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Content: The module will be guided by a focus on how to eliminate bias. Students must use the information provided in the lectures to devise a bias intervention for a real world case of institutional or structural bias. This intervention will be informed by the scientific information, which must be communicated to a non-expert audience. The intervention must also be conveyed to policy-makers or institution leaders with the power to make change, in the form of a policy paper.

Each week, the module will address a different area of psychological research either directly or indirectly relevant for bias. This will take place during topic lectures. In addition, most weeks we will have interactive lectures where students get the opportunity to reinforce concepts covered in the topic lectures. Students will also have the opportunity to interactively participate in these lectures using their smart devices or personal laptops. This will involve completing short surveys online, asking questions, and interacting with the lecturer. This is an interdisciplinary module. Most weeks, an expert in each sub-field will provide a guest lecture.

Teaching delivery: This module is taught via 20 hours of in-person lectures over 10 teaching weeks (a combination of topic lectures and interactive sessions where students get the opportunity to reinforce concepts covered in the topic lectures).

Indicative Topics: Indicative topics – based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes: Stereotyping, Prejudice & Implicit Bias, Explicit Bias & Hate Speech, Institutional Bias, Bias in the Brain and the Body, Development: Second Language Acquisition, Eugenics, Human Evolution, Ability and Genetics.

Module Aims: This module intends to enable students to:

-Understand why social biases exist

-Explain the biological and psychological mechanisms of bias

-Develop policy-level intervention strategies for bias

-Improve science communication