Certificate/Diploma in Applied Psychology
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Module 1 - Foundations of Modern Psychology
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What do you understand by the “scientific approach” in psychology? Is there any valid alternative?
Evaluate the use of experimental methods in psychology compared with
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alternative approaches.
‘Quantitative research is so alienating that we are never really studying human beings, only slices or fragments of human beings’. Discuss.
Compare and contrast observational and experimental techniques used by
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developmental psychologists.
What does it mean to be a “behaviourist” or a “cognitive” psychologist?
How far is any one approach able to explain human behaviour?
Outline the basic assumptions of psychodynamic psychology. Compare and 6.
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contrast these with at least one other perspective.
How useful is Freudian psychoanalysis as a theory of personality?
Discuss and evaluate Freud’s view that the study of the unconscious leads to a better understanding of human behaviour.
“The psychoanalytic model of human behaviour explains everything and predicts nothing”. Discuss.
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How do psychologists explain forgetting? What advice might a psychologist give to a student revising for an examination? In your answer refer to relevant psychological theories.
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Describe and evaluate the idea that there are many different types of longterm memory.
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Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory. Compare and contrast it with at least one other model.
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How do psychologists explain forgetting? In your answer refer to and critically analyse relevant psychological research.
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What has psychological research demonstrated about the reliability of eyewitness testimony?
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How important are schemas, stereotypes and social representations to perceptions of other people?
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What recommendations would you make to the headteacher of a secondary school to help reduce prejudice? How would you evaluate the effectiveness of those measures?
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Discuss and evaluate two explanations of the origins of prejudice and/or discrimination.
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What are the main factors that may influence the extent to which an individual would obey authority? Refer to specific socio-psychological studies to support your answer.
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Discuss the ethical issues raised by Milgram’s study of obedience AND
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Zimbardo’s prison study.
Discuss and evaluate the application of behaviour therapy to the treatment of phobias.
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Compare and contrast classical and operant conditioning applying your knowledge to real life situations.
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Discuss the assets and limitations of behaviourism with references to biological relevance and human behaviour.
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Critically evaluate Maslow’s Need Hierarchy.
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Describe and evaluate the features which characterise the humanistic approach in psychology, its goals, methods and underlying assumptions.

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Discuss the contribution of humanistic psychology to our understanding of the person.
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What is self-actualisation and how could it be facilitated in psychotherapy according to Carl Rogers?
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Discuss and evaluate the impact of the main physiological and psychological reactions to stress.
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Critically evaluate the extent to which individual differences modify the effects of stressors.
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Critically evaluate the relationship between stress and physical illness.
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“We are what we are born to be”. Discuss.
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Critically consider the different views regarding the relationship between nature and nurture in psychology.
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Discuss and evaluate some of the implications of the free will versus determinism debate for both psychology and for society.
Describe and analyse how theoretical approaches in psychology have 33.
addressed the free-will determinism issue.
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To what extent is psychology “scientific”?
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“We might ask whether psychology is a science. We might also ask whether all psychologists regard science as an appropriate goal for psychology”.
Discuss the view that psychology is a science.
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What do we mean by “reductionism”? Assess the advantages and
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disadvantages of reductionism in psychology.
Assess the significance of culture in psychology.
Which is preferable: to regard men and women as being psychologically different, or as the same?
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“Some psychological theories are derived from research studies where there were only American male participants but nevertheless the theory is claimed to apply to all human beings.” Discuss the extent to which psychological theories are biased in terms of gender and culture.
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Assess how successful psychologists have been in balancing the needs of the individual against the pursuing for knowledge and understanding in psychology?
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Describe and evaluate the special ethical problems faced by psychologists when carrying out socially sensitive research.
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Is it acceptable or desirable to use non-human animals in psychological research?
Module 2 - Abnormal Psychology
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Discuss the usefulness of the concept of ‘abnormality’ in psychology.
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“Depression is largely caused by social factors’. Discuss.
“‘Schizophrenia is a multi-faceted group of disorders and thus requires multi-faceted approaches to treatment. Discuss.
Discuss some of the applications of behaviour therapy to the treatment of
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anxiety disorders.
“Those who were abused as children are significantly more likely to experience mental health problems in adult life’. Discuss.
“Care in the Community has failed to live up to expectations’. Discuss with
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reference to at least one client group.
“Abnormal behaviour is largely a matter of faulty learning”. Discuss this claim with reference to behaviour therapy.
What is anorexia nervosa? Is there a single adequate explanation of its causes?
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What role, if any, does the social environment play in the causation of childhood autism?

