Psychology of Individual Differences – (M.Sc.)

This one-year taught MSc programme provides an exciting opportunity to gain intensive training in the psychology of individual differences. It can be taken either as a free-standing MSc or lead into a PhD programme. There are two key subdivisions in the study of human individual differences: personality and mental abilities. Psychology at Edinburgh has a uniquely large team of world-class researchers in both fields.

The programme provides advanced graduate-level study in the field of the psychology of individual differences and psychological research skills, and forms a strong basis for further (typically PhD) study.

The programme covers psychometric research methods, the foundations and correlates of human individual differences (including approaches involving information processing, brain-imaging, molecular genetics and biometric models), and the application of individual differences in personality to health. No prior experience of the psychology of individual differences is assumed.

Learning Outcomes The programme is aimed primarily at students who are considering advanced research in the area. Students who follow this programme will gain:

* an in-depth understanding of current research issues, research and methodology in the psychology of individuals;
* the ability to formulate research questions and apply appropriate research methods to increase understanding of individual differences in human personality and human mental abilities;
* advanced understanding of seminal and recent scientific findings relating to the study of human individual differences and the ways in which individual differences are currently being studied or applied;
* skills in research management, including managing data and disseminating research in ways consistent with professional practice in the field of individual differences and the normal principles of research ethics;
* advanced knowledge of the basic principles of multivariate statistical data analysis techniques (including multiple regression, factor analysis and structural equation modelling) and epidemiological techniques (including logistic regression and survival analyses), and the ability to carry out data analysis on different data sets using appropriate statistical packages;
* a firm basis for subsequent advanced specialised research within the psychology of individual differences;
* a broad understanding and awareness of issues and findings in the psychology of individual differences through application to other disciplines such as human cognitive neuropsychology, molecular genetics, evolutionary psychology, epidemiology and health psychology.