It has been a busy month for the psychology department, with a visit from Dr Harriet Tenenbaum from the University of Surrey and a visit to London to the Royal Courts of Justice.

Dr Tenenbaum delivered a talk on gender differences and how parents talk differently to boys and girls. She explained how these discoveries have led to real-world applications. Because of this research, a science museum in California have created an area where the character Alice from Alice in Wonderland is a scientist. This is to encourage parents to let their daughters' scientific curiosity flourish. Dr Tenenbaum revealed that even in different countries parents display different behaviours between genders which could explain why in adulthood, women are seen to be more emotional than men.

Students have also had the opportunity to take part in an overnight trip to London, introducing them to criminal psychology. They analysed brain scans, interpreted notes from serial killers and even experienced using lie detectors.

They followed in the footsteps of the infamous ‘Jack the Ripper,’ touring the Whitechapel area and learning about his crimes and mental health. Students also visited the Royal Courts of Justice and re-enacted a cyber bullying case in a real courtroom. They took on the roles of everyone in the hearing including judge, jury, witnesses and defendants, giving them great insight into the workings of the courtroom. To finish, they visited the home of world famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, whose house has been turned into a museum of his life.

Rajiv Ariaraj Curriculum Manager for Psychology commented, “This trip was the first of its kind and a brilliant experience for students. It was interesting, fun and very useful preparation for the second year of the course – we’ll definitely offer this again next year.”