PSY-30162 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

This module focuses on neurodiversity in society: how do individuals differ from each other, and what effects could these differences have? Indicative module content will discuss diversity in cognitive processing styles, social preferences, behaviour, and brain structure and function, with reference to illustrative examples, which could include the autism spectrum, dyslexia, sensory processing, and gender diversity. You will be encouraged to consider how neurodiversity is represented in the media and potentially misunderstood in society outside of academia. You will be introduced to a new topic each week in class, and you will be encouraged to read up on that topic in the media (eg by finding relevant social media posts or newspaper articles), so that different perspectives and any misconceptions can be discussed in class. You will be encouraged to think about ways to promote inclusion of neurodiverse individuals in society.

This module aims to introduce students to the concept of neurodiversity in the population, by illustrating how individuals in society may differ in terms of their cognitive processing styles, social preferences, behaviour, and brain structure and function. The module aims to equip students with the knowledge to better understand characteristics of neurodivergent individuals, and to support students to develop their critical thinking skills by encouraging reflection on ongoing changes in society's perceptions of neurodiversity, and how these perceptions can affect social inclusion and equality of opportunities.

Intended Learning Outcomes

describe and discuss the concept of neurodiversity, with illustrative examples: 1
locate relevant material from both academic and non-academic sources: 1
synthesise contradictory information from different sources and critically reflect on how academic knowledge is represented and understood in lay society, and the potential implications of this: 1
communicate complex ideas from academic psychology for a non-specialist lay audience: 1

Study hours

In-situ teaching and discussion sessions: 2 hours per week for a 12 week term = 24 hours
Optional field trip to a specialist neurodivergent facility: 4 hours
Engagement with asynchronous activities: 3 hours per week for a 12 week term = 36 hours
Preparation for blog assessment: 86 hours spread across the term

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment