| Unit name | Philosophy of Psychology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL30077 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Jones |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Philosophy of psychology has three strands.
The first strand uses the results from psychology and cognitive science to shed light on traditional philosophical problems: for example, looking at experimental investigation of our powers of introspection to illuminate the philosophical discussion of self-knowledge.
The second strand is the philosophy of science where the science in question is psychology: for example, asking whether evolutionary psychology meets the standards of good science.
Third is doing cognitive science, but at a high level of generality: for example, asking questions about the structure of the mind, such as whether it is modular.
The unit will address all three strands in order to explore how ideas from philosophy can impact on the way in which we study the mind, as well as how findings and theories from the psychological sciences can impact on traditional philosophical approaches to the mind and wider social issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The unit builds on level C/4 and I/5 units that focus on epistemological and methodological issues in the sciences, as well as units that focus on metaphysical and epistemological issues concerning mind and self. The unit complements H/6 units that focus on interdisciplinary engagement with the sciences, as well as units that focus on issues pertaining to wellbeing, emotions, rationality and language.
An overview of content
Over the series of lectures and seminars, we look at a variety of topics that fall into one or more of the three main strands of Philosophy of Psychology.
Topics that may be covered on the course include behaviourism; nativism; modularity; folk psychology; computational approaches to the mind; representationalism; evolutionary psychology; predictive processing; extended and embodied cognition; ecological psychology; enactivism; social cognition; emotions; rationality; delusions; memory; and imagination.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will gain an appreciation of the theoretical and methodological issues in the psychological sciences, as well as a greater understanding of how the findings in these sciences impact on wider society and on their own personal understanding of themselves. In particular, the unit helps students to question their own introspection as a route to self-knowledge and reflect on the relevance of psychological findings for their self-understanding.
At the end of the unit, students will be able to:
(1) provide clear and precise explanations, demonstrating an understanding of the science of psychology and its methodological and epistemological footing;
(2) deploy findings from psychological studies to shed new light on traditional philosophical debates about the mind
(3) critically assess the philosophical implications of the major theories and hypotheses about the structure and nature of the mind offered by experimental psychology
(4) form their own views and provide argumentative justification for their positions, of a standard appropriate to level H/6.
(5) independently research empirical findings from the psychological sciences that are relevant to philosophical and communicate these findings clearly and accessibly.
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
None
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHIL30077).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
