The University of HullHull, HU6 7RX, UK0870 126 2000admissions@hull.ac.uk

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H72

HIGHESTTEACHINGQUALITY OUTSTANDINGSTUDENT EXPERIENCE

SUPERB GRADUATEEMPLOYABILITY INNOVATION

BUILT ON 80YEARS OFEXPERIENCE

The University of Hull

Psychology

Key factsCourse UCAS code Average A

level offerSingle Honours degreesPsychology C800 BSc/Psy BBC

Psychology with other subjectsPsychology with Counselling C8B9 BSc/PsyCou BBCPsychology with Criminology C8M9 BSc/PsyC BBCPsychology with Philosophy C8V5 BSc/PsyPh BBCPsychology with Sociology C8L3 BSc/PsyS BBC

Places available, entry 2008 220

Degree classifications in 20071st 2.1 2.2 3rd21 116 47 1

Departmental complementAcademic staff 29Undergraduates (all courses) 636Postgraduates (full- and part-time) 18Research staff 6Technical/computing staff 3Administrative and secretarial staff 5

EnquiriesEnquiries for all undergraduate degree courses should be directed to the PsychologyAdmissions Secretary (tel 01482 465397).

Admissions tutorsHonours degree in Psychology Yvonne Ablett

Psychology with Counselling Ms Judi Irving

Psychology with … degrees Yvonne Ablett

Psychology at Hull 2

Courses of study 4

Course structure 6

Modules 8

What will I do when I get mydegree? 9

Open day questions 11

Members of staff and theirinterests 12

Contents

Psychology enquiriesDepartment of PsychologyThe University of HullHull, HU6 7RXT 01482 465397 / 465388F 01482 465599

Thinking aboutpsychology

If you are reading this pamphlet it is likely that you havemore than a casual interest in psychology as a possiblesubject to study.You may already have a very clear idea ofwhat psychology is about, perhaps as a result of yourpresent studies, your independent reading or somethingthat you have heard. On the other hand, you may beuncertain about exactly what it is that psychologists do, butthink it might be an interesting subject to study (andsomething different from your present subjects!).Whateverthe reasons for your interest in psychology, the purpose ofthis pamphlet is to give you some idea of what it is thatpsychologists do and, more specifically, what you would doif you studied psychology at Hull. Obviously, if you dodecide that you want to study for a degree in psychologywe hope that you will consider joining us. However, if youdecide to do psychology elsewhere, we hope that youenjoy both your studies and your time as a student.

For more information about the Psychology Departmentand its degree programmes, visit http://psy.hull.ac.uk.

What is psychology?Among the many areas that can be studied at university,psychology has the dubious distinction of being one of themost misunderstood – and most frequently misspelt! –subjects. Most psychologists have, at some time or other,found that their subject was confused with psychiatry,psychoanalysis, philosophy or sociology. Although thesedisciplines have overlaps with the subject matter ofpsychology, there are very important differences thatdistinguish psychology from all other disciplines.

A glance at the topics covered in any introductory textbookon psychology will reveal the breadth of the subject.Thereyou will find sections on such diverse topics as perception,memory, cognition, motivation, personality, statistics, abnormalbehaviour, sleep and dreaming, social psychology, leadership,animal behaviour, intelligence, play, learning, childdevelopment, education, brain mechanisms, artificialintelligence and physiology – to name but a few! Delving alittle further, you could soon find that each of these topicscould be further subdivided, and that entire books weregiven over to separate discussion of apparently very distinctissues. Asking individual psychologists to define their subjectmight result in an equally wide range of impressions.However, underlying these different aspects you wouldalmost certainly find some consistent themes.

• Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour. Primarily, it isthe investigation of what people do and why they do it.

• Psychology uses scientific methodology to investigate andanalyse behaviour. Psychologists try to be detached andobjective in their investigations.

• Psychology involves the application of psychologicalknowledge, understanding and techniques to real-lifesituations.

• Psychology is a subject which combines the developmentof theories about behaviour with the application of thosetheories to gain a better understanding of behaviour.

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The history of psychology at this universitystretches back to 1928, when the Department ofPhilosophy and Psychology was one of thefounding departments of what was then theUniversity College of Hull.When the UniversityCollege received its Royal Charter in 1954, asthe University of Hull, an independent PsychologyDepartment was established. Since then thedepartment has produced a large number ofpsychology graduates, with many currentlyoccupying influential positions in universities andcommercial organisations around the country.

