Psychology Module Introduction

Module Information

• The module is titled Psychology and Social Issues (PS4032).
• Dr. Gulnaz Anjum (she/her) is the Assistant Professor of Psychology for this module.
• Dr. Anjum's student hours are on Mondays from 14:15 to 16:15.
• Sign-up for student hours requires a link from the module handbook.
• Module questions are addressed via the General Queries Forum on Brightspace.
• Dr. Anjum's email is [email protected].
• The module co-leader is Assistant Professor Sara Vestergren and her email is [email protected].

Module Leader Background: Dr. Gulnaz Anjum

• Dr. Anjum is a Social, Cultural & Climate Psychologist.
• She holds a PhD from the University of Jena, Germany, where her research focused on Social Norms and Stereotyping.
• Dr. Anjum was a Fulbright scholar at The New School in New York, USA, researching Intergroup Empathy.
• She was a Visiting Researcher at the University of Kent, UK, researching Cross-cultural Understanding of Honor Norms.
• She was an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Psychology and Institute of Business Administration in Pakistan, and her research was on Social Norms and Gender Inequality.
• Dr. Anjum served as a Visiting Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, where she researched Social Norms, Gender Inequality, Climate Change, and Migration.
• She was an Associate Professor at the University of Oslo (Norway), where she researched Climate Change (heat and mental health), Migration and Integration, and Diaspora Identity.

Key concepts and researched keywords

• Gender Equality
• Norms
• Recognition
• Conflict
• Political Extremism
• Violence
• Exposure
• Model
• Gender
• Identity
• Self
• Culture
• Collective Action
• Personality Traits
• Men
• Ambivalent Sexism
• Differentiating Hostile
• Women
• Masculinity
• Discrimination
• Mental Health
• Impact
• Perception
• Hijab
• Sex
• Children
• Group Identification
• Terrorism
• Action Tendencies
• Attitudes
• Threat
• Science
• People
• Pakistan
• Behavior
• Covid-19 Anxiety
• Negative Affect
• Mental Health

Geographical locations of her work

• Germany
• Saudi Arabia
• Australia
• Denmark
• Norway
• Pakistan
• Canada
• Turkey
• United States
• France
• United Kingdom
• Czechia
• Indonesia
• Poland
• Thailand

Psychology Defined

• Psychology: The scientific study of the mind and behavior, through systematic observation and testing of theories.
• It focuses on empirical evidence, generating explanations, testing theory, replicable methods, and generalizable results.

Domains of Psychology

• Biological
• Cognitive
• Developmental
• Individual Differences
• Social
• Forensic

Social Issues

• Social issues are 'Human or social problems'.
• Social issues are a social phenomenon giving rise to theoretical, ethical or practical concern or debate
• Social issues are problems that arise from identities and values.
• Identity: Beliefs about oneself; including values, roles, expressions of individuality.
• Social identity: The identity people derive from their membership in social groups.
• Values: What we care about; associated with social identities and shapes what we care about.

Personal Identity vs. Self-Schema

• Personal Identity: An individual's self-concept derived from unique traits, experiences, values, and beliefs.
• Self-Schema: A cognitive structure that organizes and guides the processing of self-related information.
• Personal Identity is a broader concept encompassing overall understanding of "who I am”.
• Self-Schema is a narrower structure dealing with specific aspects (e.g., "I am a student").
• Personal Identity encompasses emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions of self-definition.
• Self-Schema focuses on how information about oneself is processed and stored in memory.
• Personal Identity is relatively stable and evolves through life experiences.
• Self-Schema is dynamic and shifts depending on context and situations.
• Personal Identity has examples like "I am independent and creative".
• Self-Schema has examples like "I see myself as hardworking when it comes to academics."

Social Identity Components

• Social identity is part of an individual's self-concept derived from membership in a social group, along with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership (Tajfel, 1978, p. 63).
• Social identity can be dominant or minimal.
• Social groups play a role in self concepts like Nationality, Political affiliation and Sports team.
• Motivations include a sense of belonging, meaning or purpose, and understanding.
• Personal identity results in a definition of self.
• Social identity comes via social categorization.
• Social categorisation facilitate distinct social groups.
• Intergroup comparison occurs between "we" (in-group) and "they" (out-group).
• In-group is favorable, resulting in satisfied social identity.
• Out-group is unfavorable, resulting in dissatisfied social identity.

Research Approaches

• Spectrum ranges from 'pure' to 'applied' research.
• Pure research is conducted in isolation and in a laboratory.
• Field research uses the real world to test and develop theory.

Module Aim and Learning Objectives

• The module's aim is to explore how psychology may be used to understand and potentially resolve a range of contemporary social issues.
• Learning Objectives include the ability to:
  • Identify, discuss, describe and compare psychological models for understanding social issues.
  • Describe how these models can be applied to understand links between social issues and how individuals and societies can make positive changes.
  • Apply psychological models to explain how social community can influence experience and behaviour, and how communities can be harnessed in positive ways.
  • Discuss how to apply psychological research and models to explain certain social issues and ways in which they might be resolved.
  • Demonstrate reflexivity in the learning process and in understanding how your own psychological experiences and well-being are related to your behavior, environment and social groups.
• The overall objective is to deeply understand how to develop a stronger sense of being part of a community of students and psychologists.
• This will be achieved through a module built around participation, as well as thinking of yourselves as part of a community of psychologists.
• It will also be achieved by thinking about how psychological knowledge can help you understand your own behaviour, others behaviour and wider society.

