Psychology 1A introduces students to core concepts in biological and cognitive psychology, with a strong emphasis on research methods and reproducible science. Students will explore how psychological knowledge is generated, debated, and applied, while gaining practical skills in R programming for data visualisation. This course provides foundational training for those intending to continue in psychology and equips all students with analytical, collaborative, and communication skills valuable across disciplines

One-hour lectures weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. One hour laboratories every week throughout term.

None

Coursework (60%) AND Degree Exam (40%). The degree exam will last 1 hour and take place at the completion of the course in December.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

It is not possible to provide reassessment opportunities for components that require participation in a lab and groupwork such as a group project. In such cases, where there is accepted good cause, the assessment would be set aside. 

This course aims to introduce students to foundational psychological theories and methods across biological and cognitive psychology, and to cultivate essential skills for engaging with psychological research. It supports students in developing core competencies in scientific thinking, research ethics, and introductory data literacy, including data wrangling and visualisation using R. Emphasis is placed on collaborative learning, critical thinking, and developing habits for independent study and self-regulation in preparation for future academic work in psychology.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Discuss key psychological theories and research findings across biological psychology, cognitive psychology, and research methods within a British Psychological Society accredited curriculum.

■ Discuss the methodological bases for psychological research.

■ Discuss historical and contemporary debates in psychology, including ethical, epistemological, and conceptual challenges.

■ Apply data wrangling and visualisation techniques to large psychological datasets using the programming language R.

■ Effectively use appropriate academic platforms and tools to identify and evaluate sources of psychological evidence.

■ Critically evaluate psychological theories and arguments in structured academic writing, using appropriate referencing and evidence-based reasoning

■ Demonstrate knowledge and applied understanding of psychological theories and research findings in a multiple-choice examination 

• Collaborate effectively within a team to apply theoretical knowledge and practical research skills to psychological problem-solving tasks.

•Develop and apply effective time management and self-regulation strategies to balance independent study, coursework deadlines, and collaborative work in a research-driven learning environment

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.