One aim of all our degree courses is to give youthe psychological skills which will enable you togather, analyse and evaluate data about people’sbehaviour and thoughts.The orientation of thePsychology Department has always been one thatemphasises the broad scope of the subject matterof psychology together with its application to real-world situations.

This link between theory and practice is one thatis reflected in the wide range of teaching andresearch specialisms of the staff, who maintainactive contacts with local schools, hospitals,community centres, industries and training centres.

At present we admit around 220 undergraduatestudents each year, and the department has morethan 600 undergraduates currently registered forfirst degrees. In addition, there are about 20 activepostgraduate students (both part- and full-time),three technicians, and a number of specialisedclinical degree tutors working in an honorary

capacity and sharing the teaching of those studentsregistered for the Clinical Psychology doctorate(ClinPsyD).

Facilities for students include seminar rooms,computer suites, experimental laboratories, acomprehensive test library, computer facilitieswithin the department linked to the University’snetwork and a coffee area shared by both staffand students.The department has a new purpose-built suite of laboratories, including apsychophysiology lab and a video observationsuite.

The Psychology Department obtained an officialrating of ‘excellent’ for its teaching in the 1999Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education(QAA) Subject Review.The review team awardedthe department 23 out of a possible 24 points.Toread the full report of the review visitwww.qaa.ac.uk, click on ‘Reviews & reports’ andselect by subject or institution.

We have always emphasised the importance ofgood staff–student relations, and a staff–studentcommittee meets regularly to raise and to discussmatters of common concern about the course,examinations, etc, and to make specific requestsand recommendations. In addition to thestaff–student committee, a student-run PsychologySociety organises meetings and social events opento all members of the department.

Psychology at Hull

Psychology

Psychology

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AdmissionsThe minimum entry requirement is normally threepasses at A level (or equivalent) with good averagegrades. Although all our students are registered forBSc degrees, both arts and science A level subjectsare equally acceptable – about half our studentshave arts, and half science, backgrounds. Inaddition, we will consider AS level subjects incombination with A levels. Mathematics at GCSElevel, grade C or above, is essential.

However, we encourage applications from peopleof all backgrounds. Applicants are considered onthe basis of academic qualifications at Level 3 (Alevel or equivalent – see above). If you requireguidance on your particular qualifications, pleaseget in touch with us.

All applicants receiving an offer are invited toattend one of several open days, organisedbetween December and March.These provide anopportunity to look around the University anddepartment and to discuss the course withstudents and staff.

Teaching and assessmentTeaching ranges from traditional whole-classlectures and small-group tutorials to new onlineworkshops with self-study and self-test options. Forthe most part, lectures provide the framework fordegree courses, supplemented and augmented bysmall-group teaching.

In the first two years, part of our teaching ofexperimental psychology takes place in small-groupsettings. In Year 3, Special Options consist of amixture of seminar and small-group work.

Practical classes are important not just for teachingexperimental psychology but also for facilitatingcontact between staff and students. Much practicalwork takes place in small groups which investigatea wide range of topics with staff supervision. Aswell as giving you the opportunity to investigate arange of psychological questions, small-group workencourages the development of teamwork andgroup learning – valuable skills when you leaveuniversity. Practical work takes place throughoutyour study programme.

Assessment is carried out by a combination ofexaminations and assessed project work. Inaddition to conventional examinations, a numberof modules are examined by submitted essays,practical reports, dissertation and final-yearresearch project.

Since it can take some time to settle down touniversity life,Year 1 examinations count only 10%towards your final degree class. However, this doesnot mean that they are not important! You mustpass the assessments in order to progress into Year2. As you would expect, the assessments in Years 2and 3 count more heavily towards your finalclassification, with Year 2 examinations weighted at40% andYear 3 at 50%.

What degree classes do our studentsobtain?Honours degrees are classified, reflecting thestandard of performance, as First Class (1st),Upper Second Class (2.1), Lower Second Class(2.2) or Third Class (3rd).The UK Governmentdefines a ‘good degree’ as a 2.2 or above. In 2007,95% of our students graduated with a 2.2 orabove, including over 71% at 2.1 or above. In 200711% of our students graduated with a 1st.

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Questions thatpsychologists ask

• What effect does divorcehave on the children in afamily?

• Why do people formgroups?

• Why are some peopleattracted to each other?

