Psychology and Criminology BSc Honours

Criminal justice policies and practices are shaped by competing political and social values surrounding notions of justice and human rights. This module explores and debates the efficacy of some of the most contentious issues in criminal justice, including police stop and search, victims’ rights, child imprisonment, prisoner resettlement, human trafficking and the global ‘war on terror’.

This module provides a broad introduction to criminology as an inter-disciplinary and critical subject area. The three key questions addressed will be: What is criminology? What is crime? And finally, what is knowledge? By the end of the module you'll be able to contrast traditional definitions of criminology, crime and knowledge with contemporary and critical approaches to defining these terms. The module will also provide level 4 students with a chance to develop study skills.

The module will focus on developing your understanding of key theoretical perspectives within criminology, including classicism, positivism and critical perspectives. You'll investigate how these perspectives have historically developed and continue to shape contemporary criminological thought and policy. By the end of the module, you'll be able to describe, identify and evaluate different theoretical perspectives from within criminology.

Provides a broad introduction to core areas within the domains of biological psychology and cognitive psychology. This module focusses on key historical and contemporary issues, theories, empirical research and approaches central to the role of biological and cognitive approaches to human behaviour. You'll gain a preliminary appreciation of the interaction between human biology and cognition and will be equipped with transferable academic skills in preparation for more in-depth study at level 5 and beyond. You'll be taught how to conduct repeated measures and independent groups design experiments and will collect data suitable for analysis, reinforcing knowledge acquired in the level 4 module Introduction to Psychological and Criminological Research Methods.

This module introduces you to the process of psychological and social/criminological research, some of the research methods utilised in these fields, and their application to psychology and criminology. Using methodologies drawn from qualitative and quantitative research, you'll develop knowledge and skills in a variety of data collection techniques used in the fields of empirical psychology and criminology. you'll develop an understanding of the principles underlying quantitative and qualitative research methods and data analysis; the ethical and practical issues relating to research; use of statistical software and reporting psychological and criminological investigations. Data collected will be used to teach data analysis. The inherent variability and diversity of psychological and criminological measures will be made explicit, and you'll engage in the design of a survey and develop skills in interpreting crime statistics.

This module provides an introduction to core areas in the domains of social and developmental psychology. This module focuses on key historical and contemporary issues, theories, empirical research and approaches central to social and developmental psychology. You'll gain a preliminary appreciation of social and developmental theories of human behaviour and you'll be equipped with transferable academic skills in preparation for more in-depth study at level 5 and beyond.

This module will give you a valuable opportunity to engage in 35 hours of work-based learning activities. Gaining practical experience for example, in a relevant work-based setting or equivalent offers you the opportunity to cultivate transferable skills for career success. Applied settings may include supporting individuals dealing with mental health issues, brain injuries, or dementia, working in hospitals, social services, the criminal justice system, or befriending and assisting children in schools. In cases where securing a physical volunteer placement proves challenging, you can utilise your current paid employment, provided your role aligns with the Graduate Attributes. Alternatively, you can participate in a series of online distance learning virtual activities, ensuring flexibility and diverse avenues for experiential learning.

This module advances knowledge acquired at Level 4 related to biological and cognitive psychology. You'll develop a more advanced appreciation of the interaction between human biology and cognition, with particular reference to the role of biological and cognitive factors in the aetiology of antisocial and criminal behaviour. You will have the opportunity to engage with the key biological and cognitive orientated explanations of offending. You'll also consider and critically evaluate the key theoretical frameworks and methodological paradigms utilised to determine the biological and cognitive correlates of crime. Key areas addressed in the biological correlates of crime include, brain structure and functioning, genetics, and brain chemistry. In relation to cognition and crime, key areas include intelligence, cognitive and emotional regulation (self-control, impulsivity and decision-making), and personality. In addition, you will explore the complex, reciprocally influential interactions between an individual’s biology, psychology, and their social environment.

This module will further develop your understanding of aspects of social and developmental psychology by extending the core knowledge of social/developmental psychology acquired at Level 4 within the context and perspective of crime and criminal behaviour.

This module extends and develops competence in designing, analysing and interpreting the results of psychological experiments with more than two conditions and survey designs with multiple predictors. You'll also develop your skills in coding and analysing qualitative data. These skills will be taught within the context of individual differences, as demonstrated in both psychological and criminological research studies. Relative to this, you'll also develop skills in the context of designing interview schedules and analysing interviews. You'll engage in a practical 'hands-on' approach to psychological and criminological research, and receive focused training in relation to your chosen methodology in your final-year project.

