(C8846) Contemporary Issues in Psychology (1,500 words each) – Convenor: D. Leavens
Essay ESS (50%) – 1500 words
Essay ESS (50%) – 1500 words
We assign the same essay titles from the module to the re-sits.
This Spring/Summer module (C8846) involves two essays in total. For each essay, the
students can select from among four (Essay One) or six (Essay Two) essay titles. So, C8846
has a total of 10 essay titles.
Students must choose from the titles for an Essay that they have not previously
submitted (i.e. Essay One and Essay Two).
First Essay Titles
Environmental Psychology (Dr. Sparks)
1. What are the most important psychological barriers to pro-environmental action?
2. Critically evaluate psychologists' contributions to the promotion of pro-environmental
behaviour.
Comparative Social Cognition (Dr. Proops)
3. Discuss how comparative methods can be used to provide evolutionary explanations of
social behaviour.
4. Do animals have a theory of mind? Discuss, with reference to recent evidence, the extent
to which animals have an understanding of the minds and emotions of others.
Second Essay Titles
Drugs (Dr. Morgan)
5. Compare and contrast the mechanisms employed by Cocaine, Ecstasy, Heroin, and
Cannabis to stimulate dopamine release in the brain and how this relates to their abuse
potential.
6. Compare and contrast the neuropharmacological basis for the risks associated with the use
of: Cocaine, Ecstasy, Heroin, and Cannabis.
Hypnosis (Prof. Dienes)
7. In what way is hypnosis real, if at all?
8. Could hypnosis be a useful tool for the police?
Gender Differences (Prof. Clifton/Dr. Long)
9. Why are women students underrepresented in STEM subjects (Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics) at Universities in the UK?
10. It has been suggested (e.g. Hyde 2005) that too much emphasis is placed on differences
between the genders. Discuss the reasons for such emphasis.