This framework is intended for those designing curricula and/or teaching psychology undergraduate courses regulated by the QAA. It should also be a useful guide for anyone designing or teaching a psychology course in other settings (e.g. for a nursing degree or one in marketing), giving a detailed breakdown of the topics and skills addressed by the book generally, and in each chapter individually.

Table D.1 identifies, chapter by chapter, the topics set by the QAA for courses on Individual Differences and Social Psychology courses; it then identifies the additional topics covered by the book. Table  D.2 sets out the topics set by the BPS for three    key areas of the overall curriculum: Social Psychology, Individual Differences and Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology. Table D.3 itemises those skills that have been specified by the QAA (and adopted by the BPS) for psychology courses which have been included in the book, and lists ways in which the book contributes   to the development of those skills.

Table D.1 QAA Social Psychology/Individual Differences Topics

Chapter	QAA Topics	What the Book Has to Offer	Extras
1 Human psychology and what it can do for us	Social Constructionism Diversity	A social constructionist approach is taken throughout the book as is an approach that examines diversity.	Problems with mainstream psychology Critical psychology: its ontology and concerns Diversity Social/communal lives Social justice Qualitative research methods and interpretation Values of respect, generosity, kindness and humility
2 Who am I? Selves and identities	Self and Identity Culture Social Constructionism Personality	This chapter focuses on identity and how identities are constructed.	Technology of the self Governmentality Identity theories Subject positioning
3 Bodies that matter	Culture Diversity	This chapter brings embodiment into the curriculum.	Embodiment Lived experience Phenomenology Habitus and status Consciousness Crip theory Fetishised bodies Scopophilia
4 Being in relationships	Close Relationships Culture Diversity	This chapter explores a diversity of relationships, including coupledom and family relationships; also relationships in communities and collectives.	Caring relationships, especially community relationships
5 Being different	Diversity Intergroup Relations Prejudice Inter-Group Conflict Intelligence	This chapter works from the concept of Othering as a collective venture (as opposed to individual prejudice).	Otherness Normalising Psychology as an agent of mistreatment Governmentality Othering of the poor and disadvantaged
6 Gender and sexuality	Culture Diversity	This chapter takes a constructionist perspective to gender differences and different sexualities.	Patriarchy and its impacts on men and women Sexual harassment Gender and crime Sexuality as identity and as a practice Paedophilia
7 Human thinking	Social Cognition Attribution Attitudes and Behaviour Culture	The chapter takes a broadly cognitive approach to ‘thinking fast and slow’ and how they influence the worldviews people draw upon.	The role of discursive practices in people’s thinking Human action as always situated Human values
8 Human feeling	Emotion Culture Intergroup Conflict Motivation Mood	This chapter brings the social and semiotic aspects of affect into the curriculum.	Psychosomatic illness Discursive and lived-experience approaches Psychodynamic and socio-political theories of human emotion Emotion on the Internet Emotional labour Fear and joy
9 Human communicating	Culture Group Processes Intergroup Relations Leadership	This chapter explores both verbal and body language and their roles in human interaction and influence in a world transformed by ICT and social media.	Subjectivity and intersubjectivity Semiotics Media and mass media Discursive psychology
10 Human welfare	Physical and Mental Health Culture Diversity	This chapter sees illness as a social construct. It examines mental and physical health in broad social, cultural, economic, and community contexts.	Challenging biomedicine’s claims to superior knowledge Māori health care Blaming and stigmatising Critical health psychology Social and community basis of human welfare Social capital Community resilience
11 World changing	Physical and Mental Health Culture Diversity Motivation	This chapter is both about how the human world is changing, and how we can make changes to promote human welfare.	Impact of environmental change and how humankind needs to change its values and behaviours Human qualities needed to enable us to flourish and make our environment a good one Changing our minds – individually and collectively

