The main topics of this course are descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis. Measures of central tendency and spread will be covered as well as Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. The use of graphs to display distributions and relationships is emphasised. Sampling designs, probability theory and sampling distributions are also addressed.

Distance learning is not an option for this course. Students are expected to attend all lectures.

A general introduction course in psychology. Main topics covered are sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, learning, development, personality, social perception, intelligence and psychopathology.

The course addresses scientific explanations and their nature. It also covers different psychological explanations for human behaviour, comparing various conditions and an academic understanding of the psyche with everyday explanations.

The course covers scientific methods in psychology. Lectures provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, with special emphasis on experimental design. Common methodological problems in psychological research are introduced. Critical thinking is emphasised. Short projects related to lecture topics will be set in class.

Theories of learning and behaviour analysis. Students are introduced to the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning, as well as other principles regarding behaviour and learning. There will be a brief discussion of the application of these principles in teaching, training and therapy.

The first part of the course will provide a general introduction to research methods in physiological psychology; the structure of the nervous system; the structure and function of neurones and muscle cells at a cellular level; the role of glial cells in the nervous system; neurotransmitter systems and communication between neurones; the effects of various drugs on neurotransmitters, control of movement and the nervous system; and other basic issues in neuroscience. The second part of the course will provide a thorough discussion of vision; the neurophysiology of sleep and alertness; motivational processes such as ingestive behaviour, with emphasis on the role of neuronal and endocrine factors; the development of sexuality and sexual behaviour and the activation of hormones; reinforcement and addiction, including the neurobiology of reinforcement; learning and memory, including learning in 'simple' organisms; psychiatric disorders; and psychoactive drugs from a physiologic perspective.

The main subject of the course is inferential statistics. The course will cover, for example, estimation based on sample information, confidence intervals, sample distribution, hypothesis tests, t-tests and chisquare-tests. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

Introduction to basic skills in reading comprehension and essay writing in psychology. Emphasis is placed on training students to discuss psychology in good, clear Icelandic. For example, students practice using sources, writing essays and discussing statistical information.

The course focuses on the main methods of analysis for inferential statistics: one-way and two-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis and factor analysis, with emphasis on the analysis and design of questionnaires. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

The focus of this course is perception and cognition. Students design experiments to measure perception and cognition and learn about previous research on perception and cognition with an emphasis on the neural underpinnings of cognitive processes.

An overview of personality psychology, including the main theories and research methods. The course includes an introduction to different ways of measuring personality traits and detailed discussion of their stability over time and with changing circumstances. Biological and cognitive theories of personality are also covered. Students will also learn about intelligence, self-esteem and the links between personality and health. A great deal of emphasis is placed on training students to research personality psychology and they will conduct a substantial empirical research project over the semester. Students will then present their main findings in a short lecture and submit a written-up research report.

This course provides an overview of developmental literature, theory and research. Topics include cognitive, social and physical development from birth to adolescence, described in the context of developmental theory and research.  Students complete individual empirical research projects and submit a research report, as well as sitting multiple choice examinations.

An introduction to theories and methods in the study of perception and cognition. The emphasis will be on visual perception and the role of attention in perception. Resent methodological development in neuroscience will be discussed such as neuroimaging and neuropsychology.

Overview of psychometrics and measurement theory, test construction and interpretation of psychological tests. Exercises and classroom demonstrations emphasize conventional item analysis, reliability and exploratory factor analysis. 

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

A general introduction to social psychology. The areas covered are social cognition, self and identity, heuristics and decision making, attribution, attitude formation, social influence, group processes and crowds, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice. Students will be introduced to methods of applying their knowledge of social psychology.

The course covers the major types of mental disorders and their symptoms, contemporary psychological theories of major etiological and maintenance factors (emphasis being placed on cognitive behavioural theories), treatment approaches and research methods used in clinical psychology. Students are trained in writing a short academic report describing research results on a topic in clinical psychology.

Lecture hours cover:
i. Basics in philosophy of science and epistemology.
ii. Ancient and medieval philosophy on psychology.
iii. The roots of psychology in the scholarly community of the 17th and 18th centuries.
iv. The emergence of modern psychology in the 19th century.
v. The history of psychological ide as in the 20th century.

Training hours cover:Weekly training sessions are preparations for course exams.

Internship for undergraduate students in Psychology within Icelandic firms/institutions. Available for students at their third year.

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

The course introduces students to the principles of ergonomics and usability, focusing on how human perception, attention, and cognitive processes influence interaction with digital interfaces. Lectures and practical sessions cover topics such as human-centred design, information processing, usability testing, and the pitfalls of designing for the “average” user. Students learn to plan and conduct small usability evaluations and interpret findings using standard criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Critical thinking and ethical awareness in design are emphasised. Case studies and short projects provide hands-on experience with real-world examples of good and poor usability.