• Why do we forgetcertain things?

• In what ways can wereduce prejudice insociety?

• What happens to aperson’s behaviour if partof the brain is damaged?

• Why do some peopledevelop eating disorders?

• Why are some thingseasy to remember andothers difficult?

• What are thepsychological effects ofdrinking alcohol?

• Why do some athletes‘freeze’ in competition?

• How do babies learn torecognise those aroundthem?

• Why do some peoplecontinue to drive too fastin fog?

• What are the effects ofstress on performance?

• How can we cure a fearof flying?

• What is meant by‘intelligence’ and how canit be measured?

• How can we designbetter environments forpeople to work and livein?

• What psychologicalchanges take place as weget older?

• How can we helpdisabled individuals tocope with the worldaround them?

• How can people learn todeal with stress?

• How is informationstored in the brain?

• Can people still makegood decisions afterworking long hours?

• What skills dointernational athletespossess that ordinaryathletes do not have?

• How do animalsremember where theyhave stored their food inwinter?

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Psychology is a multi-faceted and rapidlydeveloping science.We have therefore designedour degree programmes to give due prominenceto changes which occur within the subject, aswell as to all its various aspects. In addition, wehave developed a degree structure that allowssome flexibility so that you can modify yourcourse to suit your needs and interests.

This has been achieved by means ofmodularisation.The course is hierarchicallyorganised into modules of roughly equivalentweight.These modules are further organised intolevels, arranged so that in the first year you receivea broad introduction to the subject matter ofpsychology.You then take modules in each of theareas of psychology that we regard as fundamentaland essential for all psychologists. In subsequentyears, the modules become more specialised oradvanced, and during Year 3 there is increasingopportunity for you to take courses which reflectyour own interests in particular areas ofpsychology, although certain key elements arecompulsory for all students.What this means isthat all our students are given a thoroughgrounding in the ‘core’ elements of psychology, butare also given the opportunity to ‘tune’ theirdegree to suit individual needs and interests.

We currently offer five undergraduate Honoursdegree courses (all three-year courses):

• Psychology• Psychology with Counselling• Psychology with Criminology(in cooperation with the Department of SocialSciences)

• Psychology with Philosophy(in cooperation with the Department ofPhilosophy)

• Psychology with Sociology(in cooperation with the Department of SocialSciences)

All our degree courses are accredited by theBritish Psychological Society (BPS).They are alsodesigned to provide the Graduate Basis forRegistration of the BPS, which is an essentialprerequisite for qualification as a CharteredPsychologist (for further information see page 10).

Courses of study

Psychology

Psychology

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PsychologyMost of our students are registered for this three-year degree. Although all students are registeredfor a BSc, approximately half our students havearts and half science backgrounds.This programmecovers all the major areas of modern psychology,but is flexible enough to allow specialisation inparticular aspects of psychology during the finalyear of study.

Clinical Psychology and the Doctorate inClinical Psychology (ClinPsyD)Our integrated BSc Psychology / ClinPsyDprofessional training programme is unique in thecountry. Selection for this occurs at the end of thesecond year, and is open to all our students ondegree courses which give the Graduate Basis forRegistration with the BPS. Students who areselected for entry to the integrated BSc/ClinPsyDtake specialist clinical options in Year 3, and then goon to postgraduate training in clinical psychology.The National Health Service financially supportstrainees on the ClinPsyD, for which there arecurrently 12 funded places per year.

Psychology with CounsellingThe BSc in Psychology with Counselling is aninnovative course which meets the requirementsof the BPS for Graduate Registration and providestraining in the theory and practice of counselling.Successful completion of the course usuallyqualifies you for entry to diploma-levelprogrammes in counselling and enhances yourknowledge and skills for professions in which theuse of counselling and/or counselling skills isrequired. In the first two years this course is similarin structure to our other degree courses, althoughyou take a total of 40 credits of counsellingmodules over the first two years (20 in Year 1 and20 in Year 2). In the final year, you are required totake the equivalent of 60 credits of counsellingmodules.

Honours degrees in psychology with othersubjectsPsychology can also be combined in double-subject BSc courses with philosophy, sociology orcriminology.These courses last for three years, andstudents spend approximately 70% of their studytime on psychology components and 30%(equating to five modules in all) on their othersubject.The psychology components cover thecore elements of the Single Honours course,making graduates eligible for employment in anyfield of psychology after appropriate training.

