Module SOC3115 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC3115: Deception
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
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.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Critically evaluate different sources of information about deception, including their place within disciplinary and public debates. 2. Demonstrate a significant understanding of the types of social science research into deception |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Draw substantiated thematic comparisons between material from different sources; 4. Present research, policy debates and your own arguments in an articulate and comprehensive manner; 5. Develop conceptually-based arguments grounded in theoretical frameworks; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. Present an argument orally in an effective and persuasive manner; 7. Critically evaluate own work and those of others; 8. Demonstrate substantial collaborative skills, e.g. 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 |
Module Content
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 and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2-hour seminars (lecturers explanations, student participation and discussion) |
| 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 and completion of essay and exam |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| 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
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 50 | 20 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| 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 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination/Presentation/Essay | Examination (2 hours) | 1-5, 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 Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
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 Galasi��ski, 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).