Table D.2 BPS Topics

Chapter	BPS Topics
	Social Psychology	Individual Differences	Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology
1 Human psychology and what it can do for us	Social Constructionism Culture Group Processes and Intergroup Relations	Diversity	The social and cultural construction of psychology. Conceptual and historical paradigms and models – comparisons and critiques. Political and ethical issues in psychology. Integration across multiple perspectives – ethical, conceptual, cultural and historical aspects. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
2 Who am I? Selves and dentities	Self and Identity Culture Group Processes and Intergroup Relations Social Constructionism	Diversity Personality	The social and cultural construction of psychology. Conceptual and historical paradigms and models – comparisons and critiques. Political and ethical issues in psychology.
3 Bodies that matter	Culture Social Constructionism	Diversity Emotion Mood	An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
4 Being in relationships	Close Relationships Group Processes and Intergroup Relations Culture	Diversity	The social and cultural construction of psychology. Conceptual and historical paradigms and models – comparisons and critiques. Political and ethical issues in psychology. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
5 Being different	Group Processes and Intergroup Relations Intergroup Conflict Social Constructionism	Diversity Intelligence	The social and cultural construction of psychology. Conceptual and historical paradigms and models. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
6 Gender and sexuality	Culture Social Constructionism	Diversity	The social and cultural construction of psychology. Conceptual and historical paradigms and models. Integration across multiple perspectives. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
7 Human thinking	Social Cognition Attribution Attitudes Social Constructionism		Integration across multiple perspectives.
8 Human feeling	Culture Social Constructionism Intergroup Conflict	Diversity Emotion Motivation Mood	The social and cultural construction of psychology. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
9 Human communicating	Culture Group Processes and Intergroup Relations Leadership Social Constructionism	Diversity Emotion	The social and cultural construction of psychology. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
10 Human welfare	Physical and Mental Health Culture Diversity Social Constructionism	Diversity Physical and Mental Health	Conceptual and historical paradigms and models – comparisons and critiques. Political and ethical issues in psychology. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.
11 World changing	Physical and mental health; Culture; Diversity; Social constructionism.	Diversity Positive Psychology	Conceptual and historical paradigms and models – comparisons and critiques. Political and ethical issues in psychology. An understanding of the use of psychological theory to answer real-world questions.

Table D.3 QAA and BPS Specification of Skills

Subject-specific skills for psychology Students must be able to:	What the book has to offer
Apply multiple perspectives to psychological issues, recognising that psychology involves a range of research methods, theories, evidence and applications.	This book takes an explicitly critical perspective towards psychology. It sees this as based on a different ontology and epistemology from positivist psychology. While the book fully acknowledges merits of the scientific approach, it is critical of some of its limitations and its impacts. The book also provides extensive coverage of qualitative research, and the ways in which the data from such studies can be analysed and interpreted. For students trained mainly within a mainstream environment, the book will significantly broaden their empirical and theoretical knowledge and increase their skills of analysis and critique.
Integrate ideas and findings across the multiple perspectives in psychology and recognise distinctive psychological approaches to relevant issues.	The very broad scope of the book itself offers a range of ideas, theories and findings. For example, in Chapter 8, ‘Human Feelings’, four different perspectives on affect are explored, each one complementing the other. While the book draws extensively on other disciplines, it also showcases the ways in which psychologists are conducting innovative research in areas such as gender, sexuality, embodiment and health.
Reason analytically and critically evaluate psychological theory and research.	Reflective activities throughout the book have been specifically designed to engage students in critical evaluation – of theories and claims being made, of perspectives being offered and of a variety of research approaches.
Understand the role of evidence and make critical judgements about arguments in psychology.	Some of the Reflective activities encourage students – either on their own or as a group activity – to review a range of claims being made and the evidence provided to support them. Furthermore, the critique throughout the book – for example, about the limitations of social cognitive models of behaviour change – encourages students to look at particular models and arguments critically. It also offers alternatives.
Demonstrate competence in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods.	The book introduces extensive information about qualitative methods as used by psychologists (most notably in Chapters 1, 3 and 9). More broadly across all of the chapters the book offers illustrative studies showing how these different methods have been applied to issues ranging from condom use to BDSM, masculinity, and improving support for trans students at university. Additional information is provided in the Resources section at the end of each chapter.
Recognise the subjective and variable nature of individual experience.	In particular, Chapters 3 and 8 (on embodiment and feelings) explore both subjective and intersubjective experience, and offer theoretical frameworks for making sense of what is going on. Chapter 5, ‘Being Different’, explores the concept of Othering; Reflective activities provide opportunities for students to apply new ideas and concepts to their own situation and circumstances.
Be aware of the ethical context of psychology as a discipline and apply psychological knowledge ethically and safely to real-world problems.	Ethics is a central concern of this book, with, for example, particular attention paid to the way psychology has been transformed in South Africa, following the fall of apartheid. Chapter 5, ‘Being Different’, takes a particular ethical stance, exploring ways in which psychology has undergone substantial change with regards to its ethical principles in relation to neuronormativity, sexuality, gender and, indeed, inequality. The book is replete with examples of the interplay between human values (such as empathy, courtesy, kindness and respect) and human welfare and wellbeing.