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In summary, our Bachelorsdegree programmes aredesigned to accomplish anumber of aims:

1 to give a thoroughgrounding in modernpsychology

2 to consider theimplications ofpsychology for everydaylife

3 to allow flexibility ofchoice in selection oftopics within psychology

Our courses are oftenupdated and adaptedbetween the time of writingand publication. If you wouldlike up-to-date informationon the department pleasecontact us for furtherinformation or see ourwebsite athttp://psy.hull.ac.uk.

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Our orientation is towards the teaching ofpsychology as a subject that has relevance forunderstanding behaviour in a wide range ofsituations. In order to accomplish this, it isimportant that you are exposed to the widevariety of approaches used by psychologists,together with the techniques and methodologieswhich make the scientific study of behaviourpossible.

In general, the first two years of all degree coursesare largely devoted to fundamental methods,theories and knowledge in the subject. Insubsequent years, you move on to more advancedstudy and have the chance to gain detailedknowledge in subject areas of your choice or inareas specific to your chosen degree course.

All our degrees have a modular structure, with sixmodules for each year of the whole course. Eachmodule is taught and assessed in a semester, andeach module has a credit weighting of 20 or 40.You are required to take modules to the value of120 credits for each year of study.The successiveyears or ‘levels’ build on the knowledge andunderstanding of previous related modules.

An important feature of our Psychology course isthat it has been designed to encourage flexibility.This means flexibility for us to introduce newmodules as developments in the subject occur andfor you to be given a degree of choice in yourselection of modules. So, for example, you have theopportunity to opt out of a limited number ofpsychology modules and to make up your requirednumber by taking modules offered by otherdepartments (see the inner back cover). Obviously,however, the majority of your modules will be inpsychology, and over 80% of our students selectoptions within psychology.

The general framework of our modular course isillustrated in the following table.

Course structure

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YEAR 1

Semester 1• Design, Execution & Analysisof Research 1 (DEAR 1) –includes practical classes

• Theory & Exploration inPsychology 1

• The Psychology of Learning &Working

• Free Elective – an internal orexternal module selectedfrom a list of courses offeredby Psychology and otherdepartments

Semester 2• Design, Execution & Analysisof Research 2 (DEAR 2) –includes practical classes

• Theory & Exploration inPsychology 2

• The Psychology of Learning &Working (continued)

• Free Elective – an internal orexternal module selectedfrom a list of courses offeredby Psychology and otherdepartments

YEAR 2

Semester 3• Design, Execution & Analysisof Research 3 (DEAR 3) –includes practical researchproject

• Biological Psychology,Personality and IndividualDifferences

• Learning and Cognition• Free Elective – an internal orexternal module selectedfrom a list of courses offeredby Psychology and otherdepartments

Semester 4• Design, Execution & Analysisof Research 4 (DEAR 4) –includes practical researchproject

• Social & DevelopmentalPsychology

• Learning and Cognition(continued)

• Free Elective – an internal orexternal module selectedfrom a list of courses offeredby Psychology and otherdepartments

YEAR 3

Semester 5• Advanced Course Option –selected from a list of subjectareas within psychology; alecture/seminar-based course

• Advanced or Special Option– selected from a list withinpsychology

• Special Option – selectedfrom a list of specialist topicswithin psychology

• Research Project

Semester 6• Advanced Course Option –selected from a list of subjectareas within psychology; alecture/seminar-based course

• Advanced or Special Option– selected from a list withinpsychology

• Special Option – selectedfrom a list of specialist topicswithin psychology

• Research Project (continued)

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The range of learning experiences includeslectures, small-group work, workshops, practicals,one-on-one and e-learning.The programme isdesigned to begin with breadth, moving on tobreadth with depth in the second year, andculminating in focused deep study in the finalyear.

Year 1 modulesDesign, Execution and Analysis of Research(DEAR) 1 & 2 are designed to help you developthe skills necessary to be able to pose meaningfulquestions about behaviour and to design ways ofanswering those questions in an objective andscientific manner.

Theory and Exploration in Psychology1 & 2 explore the six core areas of psychology:biological psychology; developmental psychology;the psychology of thinking and language;perception, learning and memory; socialpsychology; and the psychology of personality andintelligence.You will study the theoreticalfoundations of each while dipping into interestingexamples of research and applications.

