- UCAS course code
- C800
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Psychology
- Typical A-level offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL, including specific requirements
Course unit details:
Foundations of Health Psychology
Unit code | PSYC11512 |
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Credit rating | 10 |
Unit level | Level 4 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Topics covered will include:
- the concept of health
- the biomedical and biopsychosocial approaches to health
- the influence of stress on health
- the social cognition approach to predicting and changing health behaviour
This unit will also provide students with an illustration of the ways in which a strong research basis is critical in this area, and ii. a critical evaluation of basic theoretical and methodological issues.
Aims
This unit aims to:
- offer a transformative educational experience in health psychology guided by world class experts
- provide an understanding of historical and contemporary theories in health psychology and challenge students to use their knowledge to tackle health-related real-world problems.
- foster ethically minded, socially responsible graduates and support them in gaining volunteering and work experience to contribute to health benefits.
- deliver education on foundations of health psychology using a variety of methods and technologies to encourage students to become independent, active and self-directed learners
Teaching and learning methods
This unit is taught via lectures and seminars.
Supplementary reading and resources via Canvas
Knowledge and understanding
- Understand the principal approaches to understanding health from a psychological perspective.
- Integrate findings from different fields of research to understand health.
- Understand and describe, from theoretical and methodological perspectives, key psychological models that have been used to understand health and health behaviour.
- Apply multiple perspectives to health issues, recognising that psychology as applied to health involves a range of research methods, theories, and evidence.
- Summarise the evidence base for findings from the main approaches to health psychology.
Intellectual skills
- Appreciate the historical and conceptual roots of health psychology, recognising the importance of the subjective nature of experience.
- Appreciate the contributions psychology research has made to health.
- Apply knowledge to real world cases in the field of health psychology.
- Apply scientific reasoning and evidence-based analysis to evaluate health psychology theories, research, ethical issues, and arguments.
- Understand the process of theory development, and construct operationalise and critically evaluate research questions and methodologies in health psychology.
- Understand and articulate the limitations of social cognition models in understanding health behaviour.
- Employ, interrelate and systematically analyse different perspectives, methods, and theories to solve a broad range of health issues.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Work in groups
- Communicate effectively, presenting concise and persuasive arguments
Assessment methods
Assessment Task | Length | How and when feedback is provided | Weighting within unit (if relevant) |
Essay | 1500 words | Students will receive individual feedback on their work 20 working days after the final assessment deadline. | 100% |
Feedback methods
Students will receive verbal feedback on their essay plans in a dedicated face-to-face seminar as well as a grade and written feedback on their final coursework essay.
Recommended reading
Abraham, C., Conner, M., Jones, F., O'Connor, D. (2016). Health Psychology. Taylor and Francis.
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Lectures | 10 |
Seminars | 4 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 86 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Christopher Armitage | Unit coordinator |