2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PSYC3540 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Psychology

15 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr Martin Farrell
Email: M.J.Farrell@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successful completion of all pass for progression modules in Level 2 of: BSc Psychology or MPsyc, BSc Advanced Psychology, BA Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought (and its International and Industrial variants) or BSc Psychology with Education (and its International and Industrial variants)

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The module focuses on two main areas. Firstly, it will consider the historical development of psychology and the conceptual issues that underlie it. In particular, the unit will deal with the philosophical conceptions that underlie our view of the mind and the human subject and how these have changed over time. Secondly, the module will focus on questions of method, particularly with reference to scientific method. It will consider how science develops over time, the extent to which one can define scientific method, and the extent to which psychology exemplifies the characteristics of scientific method.

Objectives

To provide a comprehensive introduction to major themes in the history of psychology.
To illustrate how psychological concepts change through history.
To provide an introduction to the philosophy of science and show how it relates to psychology.
To demonstrate the way in which different approaches in psychology rest on different philosophical presuppositions about the nature of the mind.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Understand the historical development of psychology;
- Critically evaluate the philosophical presuppositions that underlie different approaches to psychology;
- Understand the major schools of thought in the philosophy of science and the different ways in which they think about scientific method;
- Understand how different approaches to psychology differ in their conception of science.

Skills outcomes
Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in the selection and evaluation of material related to the history and philosophy of psychology. They will gain experience in appraising major approaches to psychology in terms of their historical antecedents and the philosophical presuppositions concerning the nature of mind and science on which they are built.

Syllabus

Lecture list
1. Introduction to the philosophy of science
2. Experience and the construction of mind
3. The irrational mind: from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche to Freud
4. Psychophysics and the relationship between mind and body
5. Introspection and the experimental psychologies of Wundt and Titchener
6. Against atomism: Gestalt psychology
7. The pragmatic approach to mind: James and Dewey
8. Behaviourism and the cognitive revolution

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	8	2.00	16.00
Seminar	1	1.00	1.00
Private study hours			133.00
Total Contact hours			17.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Reading for each lecture: 8 x 5 hours: 40 hours
Completion of concept maps: 11 hours
Exam preparation: 40 hours
Independent reading and study: 42 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative assessment will be provided by tasks in which students are asked to complete partially completed concept maps illustrating the interconnections between ideas discussed in the module.

Concept maps provide a good way in which students can gauge their understanding of how ideas fit together. At least two partially completed concept maps will be provided for each lecture and so a greater scope will be covered than was the case with the mini-essay.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Completion of Concept Maps	0.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		0.00

The formative assessment will be provided by tasks in which students are asked to complete partially completed concept maps illustrating the interconnections between ideas discussed in the module. Concept maps provide a good way in which students can gauge their understanding of how ideas fit together. At least two partially completed concept maps will be provided for each lecture and so a greater scope will be covered than was the case with the mini-essay.

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	2 hr 00 mins	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:19:53

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