The Psychology of Learning andWorkingis designed to develop your understanding as apsychologist as well as your learning andcommunication skills. Skills developed here arevalued by many employers and contribute to thefoundation of your lifelong development.

Together these Year 1 modules represent anintroduction to the nature of psychology. Inaddition you can select one module from a rangeof subjects offered both internally and by otherdepartments.

Year 2 modulesDesign, Execution and Analysis of Research(DEAR) 3 & 4 develop research skills at a higherlevel, with consideration of more advancedstatistical methods and the execution of researchprojects in supervised student groups.The aim isto give you first-hand experience in the techniquesand methodologies of experimental psychology,together with experience in collecting andanalysing data as well as the preparation of clearand concise reports.

Biological Psychology, Personality andIndividual Differences investigates biologicaland physiological bases of behaviour in humansand animals. It also explores individual differences,considering research and theories in personalityand intelligence and addressing issues relating tomeasurement of those differences.

Social and Developmental Psychologystudies the biological, cognitive and socialdevelopment of the individual, how children andadults interact with others on a one-to-one andgroup basis, and how social factors influencebehaviour.

Learning and Cognition explores the scientificanalysis of human mental behaviour – how weperceive, organise and recall information, the waywe process information, and the development andpsychological processes underlying language.

Together these Year 2 modules represent afoundation of knowledge in each of the core areasof psychology and a further exploration of thenature of psychology. In addition to these youselect one module from a range of subjectsoffered both internally and by other departments.

Year 3 modulesThe third year of the programme is designed togive you a wide choice, so that you can tailor yourstudies to suit your interests and needs.

Research Project covers both semesters andusually addresses a topic that you have chosen incollaboration with an individual supervisor.You firstexplore the relevant literature in the topic area,before proposing testable hypotheses, thendesigning and carrying out the study. Finally, youanalyse your data and write a report in a clear,precise and scientific way. In recent years, severalthird-year research projects have subsequentlybeen published in scientific journals.

Advanced Course Options are intended tobreak topic boundaries, often in an appliedcontext.They are flexible in format, using lectures,seminars and a variety of learning and teachingtechniques. Options offered in the last yearincluded Educational Psychology, Psychology andWork, Psychology and Health, and ForensicPsychology.

Special Options are offered by individualmembers of staff and usually relate to their ownspecific research interests.They are normallystudied in tutorials and seminars and offer anopportunity to examine a research field inconsiderable detail.These are the options offeredin the last year (they may change by your thirdyear): Cognition and Emotion; Reading andMemory Development; Professional Issues inTesting; Neuropsychology/Neuropsychiatry;Psychology of Deception; Psychology ofRelationships; Memory Improvement; Sport andExercise III; Psychological Aspects of ReproductiveHealth; Cognitive Neuroscience; Gender and SocialPsychology; Advanced Topics in Cognitive Science;Neuropsychology of Ageing and Dementia.

Modules

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Careers for psychology graduatesThe possession of a degree in psychology (class2.2 or above) entitles you to GraduateMembership of the British Psychological Society(BPS), and our degrees also give you GraduateBasis for Registration as a Chartered Psychologist.

In terms of graduate employability, psychologycompares well with other subject areas.

Each year some of our graduates enter careers forwhich their first degree is the foundation of aprofessional qualification validated by the BPS.These careers include clinical psychology,educational psychology, sports psychology, forensicpsychology, and occupational and industrialpsychology.

However, many of our graduates also enter careersfor which the main requirement is any Honoursdegree. In recent years, these have been as diverseas accounting, banking, broadcasting, social work,computer programming, teaching, civil service,police work, management consultancy and training,market research and personnel management. Ingeneral, a degree in psychology is not just anexcellent preparation for a career that requirespsychological expertise, but also a good basis for awide range of interesting and rewarding careers.

By virtue of the emphasis that we give to thedevelopment of analytical and critical thinking, ourstudents develop their communicative andinformation management skills – abilities which arevalued by a wide cross-section of employers.

In addition, each year a number of our graduatesgo on to advance their studies in psychology bytaking higher degrees at both Masters and PhDlevels at this university and at other universities inthe United Kingdom and abroad.

Further information on the careers open topsychologists can be found in the booklet CareerChoices in Psychology: A Guide to GraduateOpportunities, available from the BritishPsychological Society, St Andrew’s House, 48Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7DR, fromwhom a Careers Pack can also be obtained. Orvisit the BPS website: www.bps.org.uk.

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My time at Hull so farhas been thoroughlyenjoyable. I have meta great variety ofpeople, not onlythrough thePsychologyDepartment butthrough University lifeas well.The staff inPsychology have beenvery supportive and,considering that I hadnot studiedpsychology before,have made the subjectvery accessible andfascinating. I wouldstrongly recommendcoming to Hull tostudy psychology: youwill be given theopportunity to gainknowledge in manyareas, in anencouraging andinspiring environment.

Richard NakielnyBSc Psychology,Year 3

What will I do when I get mydegree?

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What is a Chartered Psychologist?At several points we have referred to CharteredPsychologists, and you may have wondered whatthis meant. Although psychology has existed as adiscipline for around a hundred years, it is only inthe last 25 that significant numbers of people –apart from researchers – have made their careersin psychology. Considerable growth has occurredin applied psychology and in specialist areas suchas clinical, occupational, educational andcriminological psychology.

As more psychologists came into contact with thepublic, proper regulation was required.The BritishPsychological Society’s Royal Charter was modifiedin 1987 to set up a register of CharteredPsychologists, with disciplinary procedures andstrict entry requirements. Becoming a CharteredPsychologist has two stages. First, Graduate Basisfor Registration (GBR) is required. For mostpeople, this will be a degree approved by the BPSfor this purpose.The second stage is workexperience and (usually) further training for a totalof three or more years.

The main specialisms have well-established trainingschemes, but it is possible in principle to gain fullChartered status in any area of psychology. Anyoneconsidering psychology as a career must make surethat the degree they take provides Graduate Basisfor Registration. But that is not necessarily thesame as a degree which gives GraduateMembership of the BPS. A degree giving GraduateMembership allows a person to join the societyand take part in its activities; but unless it also gives

GBR, it does not provide a broad enoughgrounding in all of psychology to form the start ofa professional training programme. Of course, alldegrees giving GBR automatically give GraduateMembership.

As the concept of Chartered Psychologistsbecomes more familiar then, as with CharteredEngineers or Chartered Accountants, moreorganisations will demand Chartered status as acondition of employment and more clients willdemand it of the psychologists with whomthey deal.

All our current degree programmes provide theGraduate Basis for Registration.This is aprerequisite for qualification as a CharteredPsychologist and is essential if you wish to becomea professional psychologist.

Research opportunities in thedepartmentThere are good opportunities for research in thedepartment, which has always maintained closelinks between its research activities and its teachingprogramme. Over the last few years, more than ahundred papers have been published or presentedat conferences by members of the department.These have covered the wide range of expertiseof staff members and include papers on motorcontrol, stuttering, alcohol and drug abuse,smoking, sex roles, human development,information systems, computer-based assessment,stress during pregnancy, health in the home,dyslexia, design of educational software, consumerbehaviour, special educational needs, phobias,bullying, exercise psychology, and the effect ofrearing conditions on the behaviour of farmanimals.

Staff have commitments to a wide range ofactivities in many areas of psychology, withspecialism in three main areas of interlinkedresearch: the psychology of health and well-being;applied cognition and development; and humanassessment and performance.

Enquiries about research should be addressed to

Dr Paul WilsonGraduate Study OfficerDepartment of PsychologyThe University of HullHull, HU6 7RX

Psychology

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The open day is very much an opportunity foryou to assess us (not the other way round), andas part of that process we encourage you to askquestions about anything which concerns orinterests you.The following were among thequestions most commonly asked at last year’sopen days.

Is there any difference in the course takendepending on whether you have arts orscience A levels?No. Once you’ve selected a course, the materialcovered is the same irrespective of your entryqualifications, and there doesn’t seem to be anyindication that certain combinations lead to betterdegree results than any others.

Why do you ask for GCSE Maths?As a student of psychology, you have to benumerate to analyse data and to report yourfindings in a clear and comprehensible manner.

Maths isn’t my strong point, so will this putme at a disadvantage in doing statistics?It shouldn’t. Statistics is important because we usestatistical tools to analyse data. However, all ourstudents are given a good grounding in statistics,backed up by an electronic programme thatenables you to learn at your own pace, wheneverand wherever you choose. Anyone with theequivalent of GCSE Maths (grade C or above)should be able to cope.

Will I have to carry out experiments onanimals as part of my course?No.We have neither animal experimentation inthe department nor plans for any. Animal workreferred to in lectures deals mainly with thebehaviour of animals in their natural habitats,although some lectures may also refer tolaboratory-based studies.

