School of Psychology  
 
 
PSY-30060 Ecopsychology  
Co-ordinator: Dr John Hegarty   Tel:33386  
Teaching Team: Ms Julie  Beard  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 3 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office: Tel: 01782 733736
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for
Environment and Sustainability Single Honours (Level 3)
Environment and Sustainability Single Honours (Level 3)
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
Prerequisites
Successful completion of Psychology Year 2 or equivalent.
Barred Combinations
None
Description

With climate change, concerns about food and farming, species reduction, and the need to have a healthy diet hot topics in the media, it seems important that psychologists should be involved as changing human behaviour and attitudes are crucial. This level 3 module, offered as an elective to Psychology and Environment and Sustainability students, introduces the relatively new subject area of ecopsychology, which explores our attitudes, knowledge and behaviour to the world around us. We visit local farms offering care services or community engagement ("care farms"), and have visiting speakers; but students seem to gain most from their participation in team action-research mini-projects completed during the module. Something to look back on with satisfaction, as well as to include in the CV!
Aims
To develop students' awareness, knowledge, research skills and personal transferable skills in the area of ecopsychology (people's awareness of and relationship to the natural world).
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will have been enabled to:
  • Acquire systematic understanding of key aspects of ecopsychology.
  • Initiate and carried out a project, using primary sources, and involving a critical awareness of current research in ecopsychology.
  • Show the ability to critically evaluate current issues, arguments, concepts (some of which may be based on incomplete data) and research orientations, in order to make judgements, and frame questions to reach a solution or identify a range of solutions to a problem.
  • Demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas, problems and solutions in their research of a topic in ecopsychology, appropriate to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
    ContentOrigins and nature of ecopsychology, core concepts, social and therapeutic horticulture, care farms, attitudes towards sustainability and recycling, wilderness and nature therapy, animal assisted therapy. Principles of professional consultation. Systemic thinking. Action and evaluation research methods (qualitative and quantitative). Research dissemination strategies. Initiation and completion of small-scale project in an area of ecopsychology (individually, or in a small team).

    		•
    Study hours
    20 hours seminars, 130 hours private study
    Description of Module Assessment
    001: Research Report weighted 90%
    Individually written report of small scale research project
    002: Presentation weighted 10%
    presentation of research project to special option group
    Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Oct/2013

    This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.