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Content: The themes, methods, and ideas in the fields of social psychology and individual differences will be introduced in this module. Social psychology examines how individuals understand themselves and other people, the relationship between behaviour, self and the situation, and the forces that govern interactions between individuals and groups. Individual differences is the study of what makes each person unique, including our personality, intelligence and other cognitive abilities, and how they interact with our background, upbringing, and life experiences. There will be a focus on social psychology and individual differences as scientific disciplines that use experimental methods for data collection to formulate and empirically test theories of human nature.

Teaching delivery: This module isÌý delivered in the form of 10 2-hour in-person lectures.

Indicative Topics: Indicative lecture topics – based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes: Social perception and attribution, Self and identity, Social cognition, Attraction and close relationships, Social influence and group processes, Intelligence, Beyond intelligence, Personality & emotional intelligence, Behavioural genetics, cognition, and mental health, Psychometrics.

Module Aims: This module aims to ensure that by the end of the module students will have:

• Explored different themes, methods, and ideas in the fields of social psychology and individual differences. Developed detailed knowledge and understanding of the main concepts and theories.
• Gained a foundational understanding of the social, personality and aptitude processes that influence human thought, feeling, and action.
• Developed critical perspectives on the ways in which individual behaviour is influenced by social context and personal traits.
• Developed an appreciation of experimental methods used to empirically test theories of human nature.
• Acquired the ability to discuss influential theories in the field, including the major findings related to them.
• Demonstrated good analytical ability in describing and interpreting relevant research findings
• Gained the ability to discuss a range of relevant literature in a critical and balanced manner.