About the course
Finding solutions to the challenges facing our society begins with a better understanding of human behaviour, the many different factors and forces that influence it - from personal moral norms to the shared values held by society at large - and the most effective ways to change it.
Whether you’re motivated by a desire to improve poverty, health, climate change, gender equality, immigration, integration or any other social injustice, our MSc Applied Social and Political Psychology has been specifically designed to help you understand the root causes of societal issues.
It will prepare you to successfully apply social psychological theories, research findings based on multi-method approaches (quantitative, qualitative or a combination of both) and intervention techniques to solve real-life problems affecting individuals and communities around the world.
With up to 95 per cent of the world’s population estimated to be excluded from current Western-dominated psychological research, there is a growing demand for accurate insight into the experiences and lives of human beings in different cultures, countries and contexts. That’s why, on this course, you will learn to design, analyse, and evaluate applied social and political psychological research that is ethical, inclusive and captures human diversity. What's more, you will be studying at a University committed to decolonising its teaching and research.
Teaching is very much linked to practice, with an optional Psychology Placement and multiple opportunities to work on research with other students and staff over and above the compulsory dissertation, capitalising on our expertise and experience of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches to research design. Placements, which support and extend your research skills, are offered across a range of subjects, fields, and activities and represent the diverse expertise of our academic staff. Current staff research includes global climate change, morality, forgiveness, cyberpsychology, public disorder (crowds, riots, hooliganism), terrorism, security, policing, forensic interviewing and courtroom questioning of vulnerable witnesses.
The Action Research project provides an exciting opportunity to conduct a collaborative piece of action-oriented research to bring about tangible, positive change, for example, to improve the quality of life for a disadvantaged group, or address a silent injustice. Developing your research skills, you will learn how to dissect different problems, open up dialogue with participants and facilitate difficult conversations between stakeholders who may not otherwise talk to each other. And, since many of our staff projects involve national and international collaborations, you will likely broaden your professional networks and start to build the contacts that will enhance your career.
The Research Apprenticeship and Dissertation provide a further two opportunities to broaden your research experience working closely with relevant specialists. For example, one student focused on the topic of conflict between opposing factions by joining a research project which systematically examined the presence of bias in original research against the disadvantaged side of the conflict. Dissertation topics chosen by past students have ranged from the politics of loneliness in the context of access to community spaces, to gender preconceptions in staff recruitment and attitudes, lay beliefs of the ideal politicians in Brazil during an election year, to transwomen and the LGBTQ+ communities.
While aimed primarily at students with a degree in Psychology, this MSc will also be valuable and relevant if you have an interest or background in Criminology, International Relations, Politics, Sociology, History, and other relevant Social Sciences degrees.
Understanding the psychological aspects of national and international political developments is increasingly important in a world where there is frequent political upheaval and tension, not to mention big issues within societies like gender inequality, racism, climate change, alienation and structural inequalities that need to be addressed head on.
Studying psychological theory as it relates to social and political issues, you will develop the advanced research skills needed to investigate social behaviour and its influences, considering the effect of bias, prejudice, cultural identity, morals, values and attitudes on human decision-making, emotions and interactions.
Better still, you will gain substantial first hand experience conducting multiple psychological research projects and experiencing a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methods. In doing so, you will develop new ways of thinking about yourself and those around you, as well as society at large. For example, one student looked at how research could be used to bridge the gap between ordinary people and people in power, by interviewing prospective voters in Brazil during an election year to discover what they looked for in a 'role model' politician.
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