The course looks at empirical studies on treatment effects of training parents to manage aggressive, oppositional, and other antisocial behaviors that are the basis for diagnosis of hyperactivity, oppositional-defiant, and conduct disorders in children and adolescents. The content of parent training will be discussed intensively. The course will also discuss short parenting courses that have been developed on the basis of research results on parent training and are often used as a psychosocial prevention method for behavioral disorders and as a way to inform parents in general about parenting techniques that increase children's adaptation skills to daily life. 

We will discuss the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and queer psychology. The main focus will be on introduction to queer studies, main terms used, marginalization, health, relationships, parenting and family. Gender identity, sexual orientation and gender expression will be discussed within the framework of psychology

The aim of the course is to introduce the basics of work and organizational psychology. Career analysis, recruitment, performance appraisal, motivation and work organization, job training, work stress, the role of leaders and corporate culture are discussed.

Students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to increase employee satisfaction and performance.

The aim of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).
OBM is a subdiscipline of applied behavior analysis, where the basic principles of behavior are applied to improve, among other things, performance, culture, safety, and well-being in workplaces.
The course also covers improved management practices, leadership skills, organizational structure, and work procedures.

The course emphasizes both theoretical and practical knowledge, enabling students to understand the reinforcement contingencies underlying effective management.
Examples from Icelandic and international companies and organizations will be used to illustrate the material.

The main focus will be on commonsense (belief-desire, propositional attitude) psychology and on mistaking a priori statements for empirical hypotheses. Psychological jargon will be analysed in terms of commonsense psychology. Cognitive theories of emotions and the application of commonsense psychology to cognitive-behavioural therapy will be discussed.

The main subject of the course is regression, interpretation of results, evaluation and comparison of statistical models. The emphasis is on practical analysis and evaluation of model quality. Topics include transformations, categorical variables and interaction.

We will discuss several factors associated with normal aging, successful aging, and impairment. We will focus on research methods, cognitive abilities, cognitive impairment, mental health and well-being, physical health, falls, risk and protective factors associated with aging, and psychological assessment, diagnoses, and treament options.

Classification and epidemiology of childhood and adolescent psychopathology from a developmental standpoint.

The course discusses the interaction between people and their surroundings, the influence of natural and built environments on health and well-being, and how urban design can improve city life. It addresses environmental attitudes and concerns, as well as how the psychological perspective can add value to the discussion of sustainability and urban densification. Theories and research methods will be discussed. The course is a discussion oriented one with an emphasis placed on linking key concepts to everyday life.

kemur síðar

Emphasis on the psychological aspect of sports and exercise, including motivation, arousal, stress and anxiety, feedback, communication, addictive behavior, overtraining and burn-out, aggression, team dynamics, mental training, children and sports, etc.

This course gives an overview of the fundamental theories and the current research in learning and memory. The course will cover the basic anatomy of the hippocampus, theories of short and long-term memory, spatial memory, forms of implicit and statistical learning, and the development of memory through age. The practical part will consist of scientific presentations organized by the students. Recent publications in the field will be presented and discussed.

Course content:

Short and long-term memory
Brain plasticity
Anatomy of the Hippocampus
Spatial memory
Implicit/statistical learning
Learning to read
Memory and age
Memory disorders

This practicum offers students the opportunity to earn credit by working as research assistants on faculty research projects. Faculty members will supervise the students and allocate diverse tasks e.g. performing literature searches, data collection, data analysis or coding, contacting participants, data management etc. The practicum is not graded but the supervising faculty member will define which projects the student needs to complete in order to pass.

The course provides a theoretical and critical overview of key concepts in suicidology. Emphasis is placed on understanding suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide, as well as on analyzing suicidal behavior from social, psychological, and biological perspectives. Gender differences and specific patterns in suicidal behavior are examined in particular detail, alongside established theoretical frameworks such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, the Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model, and the Three-Step Theory.

The course also introduces the main assessment tools used in suicidology, as well as risk and protective factors that influence the likelihood of suicidal behavior. Students are introduced to evidence-based approaches to prevention and intervention in cases of suicidal risk, in addition to ethical and professional considerations related to working with vulnerable populations and conducting research in this field. The course thus provides both a solid theoretical foundation and practical insight that are valuable for further study and research in suicidology.

The main topics of this course are descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis. Measures of central tendency and spread will be covered as well as Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. The use of graphs to display distributions and relationships is emphasised. Sampling designs, probability theory and sampling distributions are also addressed.

