Studying at York
Human Risk - PSY00096M
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
The future of life hinges on human thinking and behaviour. This basic insight puts psychology at the crossroads between extinction and flourishing. When the stakes are high and the risks are growing, what does the science have to say? Navigating risks is more than just crunching the numbers. Decades of research in cognitive science has shown that understanding risk involves grappling with individual differences, context, and societal factors. In this module, we will examine these factors, achieving an up-to-date overview on the psychology of risk, and asking how a scientific approach can help us survive the most important century.
Module learning outcomes
- Discuss the development of rational approaches to risk and their relation to psychological theory
- Critically evaluate how everyday risk perception deviates from rational risk assessment in systematic and predictable ways
- Integrate the role of risk at different levels of analysis—brain, person, group, society—and over different timescales
- Reason about the impact of decisions taken now on the future of humanity.
Module content
- Origins of risk research
- Hazards and risk perception
- Development and individual differences
- Luck and games
- Frontiers of forecasting
- Disaster and risk mitigation
- Extinction risks
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision.
Indicative reading
None specified.