Deception
| Module title | Deception |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOC2115 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Brian Rappert (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
This module addresses a number of questions: What is deception? How can we understand the social reasons for its existence and prevalence? How does deception underpin criminal and deviant activities? Can deception be justified? You will study the patterning of deception within social institutions, including its causes and consequences. You will learn to understand it from varied academic perspectives as well as to critically appreciate the methodologies for determining its occurrence and frequency. A deliberately broad range of forms of deception will be considered, including deception within art, science, war, business, and entertainment.
This module is suitable for students on interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Deception aims to enhance your ability to think independently, express your ideas through written and oral arguments, and respond to other people’s views in a seminar environment. It also exposes you to an issue that is challenging and controversial in many ways, and cross-disciplinary by nature. Deception aims to:
- Provide you with the opportunity to develop confidence and skills to apply social science theories and concepts to pressing contemporary issues;
- Foster your ability to assembly, critique, and interpret factual information;
- Offer a stimulating approach to understanding the intersection of politics, technology, society and culture.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically evaluate different sources of information about deception, including their place within disciplinary and public debates.
- 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the types of social science research into deception
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Draw substantiated thematic comparisons between material from different sources;
- 4. Clearly present research, policy debates and your own arguments;
- 5. Offer conceptually-based arguments grounded in theoretical frameworks;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Present an argument orally in a clear and organized manner;
- 7. Evaluate own work and those of others;
- 8. Demonstrate collaborative skills, including the presentation and discussion of material in groups.
- 9. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Defining Deception
- The Ethics of Deception
- The Detection of Deception
- Deception and Science
- Deception and Art
- Deception and War
- Deception and Entertainment
- Deception and Fraud
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour weekly lecture/seminar (or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar) |
| Guided Independent Study | 24 | Preparing for the seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Required reading |
| Guided Independent Study | 10 | Additional reading/research |
| Guided Independent Study | 54 | Preparation for the presentation and exam |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer review - Each student will write a short review of another students draft summative essay, discussing how well the essay achieves it goals and offering suggestions for improvement. | One hour class time interaction as well as essay preparation | 1-5, 7, 9 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | 65 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50 | 1.5 hours | 1-5, 9 | Written |
| Presentation | 20 | 10 minute presentations | 1-6, 8 | Written class feedback |
| Essay | 30 | 1400 word essay | 1-5, 7, 9 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination (2 hours) | 1-5, 9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Presentation | 10 minute presentations | 1-6, 8, 9 | TBA with students in Term 3 |
| Essay | Essay (1400 words) | 5, 7, 9 | August/September re-assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
When students’ ability to participate in seminars is severely impaired for condonable reasons, an alternative to contributions to discussions will be offered.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic readings:
Michael Pettit,The Science of Deception: Psychology and Commerce in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press 2013).
James Ball, Post-truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World (London: Biteback 2017).
Harry Frankfurt On Bullshit (London: Princeton University Press 2005).
Brian Martin, The Deceptive Activist (Sparsnäs, Sweden: Irene Publishing, 2017).
Paul Ekman, Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage (New York: Norton, 1985/2009).
F. G. Bailey, The Prevalence of Deceit (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991).
Dan Ariely, The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone — Especially Ourselves (New York:HarperCollins, 2012).
J. A. Barnes, A Pack of Lies: Towards a Sociology of Lying (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).
Dariusz Galasinski, The Language of Deception: A Discourse Analytical Study (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage,2000).
Jon Latimer, Deception in War (London: John Murray, 2001).
Steven Poole, Unspeak™ (London: Little, Brown, 2006).
David Shulman, From Hire to Liar: The Role of Deception in the Workplace (Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 2007).
Aldert Vrij, Detecting Lies and Deceit: Pitfalls and Opportunities, 2nd edition (Chichester, West Sussex: JohnWiley & Sons, 2008).
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | SOC1039 or SOC1040. |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 25/10/2018 |
| Last revision date | 08/09/2020 |