Distance learning is not an option for this course. Students are expected to attend all lectures.

A general introduction course in psychology. Main topics covered are sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, learning, development, personality, social perception, intelligence and psychopathology.

The course addresses scientific explanations and their nature. It also covers different psychological explanations for human behaviour, comparing various conditions and an academic understanding of the psyche with everyday explanations.

The course covers scientific methods in psychology. Lectures provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, with special emphasis on experimental design. Common methodological problems in psychological research are introduced. Critical thinking is emphasised. Short projects related to lecture topics will be set in class.

Theories of learning and behaviour analysis. Students are introduced to the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning, as well as other principles regarding behaviour and learning. There will be a brief discussion of the application of these principles in teaching, training and therapy.

The first part of the course will provide a general introduction to research methods in physiological psychology; the structure of the nervous system; the structure and function of neurones and muscle cells at a cellular level; the role of glial cells in the nervous system; neurotransmitter systems and communication between neurones; the effects of various drugs on neurotransmitters, control of movement and the nervous system; and other basic issues in neuroscience. The second part of the course will provide a thorough discussion of vision; the neurophysiology of sleep and alertness; motivational processes such as ingestive behaviour, with emphasis on the role of neuronal and endocrine factors; the development of sexuality and sexual behaviour and the activation of hormones; reinforcement and addiction, including the neurobiology of reinforcement; learning and memory, including learning in 'simple' organisms; psychiatric disorders; and psychoactive drugs from a physiologic perspective.

The main subject of the course is inferential statistics. The course will cover, for example, estimation based on sample information, confidence intervals, sample distribution, hypothesis tests, t-tests and chisquare-tests. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

Introduction to basic skills in reading comprehension and essay writing in psychology. Emphasis is placed on training students to discuss psychology in good, clear Icelandic. For example, students practice using sources, writing essays and discussing statistical information.

The course focuses on the main methods of analysis for inferential statistics: one-way and two-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis and factor analysis, with emphasis on the analysis and design of questionnaires. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

The focus of this course is perception and cognition. Students design experiments to measure perception and cognition and learn about previous research on perception and cognition with an emphasis on the neural underpinnings of cognitive processes.

An overview of personality psychology, including the main theories and research methods. The course includes an introduction to different ways of measuring personality traits and detailed discussion of their stability over time and with changing circumstances. Biological and cognitive theories of personality are also covered. Students will also learn about intelligence, self-esteem and the links between personality and health. A great deal of emphasis is placed on training students to research personality psychology and they will conduct a substantial empirical research project over the semester. Students will then present their main findings in a short lecture and submit a written-up research report.

This course provides an overview of developmental literature, theory and research. Topics include cognitive, social and physical development from birth to adolescence, described in the context of developmental theory and research.  Students complete individual empirical research projects and submit a research report, as well as sitting multiple choice examinations.

An introduction to theories and methods in the study of perception and cognition. The emphasis will be on visual perception and the role of attention in perception. Resent methodological development in neuroscience will be discussed such as neuroimaging and neuropsychology.

Overview of psychometrics and measurement theory, test construction and interpretation of psychological tests. Exercises and classroom demonstrations emphasize conventional item analysis, reliability and exploratory factor analysis. 

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

A general introduction to social psychology. The areas covered are social cognition, self and identity, heuristics and decision making, attribution, attitude formation, social influence, group processes and crowds, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice. Students will be introduced to methods of applying their knowledge of social psychology.

The course covers the major types of mental disorders and their symptoms, contemporary psychological theories of major etiological and maintenance factors (emphasis being placed on cognitive behavioural theories), treatment approaches and research methods used in clinical psychology. Students are trained in writing a short academic report describing research results on a topic in clinical psychology.

Lecture hours cover:
i. Basics in philosophy of science and epistemology.
ii. Ancient and medieval philosophy on psychology.
iii. The roots of psychology in the scholarly community of the 17th and 18th centuries.
iv. The emergence of modern psychology in the 19th century.
v. The history of psychological ide as in the 20th century.

Training hours cover:Weekly training sessions are preparations for course exams.

Internship for undergraduate students in Psychology within Icelandic firms/institutions. Available for students at their third year.

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

The course introduces students to the principles of ergonomics and usability, focusing on how human perception, attention, and cognitive processes influence interaction with digital interfaces. Lectures and practical sessions cover topics such as human-centred design, information processing, usability testing, and the pitfalls of designing for the “average” user. Students learn to plan and conduct small usability evaluations and interpret findings using standard criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Critical thinking and ethical awareness in design are emphasised. Case studies and short projects provide hands-on experience with real-world examples of good and poor usability.