This module extends and develops competence in designing, analysing and interpreting the results of psychological experiments with more than two conditions and survey designs with multiple predictors. You'll also develop your skills in coding and analysing qualitative data. These skills will be taught within the context of individual differences, as demonstrated in both psychological and criminological research studies. Relative to this, you'll also develop skills in the context of designing interview schedules and analysing interviews. You'll engage in a practical 'hands-on' approach to psychological and criminological research, and receive focused training in relation to your chosen methodology in your final-year project.

This module is designed to encourage you to critically reflect on the contribution of feminist theories to criminology; to understand the significance of gender in understanding crime, victimisation and criminal justice; and to analyse the role of the law, criminal justice and discourses about crime in the reproduction of gender relationships. It considers current social policy in this area and considers issues of gender in an international context.

International trends in crime and justice, and relationship to globalisation and its implications for the discipline of criminology; case studies of national and transnational crime and justice, including urban crime and policing in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the ‘cocaine trail’ from Latin to North America, to the perils faced by African migrants being smuggled across borders into ‘fortress Europe’

This module provides a critical examination of how race and racism shape criminal justice practices, policies and procedures; possible explanations from perspectives of theories of race and racism; criminological theory; sociological concepts; historical analyses; socio-legal accounts of criminal justice process; social policy work. External guest speakers help to inform students about current developments in areas of race, racism, criminal justice and anti-racist resistance. Assessments will develop key employability skills, in relation to written and verbal communication, presentation of information, managing workloads and planning and organising.

The module will consider the history of youth crime and justice with a key focus on the history of childhood and key debates concerning the age of criminal responsibility. Perceptions of young people and the ‘crime problem’ in late modern societies will be reflected on, where understandings of ‘youth’ as a social problem, the relationship between social exclusion and young people’s offending and experiences of victimisation will be examined. Additionally, the module will consider the structures and technologies of the youth justice system and the ways in which race, class and gender operate alongside understandings of youth crime and state responses to it, exposing inequalities persistent in this area.

This module investigates the nature and scope of Forensic Psychology in its broadest sense covering the entire UK criminal justice system processes and practices. Areas covered include psychological theories of crime; eyewitness memory and testimony; police interviewing techniques; psychological theories relating to sexual violence; the treatment of sex offenders and vulnerable offenders; and mental health in prison and probation contexts. Some content will vary from year to year, dependent on the availability of guest speakers.

The project module requires students to devise and carry out their own piece of independent research under the guidance of a supervisor. The research topic chosen must be appropriate to forensic or criminological psychology, involve empirical research, and be reported in the form of a written dissertation.

Focusing on the theory and practice of clinical psychology, a critical approach is taken towards the diagnosis and classification of mental illness, current aetiological theories and a range of clinical interventions used by clinical psychologist and other mental health professionals. Psychological disorders and conditions considered include: depression, suicidal behaviour, the psychoses, personality disorders, eating disorders, dissociative disorders and anxiety.

This module considers the interdisciplinary and applied nature of health psychology, exploring biological, psychological and socio-cultural determinants of health and illness. Topics include approaches to health and illness behaviour, management of long-term conditions, health-care communication, stress and wellbeing. Emphasis is given to an evidence and practice-based approach.

The relationship between the media and crime is a topic of lively debate and research. This module provides a critical exploration of the field and offers students the opportunity to study media representations of crime, criminality and criminal justice across a range of media forms – from newspaper crime reports and television news to reality crime television, film, television drama, literature and video games and websites.

The primary aims of this module are to facilitate your understanding of some of the key counselling and psychotherapeutic theories and frameworks and to enable you to evaluate the various approaches in terms of the available research evidence along with current debates about the nature of psychotherapy and psychotherapy related research. This module does not prepare you to become practising clinicians (eg, Counselling/Clinical Psychologists, Counsellors, Psychotherapists) but will give you a sound basis for understanding and identifying the further study and training required for such professional trainings.

This module aims to explore how psychological theory and research has been applied to teaching and learning in formal settings from pre-school to university. Key topics include: Theories of teaching and learning, assessment, schooling, literacy, inclusion, bullying, motivation, educational neuroscience and critical pedagogy. The module addresses how the work of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and teachers is informed by empirical research.

In this module, you'll examine increasing levels of punishment in contemporary global society, including the growing harshness of prison regimes and community-based punishments. You'll examine and critique the nature of penal punishment. The module considers current trends and forms of punishment in detail, focusing on the UK and elsewhere, with particular attention to the worldwide importance on the use of imprisonment.

This module is focused on how issues concerned with sex may impact on people's lives. There will be an emphasis on integrating the dimension of sexualities. You'll explore the meaning of sex as part of the human condition and the development of relationship with one’s personhood. You'll have the opportunity to explore theory and application of sex therapy through concepts such as the bio-psycho-social model, the therapeutic alliance, clinical case studies and various therapeutic modalities.