Module Structure

• Lectures: Cover theoretical models and research methods.
• Tutorials: Provide guidance on theory and practice, deeper discussions, understanding and reflexivity, and tutorial reflections.
  • Reflection on discussion around key social issues.
  • Reflection on how you as a psychologist may understand it better.
• Research Participation: Experience psychological research from the participant's end.
• Lectures are weekly, Mondays 12-2 pm.
• The detailed schedule in module handbook and lectures are recommended.
• Lectures are live lectures on campus (most weeks)
• There will be Recorded presentations (e.g., week 3/7).
• Slides/recordings available on Brightspace.
• Chapters and articles will be posted on Brightspace within the readings.
• Read beforehand, take notes, consolidate lecture with readings notes, for achieving maximum benefit.
• Tutorials aim to integrate theory and practice, starting in week 3.
• Face to face except when stated otherwise (online) for tutorials.
• Attendance is mandatory, incurring a 2% penalty for missing.
• One tutorial can be missed without penalty.
• M-Form procedure is required if you miss and have a valid excuse
• No swapping Tutorials.
• Check your schedule to find out which tutorial you are in.
• Week 12 will be online.
• If a tutorial group will not go ahead then students will be assigned to other scheduled tutorials
• International Students who arrived late may sign up for tutorials.
• Participate in studies that are offered on SONA to earn 8 SONA Credits - 8% of final grade.
• SONA is NOT on Brightspace, a separate account is needed, and UL credentials cannot be used.
• PS4032 must be entered as the module for which credits are being gathered.
• Students are required to earn 8 SONA Credits through the Participant Panel administered by the University of Limerick Psychology Department.
• Those under 18 years old should contact Dr. Gulnaz Anjum for a SONA alternative.
• It requires hard and consistent work throughout the semester to demonstate competence in the learning objectives.

Timeline

• Lectures: Weekly, read beforehand.
• Course quiz
  • Week 6
  • Week 10/12
• Tutorials
  • Weeks 3-12
• Research Participation (SONA)
  • Week 9: needs to be completed (week 13: hard deadline!)
• Exam: MCQ (on campus/ online)

Topics by week

• Week 1 (Jan 27th): Introduction by Gulnaz Anjum (GA) with no Tutorials
• Week 2 (Feb 3rd): No Lecture - Public Holiday, Tutorials start week 3
• Week 3 (Feb 10th): No on-campus lecture (online recording; made available). Topic: The coordination of values (GA), Asking "How can social issues related interventions look like? What psychological and social processes underlie (our) social issue?"
• Week 4 (Feb 17th): Individual and social issues and underlying psychological and social processes (SV). Topics may vary in accordance with contemporary topics.
• Week 5 (Feb 24th): How do we know if an intervention has made a difference? (GA) Topics may vary in accordance with contemporary topics.
• Week 6 (Mar 3rd): Altruism & helping
• Quiz 1* (GA). Topics may vary in accordance with contemporary topics. Topics vary "How can we test if intervention designed to help people make a difference? How might such interventions affect helpers and those who get help?"
• Week 7 (Mar 10th): No on-campus lecture (online recording; made available). Topics vary in: Environmental issues and climate change; Climate activism & eco anxiety (GA).
• Week 8 (Mar 17th): No Lecture (Holiday)
• Week 9 (March 31st): Group processes: Social class, in- and exclusion SV. Asking how does social class effect inclusion and exclusion?
• Week 10 (Apr 7th): The psychology of crowds
• Quiz 2* (SV).
• Week 11 (Apr 14th): NO LECTURE(Easter Monday)
• Week 12 (April 21st): Wrap up lecture (SV) Topic: Policing and Riots - How does intergroup relations influence crowd dynamics? (online)

Teaching Responsibilities

• Dr Gulnaz Anjum lectures: Week 1, 3, 5, 6, 7.
• Dr Sara Vestergren lectures: Week 4, 9, 10, 12.

Tutorial groupings:

• Group 1 (A-E) weeks 3,6,9,12
• Group 2 (F-J) weeks 4,7,10,12
• Group 3 (K-O) weeks 5,8,11,12
• All Tutorials are face to face except Week 12

Professionalism

• It is important to maintain high attendance & participation, which is mandatory.
• Submission procedures follow the M-Form procedure (see psychology student handbook) for mitigating circumstance (e.g., illness).
• See module handbook for further clarification.
• See Handbook for Psychology Students for departmental policies and procedures.

Assessment Breakdown

• Classwork (50%)
  • Contribution to tutorials throughout the semester (10%)
  • Quiz 1(20 %; Week 6)
  • Quiz 2 (20% Week 10)
• Examination (42%)
• Research Participation (8%) – SONA (Please complete by week 9)
• Remember to participate in studies that are offered on SONA to earn 8 SONA Credits, equating to 8% points of the final grade.