SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY WITH RESEARCH METHODS 1 - 2025/6

Module Overview

Social Psychology investigates how our cognitions (thought processes), affective states (feelings and emotions) and behaviours are related to the social world. This module introduces year 1 students to key concepts, methods, and findings on a range of topics in Social Psychology, which includes: social categorization, self-presentation, attitude and behaviour change, social influence, prejudice and discrimination of minority groups.

The knowledge and critical/methodological abilities gained will be further developed and deepened in the Social Psychology with Research Method 2 (PSY2016) module offered in year 2 and in a broad range of final-year modules.  

 

Module provider

Psychology

Module Leader

RUSSELL Sophie (Psychology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Introduction to Social Psychology


• Social cognition


• Social perception


• Self-presentation


• Attitude and behaviour change


• Social influence (e.g., obedience to authority)


• Social groups and groups performance


• Group decision-making (e.g., leadership)


• Interpersonal attraction  


• Intergroup relations (including stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination)


• Revision session

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes:

1. Have a broad understanding of key topics in social psychology.


2. Develop the capacity to explain how research questions form and change in social psychology and describe how social psychological thinking helps to explain social behaviour and real-world issues. This will promote students’ global and cultural capabilities as well as sustainability awareness.


3. Develop a critical understanding of social psychology as an evidence-based discipline through the presentation of empirical studies and theoretical models.


4. Be able to understand the main research method designs including active participation in a quantitative study.


5. Ability to address simple research hypotheses through quantitative research data analysis and to write a research report in a professional scientific format.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• One research report assessing outcomes 1-5.


• One online examination (in formal semester exam period) assessing outcomes 1-3.

 

Formative assessment

Formative assessment and feedback include verbal feedback in tutorials and lectures both from the lecturers and peers, practice exam questions (e.g. quizzes), group discussions, and written feedback on the research report (as part of the summative assessment feedback). Students will also have the opportunity to engage with the discussion boards on Surreylearn. Overall, feedback will promote students’ resourcefulness and resilience.

 

Module aims

• To build the foundational knowledge of Social Psychology theory and research. Participation in the lectures will expose students to a range of social psychology topics, and highlight the connections between real-world problems (e.g., minorities¿ discrimination), social psychology theory and empirical data.
• Foster a critical evaluation of social psychological science
• To develop an understanding of the four core messages of social psychology: that behaviour is a product of the person and the situation; that the role of situational factors is systematically underestimated; that this underestimation is itself an effect of culture, and that social psychological research represents an advance on 'common sense' knowledge of the social world.
• To develop quantitative research methodological abilities. Participation in the lectures and tutorials will let students gain a practical understanding of experimental social psychology research. They will have the opportunity to demonstrate their research skills by writing a research report.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to ensure that students achieve the module’s learning outcomes and develop competencies in the corresponding aspects of the curriculum framework, specifically employability, digital capabilities, global and cultural capabilities, sustainability, resourcefulness and resilience.

Specifically, through the lectures, tutorials, in-class activities (e.g., group discussions, quizzes) and weekly guided learning (videos, reflections) we aim to:

• Give students a broad understanding of theory and research in social psychology. This will include the understanding of social groups’ dynamics and intergroup relations (e.g., culturally driven stereotypes, prejudice and minorities’ discrimination), which will help them develop their global and cultural capabilities and reflect on societal issues that are central to the Sustainable Goals proposed by the United Nations (e.g., gender equality, peace and justice).  


• Enable students to develop the capacity to explain how research questions form and change in social psychology. This will be encouraged during the lectures, for example by pointing out how theories and concepts have developed through time.


• Enable students to be able to critically evaluate social psychology theory and research. Critical analysis is a key transferable ability that will increase their employability. This ability will be fostered via group discussions and activities in class and during the tutorials. For example, students will be guided to reflect on the potential limitations of the research (including the research they will report in their first assignment).


• Enable students to develop, demonstrate and apply research skills by engaging in a quantitative study. This will also develop their digital capabilities (e.g., using online software for data collection and statistical software to conduct statistical analyses), which are valuable professional skills that enhance their employability.


• Develop and demonstrate their scientific writing, which is a professional skill that will be very relevant for their dissertation as well as any future employment. This will be particularly fostered in the tutorials, through ad-hoc activities in preparation for the first summative assessment.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures


• Tutorials


• Surrey Learn discussion board, weekly guided activities and other materials

All lecture slides, reading lists, and additional learning materials will be uploaded on Surrey Learn.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PSY1019

Other information

In line with Surrey’s Curriculum Framework, the School of Psychology is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the five pillars in the following ways:

Resourcefulness and resilience:

The first summative assessment (Research report) is designed to develop and stretch students’ capabilities. Students are required to take their theoretical and methodological learning throughout the module and apply it to address a research hypothesis, including conducting statistical analyses and writing a research report. The report will comprise an introduction to the theory, a detailed methodology, a results section, and a critical discussion of the results situated in the broader theoretical background including limitations and implications of the findings. Overall this will help develop students’ resourcefulness and resilience.

Global and Cultural Capabilities:

The whole module will build students' understanding of how our cognitions (thought processes), affective states (feelings and emotions) and behaviours are related to the social world. These will include topics related to intergroup dynamics where we will address questions such as how culturally shared stereotypes may fuel prejudice and discrimination towards members of different minority groups (e.g., based on ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender) and what strategies we may use to reduce these negative biases. 

Sustainability:

The topics covered throughout the module will enable students to better understand what could be the social cognitive mechanisms that help maintain, for example, gender and economic inequalities and impede/promote inclusive societies. These are three of the global issues addressed within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by UN Member states in 2015.

Digital Capabilities:

Students are provided with several opportunities to develop their digital abilities. They will learn how to use Surrey Learn to access the course materials. They will also learn how to use search engines to research academic journal articles. They will conduct statistical analysis using statistical software. They are also required to organize and visualize statistical information into a research report using software of their choosing. They will be asked to engage with different online platforms (e.g., PollEverywhere) and materials (e.g., videos) either individually or in groups. Digital methods of data collection (e.g., Implicit Association Test, Qualtrics) are discussed throughout the module where relevant.

Employability:

The learning aims and assessments are designed to develop students’ employability skills. They will have the opportunity to develop and apply several transferable skills, such as statistical skills, problem-solving, reasoning, methodological skills, independence, time management, and critical thinking. Overall, the lectures and tutorials are designed to build their research skills and application of social psychological knowledge to real-world issues, capabilities that will enable them to progress in their academic career and be valuable to employers.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.