Psychology and Criminology (First Year Taught at Salford City College)

This module introduces the methods which are used in psychology and related fields. Statistical concepts and the quantitative methods which they underpin are taught alongside qualitative methods.  The module builds knowledge which is important in interpreting the research papers you will read over the course of your degree as well as providing the foundation for skills which you will need in order to conduct your own research projects.

You will be introduced to key factors in human development including social, emotional, cognitive and biological foundation. Within social psychology you will look at how individuals perceive, influence and interact with others.

You will be introduced to the form, key features and purpose of the institutions of the contemporary criminal justice system in England and Wales and begin an exploration of the issues relating to justice and civil liberties.

You will be introduced to the basic biological processes and cognitive principles necessary for understanding human psychology. Language is a key cognitive skill, and this module covers topics such as reading and listening, automatic word identification, resolving linguistic ambiguities, and aphasia.

You will be introduced to the key foundational issues, ideas, and ways of thinking within criminology. You will explore the various relationships between crime and society drawing upon contemporary, historical, and comparative evidence and demonstrate links between particular theories and concepts and their implications for research methodology and crime policy.

You will develop on the skills you developed in year one, designing, carrying out research and analysing your results.

You will explore the links between biological and cognitive processes and examine how this relationship influences performance in real-world contexts. You will also go into more depth in topics such as language and thought, reading, understanding language, and speech production.

You will develop an understanding of the range of theories of crime and criminal justice and locate the key issues of criminology within their socio-political and historical context. You will gain a knowledge of the most important theories, and their relevance for understanding crime matters in contemporary society.

This module offers you the opportunity to explore how personality affects criminal behaviour and offending as well as how the criminal justice system responds to these individual differences.

This module covers the influences of nature and nurture on human development, including exploring how these influence children’s communicative and language development. You will gain practical experience of conducting social psychological research, and examine the implications of research for education, policy, and clinical practice.

The typical criminal trial is primarily a contest between the prosecution and the defence over whether or not a crime was committed and whether the accused is guilty.  Each side uses narrative, rhetorical and argumentative strategies to construct its own version of the events and to present claims about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Judges and juries must also do the same when they pronounce on a case, and third parties such as the public or the media often engage in a similar exercise. This module examines the strategies used to construct guilt and innocence, paying particular attention to their sociological underpinnings. Case studies will be an important part of the module’s content, and there will be presentations by prosecutorial, defence and judicial professionals.

You will be introduced to issues surrounding the policing and social control in the past, in contemporary society and in the future, and analyse how social control and surveillance are manifested. You will identify the implications for policing and social control studies on wider sociology as well as policy and practice.

An overview of the conceptualisation of “violence”. You will examine debates concerning violence in various aspects of life, consider the contemporary debates surrounding violence in a range of contexts, trace the development of theorisations of violence and consider ethical, methodological and practical issues involved in the researching of violence.

Provides an understanding of the evolution of the modern prison and its policies, practices, and regimes. In this module you will develop an understanding of the relationship between prisons, probation, and the courts; and of the use and impacts of punishment with regard to age, gender, and ethnicity.

You will carry out a large-scale empirical research project on a topic of your choice. The range of skills you develop as you navigate the process of research design, applying for ethical approval, recruiting participants and carrying out your research, performing appropriate analysis, and writing up your work will be invaluable in any workplace.

You will explore conceptualisations of mental health, explanations of mental health, legal and social ramifications of mental ill health, the range of conditions treated within psychiatry, and therapeutic modalities and agencies. You will also think about the language used in the field, such as the shift from talking about ‘abnormal psychology’ to less stigmatising terms, and also the linguistic origins of the terms used to describe mental health conditions.

This module explores the effects that exposure to media has on people, as well as how people process information from media. It looks at advertisement, persuasion, news journalism, social media and internet use, including the use of metaphors in the media. It also covers conversation analysis and discursive psychology.

Aimed at students interested in a career in education or a clinical setting. You will learn about the conditions and environments of children in need (autistic spectrum, poverty, Down Syndrome, ADHD, blindness). You will examine theories and the psychological impact of interventions.

During this module, you will learn to apply theories and methodologies from cognitive psychology to real-world behaviour. You will explore the influence of emotional processing on human cognition and performance and reflect on the optimal conditions for thinking and decision-making.

A practitioner based module which will provide you with a tour of relevant theories and topics (including stress, selection techniques and change at work), as well as an assessment opportunity to apply these in real-world settings, including your own experience in the workplace.

This module examines in detail the relationships between behaviour and the nervous system. You will explore these relationships through the consideration of key topics in the field of neuroscience including learning, psychopharmacology, brain damage, aphasia/alexia, organic brain disorder, and mental health.

A new module which considers the role of psychology in a global context. You will have the opportunity to use your psychological knowledge to explore the issues of the day.

This module aims to introduce you to the concepts, theory, methods and applications of health psychology. It is concerned with the psychological aspects of physical illness, their treatment and management as well as what it is that keeps people healthy and well.

Develops your understanding of the relevance of psychology to education and provides opportunities to apply psychological theory and principles in the field of education and professional practice.

Explore positive models of ageing and lifespan development in the 21st Century including: identity, physical and mental health, and the psycho-social implications of ageing.

The psychology of serial homicide, mass shooting, and terrorism. The module also explores the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass shooters, the pathway to intended violence in such extreme cases of violence and the neuropsychodynamics of individuals who commit serial homicide and single homicide.

You will be placed with industry professionals to develop and nurture your own career interest.

This module will develop your knowledge of how children learn language, from sounds, words and grammar, to the complexities of human communication. You will explore data from real children to increase your understanding and test out the theories discussed in class.

This module explores what it’s like for children growing up with various conditions like autism spectrum disorder, Down’s syndrome, deafness, and developmental language disorder, and well as the impact on development of growing up in adverse environments such as poverty.