You ask for quite high A level grades. Dothose with the best A levels end up withthe best degrees?Not necessarily. Obviously, you have to have acertain level of intellectual ability to do any degree,but once you have that, motivation and interestbecome more important.

If A level grades do not necessarily predictdegree performance, why do you use themas a guide?Wouldn’t it be better tointerview people?A levels may not be a foolproof method but theydo give an indication of an individual’s current levelof achievement, and probably say something abouttheir ability to motivate themselves.We try toavoid interviewing candidates, because interviewsare stressful and not, in general, good predictors ofdegree performance.

What happens if I don’t obtain therequired grades?That depends on what other applicants do. Ouroffers are based on the previous year’s experienceand A level performance generally. If A level gradesare lower than expected, a number of people maynot have achieved the target grades and we canadjust our grades to admit the required number ofstudents. If you don’t get the grades you hope for,contact us to find out what the admissionssituation is.

What do you think makes a goodpsychologist?Intellectual ability is obviously important, but so isopen-mindedness. Many issues and theories inpsychology are potentially controversial. It helps ifyou can take a dispassionate view of controversialtopics, assessing the objective evidence andderiving your conclusions from it. One of the skillswe encourage is that of gathering and evaluatingevidence in an objective and scientific manner.

Do all psychology graduates go intopsychology-related careers?No. Although many of our graduates do go intoareas for which a psychology degree is essential,most of them enter careers for which no oneparticular subject is specified (see page 9). Around40% of employers don’t ask for a particular degreesubject.They are looking for graduates of anydiscipline who are intelligent and competent.Whatpsychology offers is the additional skill of beingable to investigate human and social problems.

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Open day questions

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Please check our website for more detailed and up-to-dateinformation: http://psy.hull.ac.uk.

Dr Nick Barraclough Visual and cognitive neuroscience;multisensory integration; mirror neuron system; face, action andmotion perception

Dr Peter Clough Health psychology; sport and exercise psychology;psychological factors in injury prevention and recovery

Dr Martin Crawshaw Cognitive ergonomics; training; perception;human skills; human–machine interaction; design of domestic systemcontrols

Dr Simon Davies Cognitive science; cognitive and computationalmodelling of higher-order cognition

Dr Fiona Earle Psychometric test development; stress and fatigue,including impact on work performance and well-being; mental andphysical workload

Dr Chiara Guerrini Behavioural, neuropsychological and cognitiveneuroscience of executive functions; spatial and temporal attention;memory; related methodologies

Dr Joanna Horne Computerised educational assessment;assessment of dyslexia in children and adults; gender differences inliteracy skills; assessment of dyslexia within the hearing-impairedpopulation

Dr Johan Hulleman Visual perception and attention; perception offigure and ground; object and shape perception; visual search; object-based and space-based attention; methodology

Judi Irving Theories and models of counselling; concepts of the self;human communication

Dr Tjeerd Jellema Cognitive neuroscience; perception and socialcognition; autism

Professor Rhona Johnson Reading disorders – word recognitionand memory problems; reading and memory development; methodsof teaching reading

Prof Irving Kirsch Suggestion and suggestibility; placebo effects;antidepressants; hypnosis; pain perception

Ms Honey Langcaster-James Psychology of fame and celebrity;group interaction and relationships, decision making and behaviour atwork; adult attachment theories

Dr Mary-Ellen Large Visual and cognitive neuroscience; fMRI andERP; object and face recognition; perception and categorisation

Dr Michal Lavidor Hemispheric differences in language processing;visual word recognition and orthographic processing; corticalrepresentation of centrally presented targets; transcranial magneticstimulation (TMS), especially as applied in language studies

Dr Chang Hong Liu Face recognition; stereopsis; linear perspective;child development in spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity;additivity of effects in perception; symbolic forms and metaphor;conceptual issues in psychology

Prof Giuliana Mazzoni Memory; eyewitness memory;autobiographical memory; false memories; inhibitory processes inmemory; effects of suggestion

Dr Adam Nicholls Sport psychology; stressors, coping and copingeffectiveness among elite golfers and rugby union players

Dr Anna Pecchinenda Individual behaviours and physiologicalresponses to emotion; cognitive processes and their role in humanemotions; appraisal processes

