PSYC3787: Psychology of Sex and Gender

• 60 credits from Level 2 Psychology

• None

• None

• In this module you will learn about the psychology of sex and gender, with a focus on the cognitive neuroscience of sex/gender differences, the neuromodulatory and behavioural effects of sex hormones, and the effect of sex/gender in clinical and neurodivergent populations. You will learn about the mechanisms of sex/gender differences, current debates in the field, and the potential impact and applications for sex/gender research.

• This module examines the psychology of sex and gender with a particular focus on sex/gender differences, sex hormonal effects, and sex/gender influences in clinical and neurodivergent populations.
• Example module topics include:
• An introduction to the biology, cognitive neuroscience, and social factors associated with sex and gender,
• A critical assessment of the evidence concerning sex/gender differences in the brain and behaviour, including in mental illness,
• A critical assessment of the influence of sex hormones on the brain and behaviour
• Related current issues in the field of sex and gender research
• The module will also cover related conceptual and historical issues in psychology

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Detailed knowledge of the psychology of sex/gender, including current theories, evidence, and debates in the field.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to review critically and consolidate understanding of a coherent body of psychological knowledge and apply it appropriately

Key Skills:

• Good written communication skills
• Good IT skills in word processing
• Ability to work independently in scholarship and research within broad guidelines

• Students' acquisition of detailed knowledge will be facilitated by lectures, interactive problem-based-learning tasks, audio-visual materials, discussions and reading lists
• These modes of teaching provide students with detailed knowledge of the key theories and the skills needed to evaluate different theoretical positions in light of current evidence
• The summative essay will assess students' detailed subject knowledge
• An assessment of the range, recency and appropriateness of sources will be included in the overall assessment of the essay
• The use of group discussions and interactive problem-based-learning tasks will ensure that students are exposed to a range of different theoretical positions, and encouraged to understand their inter-relations
• Lectures, discussions, and interactive problem-based-learning tasks will also give students the opportunity to interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work
• The summative essay assesses students' acquired knowledge of theoretical principles and empirical studies and their ability to organise and synthesise them coherently and critically in written form in response to a set question
• The essay will also assess students' written communication skills enter text as appropriate for the module

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