The Psychology of Individual Differences

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Dr Joanna Farr
• Assessment: a one-hour MCQ assessment (30%) and 1500-word final essay (70%)

In this module we cover topics such as: approaches to personality and intelligence, medical models and the biology of disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, gender differences in psychopathology, and an introduction to systemic, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic approaches to psychopathology.

Indicative syllabus

• Theories of intelligence
• IQ testing and measurements
• Summary of essentialist and constructionist approaches to personality
• Models and treatments of psychopathology, and associated issues (including that of culture)
• Cultural and critical perspective on individual differences
• Evaluating therapeutic interventions

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand principles underlying different approaches to defining and explaining individual differences and psychological disorders
• describe and explain different treatment strategies for psychological disorder
• evaluate the rationale behind different approaches, including considerations of treatment outcome
• understand some of the practical aspects of therapeutic intervention
• understand different approaches to conceptualising individual differences and personality
• understand critical issues in the conceptualisation and measurement of intelligence and personality.