On this module, you’ll take your first steps into the worlds of psychology and counselling. You’ll learn how these distinct but related disciplines can be applied to address many real-world problems. The problems covered on the module come from a wide variety of contexts, including families, crime, activism, mental health, and education itself. You’ll also learn how to evaluate claims and evidence, developing a critical approach to the topics that you can take on to later modules and apply in your own life outside of studying.
What you will study
You’ll cover the core areas of psychology (social, cognitive, developmental, biological, individual differences), along with learning some basic principles of counselling and mental wellbeing. You’ll also develop essential research skills, which will help you to understand and evaluate evidence – the foundation of any scientific subject. Importantly, you’ll learn all of this in real-world contexts that reflect the research and practice that psychologists and counsellors do.
The module is organised into the following six blocks:
Block 1
This short introductory block will settle you in with some basic foundations, such as how psychology and counselling are related to each other and how they differ. You’ll also learn how psychological knowledge can be used and abused, find out the truth about some psychology and counselling myths, and how studying psychology can help you.
Block 2
This is set within the context of an election with some contentious issues. You’ll learn about persuasion, leadership, prejudice, discrimination, drugs and addiction, and social division.
Block 3
This is framed around seeking self-knowledge. You’ll learn about personality theory, anxiety, mental health and wellbeing, positive psychology, and person-centred counselling.
Block 4
You’ll explore the scenario of a new child in a family. You’ll learn how children’s minds develop, how they come to make sense of the world around them, how attachments form and affect people, and how families work not just as a group of related individuals but as a complex system.
Block 5
This takes you into the realm of crime, as you’ll learn about aggression and violence, how witnesses to crimes remember them, how easy (or hard) it is for eyewitnesses to recognise suspects later on, and the emotional effects of crime on victims.
Block 6
The final block is based around environmental issues, using the context of climate protests. You’ll learn about environmental psychology and why some people become activists while others engage in denial.
Throughout all of these, you’ll also learn about a wide range of research concepts that will help you to understand where knowledge comes from and to evaluate claims and evidence. You’ll also develop your skills in using academic information and communicating your knowledge in a variety of ways.
Entry requirements
This is an OU level 1 module. OU level 1 modules provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning to help you progress to OU level 2 study.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You'll be provided with two textbooks and have access to a module website which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
module materials
audio and video resources (including short films and animations)
interactive activities
assignment information and assessment guide
online tutorials and discussion forums
access to the Open University Library.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying D110 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Exploring psychological worlds: thinking, feeling, doing starts twice a year – in February and October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026 and February 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2033.