The course looks at empirical studies on treatment effects of training parents to manage aggressive, oppositional, and other antisocial behaviors that are the basis for diagnosis of hyperactivity, oppositional-defiant, and conduct disorders in children and adolescents. The content of parent training will be discussed intensively. The course will also discuss short parenting courses that have been developed on the basis of research results on parent training and are often used as a psychosocial prevention method for behavioral disorders and as a way to inform parents in general about parenting techniques that increase children's adaptation skills to daily life. 

We will discuss the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and queer psychology. The main focus will be on introduction to queer studies, main terms used, marginalization, health, relationships, parenting and family. Gender identity, sexual orientation and gender expression will be discussed within the framework of psychology

The aim of the course is to introduce the basics of work and organizational psychology. Career analysis, recruitment, performance appraisal, motivation and work organization, job training, work stress, the role of leaders and corporate culture are discussed.

Students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to increase employee satisfaction and performance.

The aim of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).
OBM is a subdiscipline of applied behavior analysis, where the basic principles of behavior are applied to improve, among other things, performance, culture, safety, and well-being in workplaces.
The course also covers improved management practices, leadership skills, organizational structure, and work procedures.

The course emphasizes both theoretical and practical knowledge, enabling students to understand the reinforcement contingencies underlying effective management.
Examples from Icelandic and international companies and organizations will be used to illustrate the material.

The main focus will be on commonsense (belief-desire, propositional attitude) psychology and on mistaking a priori statements for empirical hypotheses. Psychological jargon will be analysed in terms of commonsense psychology. Cognitive theories of emotions and the application of commonsense psychology to cognitive-behavioural therapy will be discussed.

The main subject of the course is regression, interpretation of results, evaluation and comparison of statistical models. The emphasis is on practical analysis and evaluation of model quality. Topics include transformations, categorical variables and interaction.

We will discuss several factors associated with normal aging, successful aging, and impairment. We will focus on research methods, cognitive abilities, cognitive impairment, mental health and well-being, physical health, falls, risk and protective factors associated with aging, and psychological assessment, diagnoses, and treament options.

Classification and epidemiology of childhood and adolescent psychopathology from a developmental standpoint.

The course discusses the interaction between people and their surroundings, the influence of natural and built environments on health and well-being, and how urban design can improve city life. It addresses environmental attitudes and concerns, as well as how the psychological perspective can add value to the discussion of sustainability and urban densification. Theories and research methods will be discussed. The course is a discussion oriented one with an emphasis placed on linking key concepts to everyday life.

kemur síðar

Emphasis on the psychological aspect of sports and exercise, including motivation, arousal, stress and anxiety, feedback, communication, addictive behavior, overtraining and burn-out, aggression, team dynamics, mental training, children and sports, etc.

This course gives an overview of the fundamental theories and the current research in learning and memory. The course will cover the basic anatomy of the hippocampus, theories of short and long-term memory, spatial memory, forms of implicit and statistical learning, and the development of memory through age. The practical part will consist of scientific presentations organized by the students. Recent publications in the field will be presented and discussed.

Course content:

Short and long-term memory
Brain plasticity
Anatomy of the Hippocampus
Spatial memory
Implicit/statistical learning
Learning to read
Memory and age
Memory disorders

This practicum offers students the opportunity to earn credit by working as research assistants on faculty research projects. Faculty members will supervise the students and allocate diverse tasks e.g. performing literature searches, data collection, data analysis or coding, contacting participants, data management etc. The practicum is not graded but the supervising faculty member will define which projects the student needs to complete in order to pass.

The course provides a theoretical and critical overview of key concepts in suicidology. Emphasis is placed on understanding suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide, as well as on analyzing suicidal behavior from social, psychological, and biological perspectives. Gender differences and specific patterns in suicidal behavior are examined in particular detail, alongside established theoretical frameworks such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, the Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model, and the Three-Step Theory.

The course also introduces the main assessment tools used in suicidology, as well as risk and protective factors that influence the likelihood of suicidal behavior. Students are introduced to evidence-based approaches to prevention and intervention in cases of suicidal risk, in addition to ethical and professional considerations related to working with vulnerable populations and conducting research in this field. The course thus provides both a solid theoretical foundation and practical insight that are valuable for further study and research in suicidology.

The main topics of this course are descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis. Measures of central tendency and spread will be covered as well as Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. The use of graphs to display distributions and relationships is emphasised. Sampling designs, probability theory and sampling distributions are also addressed.

Distance learning is not an option for this course. Students are expected to attend all lectures.

