skills acquired during infancy, childhood and adolescence. Here you'll see how children move from communicating prelinguistically with babble and gesture, to conveying information effectively by using words, sentences, complex discourse and rapid fire conversation - including use of advanced tropes like sarcasm. 

You'll consider individual differences and atypical trajectories, then finish up with creative solutions to the challenges often faced in older age, for example, as a result of hearing loss. 

Throughout the module, you'll learn about the research methods used to test skills, the learning mechanisms that drive developmental change, and the real world applications in artificial intelligence, educational and clinical domains. At the end, you'll not only be able to connect evidence and theory but you should also be a more skilled and inclusive communicator, able to apply your insights in almost any employment setting.

Human behaviour is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and deforestation. Understanding behaviour, and learning how to change it, has the potential to have a significant impact on these issues. 

This module will give you an understanding of how theories and methods from the behavioural sciences are being used to tackle real-world environmental challenges. You'll use theoretical models of behaviour and previous research to understand the barriers and enablers of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviour. You'll also evaluate a range of lab- and field-based interventions designed to promote pro-environmental behaviour (for example, via communication campaigns, incentives, or fines).

Alongside this, you'll learn about the innovative sustainability research taking place within our school and discover how psychologists can (and should) collaborate with scientists from other disciplines to develop interdisciplinary solutions and avoid unintended consequences that may negatively impact the environment.

By the end of the module, you'll have the skills to design and evaluate behaviour change interventions, and knowledge of how to disseminate research to relevant stakeholders.

This module will introduce you to various concepts related to the field of Forensic Psychology, specifically considering what happens after a person has been convicted of a criminal offence.

You'll learn about different factors that contribute to the rehabilitation and resettlement of people with various conviction types. Example topics might include: post-conviction living environments, offending behaviour treatments, risk considerations, resettlement issues, and desistance from crime. You'll also learn about these issues for people with a range of offence types.

By the end of this module, you'll have a strong understanding of the topics that are central to reducing reoffending and aiding people with convictions to live positive, offence-free, lives. 

Being able to manage data is a key transferable skill that employers want, both inside and outside of academia. 

In this module, you'll learn the fundamentals of how to code using R, an approachable open-source coding language commonly used in psychology, data science, and biosciences.

When collecting data, researchers are often overwhelmed by the huge amount of data they have. During this module, you'll learn how to process and manage data sets with R, with a focus on processing data from psychological research. You'll be taught how to organise and prepare data for the next steps of analyses. 

You'll also learn fundamental coding principles, and cover how to develop routines for checking the plausibility and quality of data. 

By the end of the module, you'll have the knowledge to write a set of scripts and routines to preprocess empirical data sets from psychological research.

This module will allow you to undertake a six-week part-time placement alongside your other third year modules. It's a great opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you've gained in the first two years of your course.

You'll work alongside local community partners to complete project work that will make a tangible contribution to an organisation, local community, or specific service user groups. 

You'll also get to see first hand how a wide variety of professionals from different psychology, health, education, social work, youth work and other backgrounds work together to address the health and wellbeing of local communities.