In this assignment you are required to demonstrate your understanding of how theories, models, and methodologies in Cognitive Psychology can be applied to the real world.
You will be given a choice of scenarios that each describe a real-world problem or situation. You need to choose one of these and critically review the impact that research and theories have had (or could have) in this area. The scenarios should be thought of as prompts to think about how cognitive psychology has an impact in the area described.
You will be given some example scenarios during the module, and you will also be able to gain formative feedback on an essay plan once you have decided on the focus of your critical review.
If the real-world scenarios do not appeal to you, there is the option to develop a new scenario that encompasses a different topic. To do this you will need to get permission from a member of the module team who will then work with you to ensure that your scenario allows you to achieve the learning outcomes.
Your critical review should be presented in an academic style but you should feel free to personalise your work and use relevant images and figures (these should have titles and descriptions and should be referred to within the text).
When preparing for, and writing up your critical review you will need to:
-Describe the problem/situation described in the scenario and highlight the key features
-Identify the most relevant topics/themes/processes of cognition that relate to the situation in the scenario
-Conduct a literature search around these topics/themes/processes
-Evaluate theories and studies that address thinking and performance in this area
-Analyse the overall contribution of cognitive psychology to the area described in the scenario
- Include good academic references using the university standard APA 7
- Structure – your review should have a clear and logical structure. You may use subheadings however these need to be relevant and should reflect the information contained within each section. Your review should have an introduction and conclusion paragraph. (10%)
- Knowledge: Understanding of the topic area – you should clearly describe and evaluate the different theories and concepts included in your review. This will involve the discussion of relevant experimental studies. (25%)
- A well-developed argument – use relevant theory and evidence from the literature to evaluate the contribution of Cognitive Psychology in your chosen area. You may also want to include relevant real-world statistics. (20%)
- Critical analysis of the information presented – discuss the theories, evidence, and methodologies that you include and offer suggestions for improvements if necessary. (20%)
- Reflection – explain why Cognitive Psychology is important to your chosen topic area. (15%)
- Accurate referencing – all references should be presented in APA 7th style. (5%)
Presentation – your assignment should be written in a formal, academic style. (5%)