A general introduction course in psychology. Main topics covered are sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, learning, development, personality, social perception, intelligence and psychopathology.

The course addresses scientific explanations and their nature. It also covers different psychological explanations for human behaviour, comparing various conditions and an academic understanding of the psyche with everyday explanations.

The course covers scientific methods in psychology. Lectures provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, with special emphasis on experimental design. Common methodological problems in psychological research are introduced. Critical thinking is emphasised. Short projects related to lecture topics will be set in class.

Theories of learning and behaviour analysis. Students are introduced to the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning, as well as other principles regarding behaviour and learning. There will be a brief discussion of the application of these principles in teaching, training and therapy.

The first part of the course will provide a general introduction to research methods in physiological psychology; the structure of the nervous system; the structure and function of neurones and muscle cells at a cellular level; the role of glial cells in the nervous system; neurotransmitter systems and communication between neurones; the effects of various drugs on neurotransmitters, control of movement and the nervous system; and other basic issues in neuroscience. The second part of the course will provide a thorough discussion of vision; the neurophysiology of sleep and alertness; motivational processes such as ingestive behaviour, with emphasis on the role of neuronal and endocrine factors; the development of sexuality and sexual behaviour and the activation of hormones; reinforcement and addiction, including the neurobiology of reinforcement; learning and memory, including learning in 'simple' organisms; psychiatric disorders; and psychoactive drugs from a physiologic perspective.

The main subject of the course is inferential statistics. The course will cover, for example, estimation based on sample information, confidence intervals, sample distribution, hypothesis tests, t-tests and chisquare-tests. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

Introduction to basic skills in reading comprehension and essay writing in psychology. Emphasis is placed on training students to discuss psychology in good, clear Icelandic. For example, students practice using sources, writing essays and discussing statistical information.

The course focuses on the main methods of analysis for inferential statistics: one-way and two-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis and factor analysis, with emphasis on the analysis and design of questionnaires. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

The focus of this course is perception and cognition. Students design experiments to measure perception and cognition and learn about previous research on perception and cognition with an emphasis on the neural underpinnings of cognitive processes.

An overview of personality psychology, including the main theories and research methods. The course includes an introduction to different ways of measuring personality traits and detailed discussion of their stability over time and with changing circumstances. Biological and cognitive theories of personality are also covered. Students will also learn about intelligence, self-esteem and the links between personality and health. A great deal of emphasis is placed on training students to research personality psychology and they will conduct a substantial empirical research project over the semester. Students will then present their main findings in a short lecture and submit a written-up research report.

This course provides an overview of developmental literature, theory and research. Topics include cognitive, social and physical development from birth to adolescence, described in the context of developmental theory and research.  Students complete individual empirical research projects and submit a research report, as well as sitting multiple choice examinations.

An introduction to theories and methods in the study of perception and cognition. The emphasis will be on visual perception and the role of attention in perception. Resent methodological development in neuroscience will be discussed such as neuroimaging and neuropsychology.

Overview of psychometrics and measurement theory, test construction and interpretation of psychological tests. Exercises and classroom demonstrations emphasize conventional item analysis, reliability and exploratory factor analysis. 

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

A general introduction to social psychology. The areas covered are social cognition, self and identity, heuristics and decision making, attribution, attitude formation, social influence, group processes and crowds, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice. Students will be introduced to methods of applying their knowledge of social psychology.

The course covers the major types of mental disorders and their symptoms, contemporary psychological theories of major etiological and maintenance factors (emphasis being placed on cognitive behavioural theories), treatment approaches and research methods used in clinical psychology. Students are trained in writing a short academic report describing research results on a topic in clinical psychology.

Lecture hours cover:
i. Basics in philosophy of science and epistemology.
ii. Ancient and medieval philosophy on psychology.
iii. The roots of psychology in the scholarly community of the 17th and 18th centuries.
iv. The emergence of modern psychology in the 19th century.
v. The history of psychological ide as in the 20th century.

Training hours cover:Weekly training sessions are preparations for course exams.

Internship for undergraduate students in Psychology within Icelandic firms/institutions. Available for students at their third year.

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

The course introduces students to the principles of ergonomics and usability, focusing on how human perception, attention, and cognitive processes influence interaction with digital interfaces. Lectures and practical sessions cover topics such as human-centred design, information processing, usability testing, and the pitfalls of designing for the “average” user. Students learn to plan and conduct small usability evaluations and interpret findings using standard criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Critical thinking and ethical awareness in design are emphasised. Case studies and short projects provide hands-on experience with real-world examples of good and poor usability.

