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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Psychology

Undergraduate Course: Motivation and Emotion (PSYL10147)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course provides an overview of theory and research on motivation and emotion. With an emphasis on empirical evidence, we will focus on how emotional states contribute to the expression of motivated goal-directed behaviors, and vice versa. We will examine these processes from a variety of psychological perspectives (e.g., biological, cognitive, developmental, social). This course will provide you with tools for understanding and regulating motivation and emotion, both intra- and interpersonally.
Course description Why do we do what we do, and why do we feel what we feel? At the present time, the study of motivation and emotion is characterized by an enormous breadth of content, several unique methodological and statistical challenges, and meta-theories around which various empirical findings are integrated and organized.

In this course, we will cover the major theoretical perspectives and methodologies related to the scientific study of motivation and emotion. With an emphasis on empirical evidence, we will focus on how emotional states contribute to the expression of motivated goal-directed behaviors, and vice versa. We will examine these processes from a variety of psychological perspectives (e.g., biological, cognitive, developmental, social). This course will provide you with tools for understanding and regulating motivation and emotion, both intra- and interpersonally.

Each week we will explore a different aspect of motivation and emotion and how these processes relate to human psychology. Classes will consist of a mixture of lectures, large and small group discussions, and other activities. Assessments will emphasize independent learning, critical analysis, writing skills, and communication with different audiences.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Psychology 2A (PSYL08011) AND Psychology 2B (PSYL08012)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students who are Psychology majors and in their third or final year at their home university are welcome to take this course.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Examine motivation and emotion from an empirically-based, scholarly perspective, rather than from an intuitive or speculative perspective based solely on personal experience and observations.
  2. Understand a number of classical and contemporary theoretical frameworks and methodologies that characterize the scientific study of motivation and emotion.
  3. Recognize several ways in which motivational and emotional processes occur in daily life and evaluate situations relevant to motivation and emotion and make predictions about behavior.
  4. Identify critical questions that must be asked if a stronger, more complete, and more integrated science of motivation and emotion is to emerge, and develop an empirical project that could test these questions.
  5. Apply empirical findings related to motivation and emotion to solve real-world problems.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Keywordspsychology; motivation; emotion
Contacts
Course organiserDr Sarah Stanton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8387
Email: Sarah.Stanton@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Alex MacAndrew
Tel: (0131 6)51 3733
Email: alexandra.macandrew@ed.ac.uk
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