Health Psychology, 7.5 Credits

Contents

In this course, different aspects of health psychology in relation to public health is treated. The course emphasizes the interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors as well as their consequences for health and quality of life. The course also discusses the concepts of health, stress, stress moderators, risky behaviors and health promotive behaviors as well as life style and quality of life. Moreover, the course deals with functional somatic syndromes, occupational health psychology, positive psychology, and epigenetics. The course content is problematized from a diversity perspective and basic research methods are discussed.

Expected learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Give an account for and explain central theories on health, stress, stress moderation, risk behaviors, health promotive behaviors, life style and life quality.
• Give an account on what consequences stress, stress moderation, risk behaviors, health promotive behaviors, life style and life quality have on health.
• Give an account for functional somatic syndrome, occupational health psychology, positive psychology and epigenetics and their relation to health psychology.
• Give an account for problems with measurements in health psychology.

Skills and ability

• Analyze health psychology from a perspective of diversity.
• Convey health psychological science orally and in writing.
• Apply and review relevant methods in measurements.

Evaluation ability and approach

• Critically review, analyze, and evaluate health psychological methods and literature

Required Knowledge

Form of instruction

The teaching is student active and based on lectures (some will be online), seminars, laborations/excercises, group work, and group mentoring. The teaching is campus based. However, teaching resources will be provided and some communication takes part through the Internet based course platform Cambro. This requires specific demands on technical equipment and competence. Examination is compulsory.

The right to teaching and supervision is only given during the time period that the student is registered on the course. The course is given in English.

Examination modes

Both written and oral examination will occur. Examination will be performed both individual and in group.

Individually

• Knowledge and understanding is examined by a written exam.
• Skills and ability are examined by oral presentations.
• Re-examination is given with an equivalent task within two months of ordinary examination.

In group

• Skills, ability, evaluation ability, and approach is examined by a written group report.

Re-examination is given with an equivalent task within two months of ordinary examination.
Examination is specified in the schedule. All aspects of teaching can be subject to examination. Decision of deviation from type of examination is made by the Director of undergraduate studies.

The course grade will be established when the written exam/exams and all mandatory parts have been completed. The grades are Pass with distinction, Pass, or Fail. The student has the right to 5 examination occasions at least two occasions if the testing is practical, clinical or similar. For students who have failed the first exam occasion, additional exam occasions are arranged according to Umeå University´s  ”Regler för betyg och examination på grund- och avancerad nivå.” A student who has not passed an exam on two exam occasions in a course or part of a course has the right to a new examiner, unless particular reasons speak against it (Higher Education Ordinance, Högskoleförordningen 6 kap. 22 §). Request for a new examiner is handed in to the Head of the Department of Psychology. The student has the right to be examined according to the same syllabus on at least two occasions up to two years after the first registration.

Transfer of Credits
The student has the right to have previous educations or comparable knowledge and occupational skills tried for crediting of a similar education at Umeå University. The application is sent to Studentcentrum/Examina. Further information on crediting is available at www.student.umu.se and regulated by law in the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 6). A rejection of such an application can be appealed (Higher Education Ordinance, chapter 12) to the Higher Education Appeals Board (Överklagandenämnden för högskolan). This applies to rejection of the entire application as well as to parts of it.