The course looks at empirical studies on treatment effects of training parents to manage aggressive, oppositional, and other antisocial behaviors that are the basis for diagnosis of hyperactivity, oppositional-defiant, and conduct disorders in children and adolescents. The content of parent training will be discussed intensively. The course will also discuss short parenting courses that have been developed on the basis of research results on parent training and are often used as a psychosocial prevention method for behavioral disorders and as a way to inform parents in general about parenting techniques that increase children's adaptation skills to daily life. 

We will discuss the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and queer psychology. The main focus will be on introduction to queer studies, main terms used, marginalization, health, relationships, parenting and family. Gender identity, sexual orientation and gender expression will be discussed within the framework of psychology

The aim of the course is to introduce the basics of work and organizational psychology. Career analysis, recruitment, performance appraisal, motivation and work organization, job training, work stress, the role of leaders and corporate culture are discussed.

Students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to increase employee satisfaction and performance.

The aim of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).
OBM is a subdiscipline of applied behavior analysis, where the basic principles of behavior are applied to improve, among other things, performance, culture, safety, and well-being in workplaces.
The course also covers improved management practices, leadership skills, organizational structure, and work procedures.

The course emphasizes both theoretical and practical knowledge, enabling students to understand the reinforcement contingencies underlying effective management.
Examples from Icelandic and international companies and organizations will be used to illustrate the material.

The main focus will be on commonsense (belief-desire, propositional attitude) psychology and on mistaking a priori statements for empirical hypotheses. Psychological jargon will be analysed in terms of commonsense psychology. Cognitive theories of emotions and the application of commonsense psychology to cognitive-behavioural therapy will be discussed.

The main subject of the course is regression, interpretation of results, evaluation and comparison of statistical models. The emphasis is on practical analysis and evaluation of model quality. Topics include transformations, categorical variables and interaction.

We will discuss several factors associated with normal aging, successful aging, and impairment. We will focus on research methods, cognitive abilities, cognitive impairment, mental health and well-being, physical health, falls, risk and protective factors associated with aging, and psychological assessment, diagnoses, and treament options.

Classification and epidemiology of childhood and adolescent psychopathology from a developmental standpoint.

The course discusses the interaction between people and their surroundings, the influence of natural and built environments on health and well-being, and how urban design can improve city life. It addresses environmental attitudes and concerns, as well as how the psychological perspective can add value to the discussion of sustainability and urban densification. Theories and research methods will be discussed. The course is a discussion oriented one with an emphasis placed on linking key concepts to everyday life.

kemur síðar

Emphasis on the psychological aspect of sports and exercise, including motivation, arousal, stress and anxiety, feedback, communication, addictive behavior, overtraining and burn-out, aggression, team dynamics, mental training, children and sports, etc.

This course gives an overview of the fundamental theories and the current research in learning and memory. The course will cover the basic anatomy of the hippocampus, theories of short and long-term memory, spatial memory, forms of implicit and statistical learning, and the development of memory through age. The practical part will consist of scientific presentations organized by the students. Recent publications in the field will be presented and discussed.

Course content:

Short and long-term memory
Brain plasticity
Anatomy of the Hippocampus
Spatial memory
Implicit/statistical learning
Learning to read
Memory and age
Memory disorders

This practicum offers students the opportunity to earn credit by working as research assistants on faculty research projects. Faculty members will supervise the students and allocate diverse tasks e.g. performing literature searches, data collection, data analysis or coding, contacting participants, data management etc. The practicum is not graded but the supervising faculty member will define which projects the student needs to complete in order to pass.

The course provides a theoretical and critical overview of key concepts in suicidology. Emphasis is placed on understanding suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide, as well as on analyzing suicidal behavior from social, psychological, and biological perspectives. Gender differences and specific patterns in suicidal behavior are examined in particular detail, alongside established theoretical frameworks such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, the Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model, and the Three-Step Theory.

The course also introduces the main assessment tools used in suicidology, as well as risk and protective factors that influence the likelihood of suicidal behavior. Students are introduced to evidence-based approaches to prevention and intervention in cases of suicidal risk, in addition to ethical and professional considerations related to working with vulnerable populations and conducting research in this field. The course thus provides both a solid theoretical foundation and practical insight that are valuable for further study and research in suicidology.

The main topics of this course are descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis. Measures of central tendency and spread will be covered as well as Pearson's correlation and simple linear regression. The use of graphs to display distributions and relationships is emphasised. Sampling designs, probability theory and sampling distributions are also addressed.

Distance learning is not an option for this course. Students are expected to attend all lectures.

A general introduction course in psychology. Main topics covered are sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, learning, development, personality, social perception, intelligence and psychopathology.

