Module manager: Dr Russell Hutter
Email: R.R.C.Hutter@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
Successful completion of Level 1 of relevant programmes listed above.
| PSYC1634 | Social and Health Psychology |
PSYC2504 Advanced Social Psychology
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module will introduce students to advanced topics, methods and research applications in the field of social psychology. We explore a range of issues to show the ways psychologists are trying to understand complexities in social behaviour, cognition, motivation, feelings and attitudes, and apply these in practice. Each week will be dedicated to a specific context (e.g., culture, sport, workplace, education) and the lectures will build upon foundational theory covered in Social Psychology at Level 1 to develop students’ understanding of how social psychology can be applied. This module will involve lectures, which will cover key theory and content, and dedicated interactive seminar group sessions which will apply this content to real-world settings and develop coursework and exam assessment skills.
This module aims to:
- Provide an in-depth exploration of classic and recent theories and research in social psychology
- Build upon foundation theory taught in Level 1 Social Psychology and develop students’ understanding of how this content can be applied across different contexts
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge across a range of topics within social psychology
2. Demonstrate in-depth conceptual knowledge within individual differences, as it relates to social psychology
3. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the practical application of social psychology theory
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
4. Critical thinking: Critically evaluate practical, theoretical, and ethical issues associated with a range of social psychological research methodologies and approaches
5. Future thinking: Apply, with evidence, in-depth social psychological theory to address real-world issues
6. Communication: Synthesize and communicate social psychology theories for non-specialist audiences
Topics will include:
1. Overview and research issues in social psychology
2. Attitudes & behaviour change & interventions 1
3. Attitudes & behaviour change & interventions 2
4. Aggression in the 21st Century
5. Leadership traits & groups
6. Individual differences in social behaviour
7. Social psychology in sport and health contexts
8. Cross-cultural social psychology 1
9. Cross-cultural social psychology 2
10. Applying social psychology in education
11. Social psychological approaches to conspiracy theories and 'culture wars'
12. Communication and language 1
13. Communication and language 2
14. Respect, liking, & trust
15. Revision session
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| Seminars | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Formative feedback will be provided via dedicated workshops. Students will be set short assessment-relevant tasks and will receive hands on staff support and feedback on the outputs of these. Seminar leaders will feedback on these tasks in the workshops. The workshops will map on to the skills LOs, ensuring that assessed LO’s has space dedicated in a workshop across the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Technical Report | 25 |
| Assignment | (Formative) Non-specialist communication tasks in-class to support technical report | 0 |
| In-course Assessment | (Formative) In-class exam questions | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 25 | |
Students will write a technical report using social psychological theory, based on lectures and workshops, in helping a non-specialist audience solve a problem. Students will choose between three problems for non-specialist audiences: A Local Education Authority (LEA), policing, and a private business. LEA: aiming to improve physical activity in key stage 4 (years 10 and 11, with pupils aged 14 to 16). Policing: reducing crime and improving police community relations in crime hotspots. Business: leadership styles and group cohesion aimed at improving productivity in a medium sized business with limited Human Resources (HR) means. Students are required to pass both the examination and coursework components of the module, by achieving a pass mark of 40% or more for the examination and a coursework mark of 40% or more.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 75 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 75 | |
Students’ breadth of knowledge and evaluation of classic and recent work in social psychology will be assessed by a 2-hour exam at the end of Semester 2, consisting of both multiple choice and short answer questions. Note that students will be required to pass both the coursework and examination components of the module. Students are required to pass both the examination and coursework components of the module, by achieving a pass mark of 40% or more for the examination and a coursework mark of 40% or more. This will allow testing of the different learning outcomes, because the exam measures core understanding and the coursework measures student’s in-depth understanding.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 06/05/2026
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