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To what extent do life events play a part in the development of mental illness?
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How far do legal definitions of mental health and disorders address the needs of offenders with mental health problems?
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When is the compulsory treatment of mentally ill people justified?
Module 3 - Psychology at Work
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How successful are psychological accounts of motivation in the workplace?
Discuss the psychological impact of equal opportunities legislation for both employers and employees.
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Assess the contribution of psychological research to the understanding of the effects of unemployment.
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‘Leaders are born, not made’. To what extent is this notion supported by psychological research?
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Discuss the role of the social group in work attitudes and motivation.
Evaluate the theoretical basis for changing the design of the job itself as a way of influencing work attitudes.
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‘I know one when I see one’. Discuss this statement in the context of the employee selection interview.
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Evaluate the use of psychometric testing in employee selection.
‘It won’t happen to me!’ Discuss this statement in the context of risk perception and evaluate the contribution of psychology to risk assessment.
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How can knowledge of learning theories help in the design of training programmes?
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Module 4 - Counselling Psychology
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Compare and contrast TWO models of counselling
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What is meant by ‘person-centred counselling’? Discuss the claim that it is only suitable for the ‘worried well’.
Is it possible to carry out meaningful outcome research in counselling?
What are the necessary qualities of an effective therapist? Discuss with reference to research findings.
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Discuss the claim that low self-esteem lies at the root of most of the problems people bring to counselling.
How might Attribution Theory be of use to the counsellor?
How important is an understanding of diagnosis and classification for the counsellor?

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Discuss the importance of codes of ethics for the counsellor.
Module 7 - Childhood and Adolescence
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Discuss the role of parent-child interaction in language development.
Outline Piaget’s account of cognitive development and discuss his claims in the light of subsequent research.
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Compare and contrast the Piagetian and information processing approach to cognitive development.
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Discuss the main influences on the development of gender role identity.
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Define the concept of ‘gender-role stereotype’ and discuss whether stereotypes influence the development of gender roles among adolescents.
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With reference to research evidence, discuss the importance of pre-natal factors on later development.
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Compare and contrast observational and experimental techniques used by developmental psychologists.
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Outline and critically evaluate one theory of the development of moral thinking in children.
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What is moral judgement? How have psychologists explained its development?
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‘Adolescence is a period of such biological, social and psychological change that stress and conflict is inevitable both for the adolescent and his/her family’. Discuss.
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Many psychologists have emphasised the importance of the early attachment or bonding between mother and child. In this context evaluate the possible effects of the working mother and alternative care facilities.
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Module 8 - The Psychology of the Lifespan
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Critically evaluate any one model of psychological development in adulthood.
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Discuss the evidence for predictable, sequential stages of development during adulthood.
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How convincing is the evidence for a mid-life crisis? Discuss in the context of research findings.
How does ageing affect an individual’s physical and cognitive functioning?
‘Old age promises nothing but decline’. Discuss.
Compare and contrast any two models of the Lifespan.

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Outline and discuss major career stages with reference to the work of
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Discuss psychological research into the effects of any two of the following critical life events on adult development: a.
bereavement b.
parenthood c.
divorce d.
redundancy e.
retirement
Module 9 - Health Psychology
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Discuss how psychological and organic factors might interact in the development of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Discuss the effects of chronic physical illness on the spouse carer and on marital satisfaction.
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Discuss personality as a causal factor in disease and how it might influence the course and outcome of disease.
Outline Lazarus’ Theory of Coping and Adaptation and discuss how this theory might be of use in the study of adaptation to illness such as MS or
AIDS.
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Discuss the main physiological and psychological reactions to stress. Are there any interactions between them?
Module 10 - Environmental Psychology
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Define the concepts ‘crowding’, ‘privacy’, ‘personal space’ and ‘territoriality’.
Discuss how these concepts might inform our understanding of how a person might feel and behave in an open plan office.
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What have environmental theories contributed to our understanding of the link between the physical environment at work, job satisfaction and performance?
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How can the findings of research into persuasive communications contribute to the development of strategies for conserving energy and water?
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Evaluate the contribution that environmental psychology has made to our understanding of stress.
With reference to research discuss the psychological consequences of noisy environments on human behaviour.
Compare and contrast the concepts of personal space and territoriality.

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Module 11 - Sports Psychology
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Why might a team employ a sports psychologist? Support your answer by referring to the psychological literature.
Discuss the relationship between expectation and performance in sport.
Discuss the role of reinforcement and feedback in sporting performance.
Evaluate the role of goal setting in improving sporting performance.
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Evaluate the contribution of psychology to our understanding of the causes and prevention of spectator violence at sporting fixtures.
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What effect do you think paying sports men and women more money will have on their performance? Justify your answer by reference to psychological studies.
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Discuss the relationship between personality, choice of sports and how well a person does at these sports.
Module 12 - The Psychology of Testing: Selection and Assessment
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Are psychometric personality measures in selection here to stay?
Discuss the key issues in psychometric test interpretation that need to be considered when making comparisons between individuals.
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Discuss the similarities and differences between the ways that psychometric principles might be applied to personality and ability measurement.
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What role has factor analysis played in the establishment of theory in intelligence testing?
Evaluate the usefulness of cognitive ability tests in personnel selection.
Why is ‘The Classic Trio’ (application form - interview - letter of reference) not enough for effective selection of employees? In your answer refer to the research literature.
Discuss the role of testing in mental health assessments.
Discuss the role of testing in career guidance.