Following on from Principles of social and psychological inquiry (DD801), this module provides an advanced understanding of recent research on topics in cognitive, social, counselling and forensic psychology. These topics include: Expertise, Visual Perception, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Attacks, Sexual Harassment, Motherhood, Sexual Offenders and Child Witnesses. There is also content on psychology research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, and material on how to use psychological research findings to create impact and raise public awareness.
This module demonstrates the real world, personal and employment relevance of psychology. It is organised around three broad areas – home, work and public life – focusing on engaging topics with strong contemporary interest.
In the second part of the module, you'll have the opportunity to engage in an independent project/dissertation portfolio on your chosen topic, working with guidance from a dissertation tutor. You'll prepare for the dissertation work in the earlier assessment tasks, developing skills relevant to academic work and employment in a range of areas. You'll also create outputs to communicate psychological research to lay or professional audiences.
By studying this module you'll become equipped to evaluate psychological knowledge, including, theories and research, and to understand its potential applications. The module will also enable you to confidently communicate advanced psychological knowledge to a variety of academic and non-academic audiences. The assessment develops communication skills relevant to both academic and non-academic audiences.
This module is suitable for people interested in psychology, whether or not they have previously studied the subject. It will therefore appeal to those who have a Psychology degree and/or work in related areas and to anyone who feels that knowing more about psychological topics will complement their existing skills and knowledge.
By studying this module, you will learn how to:
You will also learn about the:
The module has vocational relevance for anyone who feels that an advanced understanding of cognitive, social, counselling and forensic psychology topics will complement their existing skills and knowledge and broaden their professional perspective. This includes working in business, human resources, health (physical and mental), education, social work, the legal and criminal justice system, government departments, and third-sector organisations.
This module is part of the MSc in Psychology (F74) which is not suitable for psychology graduates who specifically want to achieve British Psychological Society recognised status as a chartered Forensic or Counselling Psychologist. Students wishing to pursue Chartership are advised to seek out an accredited MSc (Forensic Psychology) or Professional Doctorate (Counselling Psychology) programme. Psychology graduates with ambitions to pursue a PhD in Psychology may require additional training in research methods.
You will be supported throughout your studies by a tutor who has relevant knowledge of psychology. You will be allocated one tutor who will support you through the topic weeks of the module and a second tutor who will provide you with specialist support for your dissertation project. Teaching is all online and will be delivered via online tutorials, forum interactions and, where needed, email contact.
Course work includes:
The module is delivered entirely online. Comprehensive guidance and support are available via a module website, which includes:
Evaluating psychology: research and practice starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
This module cannot be studied on a standalone basis. To register you will need to have successfully completed Principles of social and psychological inquiry (DD801), and satisfied the entry requirements for MSc in Psychology (F74).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader (and, where applicable, mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way). Other alternative formats of the module materials may be available in the future. Where independent literature searches are conducted, the module team cannot guarantee that all materials found via the library are screen reader compatible. However, there will always be sufficient alternatives to ensure students can complete compulsory assignments.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
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| 03 Oct 2026 | 31 Oct 2027 | 17 Sep 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information in late March 2026. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
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Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
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We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