The course addresses scientific explanations and their nature. It also covers different psychological explanations for human behaviour, comparing various conditions and an academic understanding of the psyche with everyday explanations.

The course covers scientific methods in psychology. Lectures provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, with special emphasis on experimental design. Common methodological problems in psychological research are introduced. Critical thinking is emphasised. Short projects related to lecture topics will be set in class.

Theories of learning and behaviour analysis. Students are introduced to the basic principles of classical and operant conditioning, as well as other principles regarding behaviour and learning. There will be a brief discussion of the application of these principles in teaching, training and therapy.

The first part of the course will provide a general introduction to research methods in physiological psychology; the structure of the nervous system; the structure and function of neurones and muscle cells at a cellular level; the role of glial cells in the nervous system; neurotransmitter systems and communication between neurones; the effects of various drugs on neurotransmitters, control of movement and the nervous system; and other basic issues in neuroscience. The second part of the course will provide a thorough discussion of vision; the neurophysiology of sleep and alertness; motivational processes such as ingestive behaviour, with emphasis on the role of neuronal and endocrine factors; the development of sexuality and sexual behaviour and the activation of hormones; reinforcement and addiction, including the neurobiology of reinforcement; learning and memory, including learning in 'simple' organisms; psychiatric disorders; and psychoactive drugs from a physiologic perspective.

The main subject of the course is inferential statistics. The course will cover, for example, estimation based on sample information, confidence intervals, sample distribution, hypothesis tests, t-tests and chisquare-tests. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

Introduction to basic skills in reading comprehension and essay writing in psychology. Emphasis is placed on training students to discuss psychology in good, clear Icelandic. For example, students practice using sources, writing essays and discussing statistical information.

The course focuses on the main methods of analysis for inferential statistics: one-way and two-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis and factor analysis, with emphasis on the analysis and design of questionnaires. Students work on assignments in parallel with lectures.

The focus of this course is perception and cognition. Students design experiments to measure perception and cognition and learn about previous research on perception and cognition with an emphasis on the neural underpinnings of cognitive processes.

An overview of personality psychology, including the main theories and research methods. The course includes an introduction to different ways of measuring personality traits and detailed discussion of their stability over time and with changing circumstances. Biological and cognitive theories of personality are also covered. Students will also learn about intelligence, self-esteem and the links between personality and health. A great deal of emphasis is placed on training students to research personality psychology and they will conduct a substantial empirical research project over the semester. Students will then present their main findings in a short lecture and submit a written-up research report.

This course provides an overview of developmental literature, theory and research. Topics include cognitive, social and physical development from birth to adolescence, described in the context of developmental theory and research.  Students complete individual empirical research projects and submit a research report, as well as sitting multiple choice examinations.

An introduction to theories and methods in the study of perception and cognition. The emphasis will be on visual perception and the role of attention in perception. Resent methodological development in neuroscience will be discussed such as neuroimaging and neuropsychology.

Overview of psychometrics and measurement theory, test construction and interpretation of psychological tests. Exercises and classroom demonstrations emphasize conventional item analysis, reliability and exploratory factor analysis. 

The course is especially aimed at students on their first year of studies in disciplines within the field of health sciences. The joint Health science day is for incoming students of all faculties at the School of Health Sciences in January each year. The main topic is interdisciplinary cooperation and its importance. All basic factors of cooperation will be covered such as the common view on the right to good health, communication and ethics. Furthermore, the role and responsibility of health sciences.

A general introduction to social psychology. The areas covered are social cognition, self and identity, heuristics and decision making, attribution, attitude formation, social influence, group processes and crowds, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice. Students will be introduced to methods of applying their knowledge of social psychology.

The course covers the major types of mental disorders and their symptoms, contemporary psychological theories of major etiological and maintenance factors (emphasis being placed on cognitive behavioural theories), treatment approaches and research methods used in clinical psychology. Students are trained in writing a short academic report describing research results on a topic in clinical psychology.

Lecture hours cover:
i. Basics in philosophy of science and epistemology.
ii. Ancient and medieval philosophy on psychology.
iii. The roots of psychology in the scholarly community of the 17th and 18th centuries.
iv. The emergence of modern psychology in the 19th century.
v. The history of psychological ide as in the 20th century.

Training hours cover:Weekly training sessions are preparations for course exams.

Internship for undergraduate students in Psychology within Icelandic firms/institutions. Available for students at their third year.

