by The Open University
Available in 28 free installments
Owner:
This unit has explored the social impact of psychology and provided a brief historical overview to explore the diversity of psychology as a discipline. You have read about the different kinds of data that are used as evidence and the different types of methods used to gather these data. You have also gained an understanding of the ethical issues that need to be considered when conducting research.
The material for this unit is taken from the introductory chapter to the course DSE212 Exploring Psychology. If you wish to learn more about the different sub-disciplines within psychology that draw on different traditions then you may consider registering on DSE212, which will provide a map of the discipline and also look at three important topics to exam how different perspectives used in psychology can each contribute to our understanding of these complex issues. Available here on OpenLearn is another unit drawing on material from DSE212, Understanding Dyslexia.
In terms of other further study with OpenLearn, you may wish to explore yourself how psychological enquiry exists within a broader social and historical context. If so, you should take the associated unit on LearningSpace called EPoCH (Exploring Psychology?s Context and History), which is an interactive package originally designed for the course DSE212 Exploring Psychology, and will be live on OpenLearn shortly. It is an exploratory resource that will given you an indication of the historical period and place in which the psychologists studied on DSE212 were working. It will help you gain a sense of the cultural influences on their thinking and how they grouped together in terms of direct contact and influence on each other. You will be able to develop your understanding of psychology and follow your own particular interests.
Original Copyright © 2002 The Open University. Now made available within the Creative Commons framework under the CC Attribution – Non-commercial licence (see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/).