Dr Anna Sandfield Relationships and dissolution; gender; sexualities;qualitative methods

Dr Martin Sheridan Perceptual-motor skills; neuropsychology –dysfunctional movement; Parkinson’s disease, stroke, rehabilitation;social psychology – deception

Dr Igor Schindler Visual perception, visuomotor control and spatialattention in the normal and damaged brain; action-relatedcoordinate transformation and multisensory integration;rehabilitation of spatial neglect; transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) application in perception and motor control studies

Dr Chris Singleton Educational psychology; dyslexia and readingfailure; use of computers in the diagnosis and remediation of dyslexiaand learning problems

Dr Paul Skarratt Visual and cognitive neuroscience; attention andperception

Dr David Smith Auditory perception focusing on non-linguisticinformation embedded in speech, i.e. acoustic cues to physical size ofa speaker; visual depth; spatial and motion perception

Dr Helen St Clair-Thompson Working memory and children’sscholastic attainment; cognitive resources underlying workingmemory task performance; how task administration affectsperformance

Dr Jason Tipples Emotion, visual spatial attention and socialcognition, including human abilities to selectively process certainaspects of the face, such as expression; identity; transcranial magneticstimulation (TMS)

Professor AnnalenaVenneri Clinical and cognitive neuropsychology;ageing and dementia; delusional disorders; functional neuroimaging;pharmacoimaging

Dr PaulWilson Spatial learning and impairment; human causallearning; categorisation and attention

Members of staff and their teaching andresearch interests

Psychology

What sort of subjects can I take?You can take almost any free electivemodule from outside your main course ofstudy, usually at your home campus.You caneven take a module from another faculty.The catalogue of free electives mightinclude

In Year 1• Anthropological Perspectives• What is Europe?• History through Film• History ofWestern Thought• Introduction to Medieval Culture• Studying Politics• Human Physiology• Field Studies in Marine Biology• Computers and Applications• Space Science: Fact and Fiction

• Sport and Society• Introduction to Business Management

In Year 2• Economics of the Environment• Europe atWar with Itself• EuropeanWomen’s History: Medieval toModern

• Indian Society and the Rise and Fall ofBritish Dominion

• Screening Europe’s Past• Women and Politics• Animal Behaviour• Mathematics, Science and Society• Management in Practice• Politics and Government ofWesternEurope

• Science and Society

What are the main reasons forparticipating?• The scheme gives you the opportunityto study a subject without having tocommit yourself to taking furthermodules in that subject area.

• By taking a free elective you are able tofollow up your interests as part of yourdegree.

• With a broader education you mayacquire extra skills that will help youwhen you enter the employment market.

SEMESTER 2

20 credits

20 credits

20credits

20 credits

20 credits

SEMESTER 1

Here you take modules fromyour main course of study.

Here you have the option to takea free elective or another modulefrom your main courseof study.

20credits

Admissions policyAdmissions information provided in thispamphlet is intended as a general guide andcannot cover all possibilities. Entryrequirements are generally stated in terms ofA level grades and/or UCAS points, but weencourage applications from people with awide range of other qualifications and/orexperience. Some further details of the variousentry routes are included in our generalprospectus. Please contact the AdmissionsOffice (see below) with any specific queriesabout admissions.

DisclaimerThis pamphlet is intended principally as a guidefor applicants.The matters covered by it –academic and otherwise – are subject tochange from time to time both before andafter students are admitted.While everyreasonable precaution was taken in theproduction of this pamphlet, the Universitydoes not accept liability for any inaccuracies orchanges. Information relating to studyprogrammes is issued for the general guidanceof students entering the University and doesnot form part of any contract.The Universityhopes to provide the courses and facilitiesdescribed, but reserves the right to withdrawor to make alterations to courses and facilitiesif necessary.

AddressFor general enquiries, please write to

Admissions OfficeThe University of HullHull, HU6 7RX, UKT 01482 466100F 01482 442290E admissions@hull.ac.uk

Dates of semestersFor the current semester dates pleasevisit our website at www.hull.ac.uk.

Studying for a degree at Hull is a unique experience.We aim toprovide you with an education that offers both depth andbreadth of knowledge.To meet these ends the University hasdeveloped an optional Free Elective Scheme.This scheme enablesthe majority of undergraduate students to take one module ayear from outside their main course of study.

So, how does it work?Each year you take 120 credits’ worth of modules.

Free Elective Scheme