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

BS thesis in Psychology

The course introduces students to the principles of ergonomics and usability, focusing on how human perception, attention, and cognitive processes influence interaction with digital interfaces. Lectures and practical sessions cover topics such as human-centred design, information processing, usability testing, and the pitfalls of designing for the “average” user. Students learn to plan and conduct small usability evaluations and interpret findings using standard criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Critical thinking and ethical awareness in design are emphasised. Case studies and short projects provide hands-on experience with real-world examples of good and poor usability.

The course looks at empirical studies on treatment effects of training parents to manage aggressive, oppositional, and other antisocial behaviors that are the basis for diagnosis of hyperactivity, oppositional-defiant, and conduct disorders in children and adolescents. The content of parent training will be discussed intensively. The course will also discuss short parenting courses that have been developed on the basis of research results on parent training and are often used as a psychosocial prevention method for behavioral disorders and as a way to inform parents in general about parenting techniques that increase children's adaptation skills to daily life. 

We will discuss the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual and queer psychology. The main focus will be on introduction to queer studies, main terms used, marginalization, health, relationships, parenting and family. Gender identity, sexual orientation and gender expression will be discussed within the framework of psychology

The aim of the course is to introduce the basics of work and organizational psychology. Career analysis, recruitment, performance appraisal, motivation and work organization, job training, work stress, the role of leaders and corporate culture are discussed.

Students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to increase employee satisfaction and performance.

The aim of this course is to teach students the fundamentals of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).
OBM is a subdiscipline of applied behavior analysis, where the basic principles of behavior are applied to improve, among other things, performance, culture, safety, and well-being in workplaces.
The course also covers improved management practices, leadership skills, organizational structure, and work procedures.

The course emphasizes both theoretical and practical knowledge, enabling students to understand the reinforcement contingencies underlying effective management.
Examples from Icelandic and international companies and organizations will be used to illustrate the material.

The main focus will be on commonsense (belief-desire, propositional attitude) psychology and on mistaking a priori statements for empirical hypotheses. Psychological jargon will be analysed in terms of commonsense psychology. Cognitive theories of emotions and the application of commonsense psychology to cognitive-behavioural therapy will be discussed.

The main subject of the course is regression, interpretation of results, evaluation and comparison of statistical models. The emphasis is on practical analysis and evaluation of model quality. Topics include transformations, categorical variables and interaction.

We will discuss several factors associated with normal aging, successful aging, and impairment. We will focus on research methods, cognitive abilities, cognitive impairment, mental health and well-being, physical health, falls, risk and protective factors associated with aging, and psychological assessment, diagnoses, and treament options.

Classification and epidemiology of childhood and adolescent psychopathology from a developmental standpoint.

The course discusses the interaction between people and their surroundings, the influence of natural and built environments on health and well-being, and how urban design can improve city life. It addresses environmental attitudes and concerns, as well as how the psychological perspective can add value to the discussion of sustainability and urban densification. Theories and research methods will be discussed. The course is a discussion oriented one with an emphasis placed on linking key concepts to everyday life.

kemur síðar

Emphasis on the psychological aspect of sports and exercise, including motivation, arousal, stress and anxiety, feedback, communication, addictive behavior, overtraining and burn-out, aggression, team dynamics, mental training, children and sports, etc.

This course gives an overview of the fundamental theories and the current research in learning and memory. The course will cover the basic anatomy of the hippocampus, theories of short and long-term memory, spatial memory, forms of implicit and statistical learning, and the development of memory through age. The practical part will consist of scientific presentations organized by the students. Recent publications in the field will be presented and discussed.

Course content:

Short and long-term memory
Brain plasticity
Anatomy of the Hippocampus
Spatial memory
Implicit/statistical learning
Learning to read
Memory and age
Memory disorders

This practicum offers students the opportunity to earn credit by working as research assistants on faculty research projects. Faculty members will supervise the students and allocate diverse tasks e.g. performing literature searches, data collection, data analysis or coding, contacting participants, data management etc. The practicum is not graded but the supervising faculty member will define which projects the student needs to complete in order to pass.

The course provides a theoretical and critical overview of key concepts in suicidology. Emphasis is placed on understanding suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide, as well as on analyzing suicidal behavior from social, psychological, and biological perspectives. Gender differences and specific patterns in suicidal behavior are examined in particular detail, alongside established theoretical frameworks such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, the Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model, and the Three-Step Theory.

The course also introduces the main assessment tools used in suicidology, as well as risk and protective factors that influence the likelihood of suicidal behavior. Students are introduced to evidence-based approaches to prevention and intervention in cases of suicidal risk, in addition to ethical and professional considerations related to working with vulnerable populations and conducting research in this field. The course thus provides both a solid theoretical foundation and practical insight that are valuable for further study and research in suicidology.