PSY449 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
| Course Code: | 2330449 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | Psychology |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Prof.Dr. ÖZLEM BOZO |
| Offered Semester: | Fall Semesters. |
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, the student will acquire knowledge of:
1. the history, basic assumptions, main topic areas, concepts, and methods of health psychology
2. basic skills and behavioral strategies for lifestyle change and to promote health and wellness
3. biopsychosocial and behavioral factors associated with health, wellness and illness
Course Content
This course is designed to explore the biopsychosocial factors associated with health and wellness. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with behavioral changes that facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of health, primary and secondary prevention, and the role of psychosocial factors such as stress in the development of illness. Multicultural aspects of health behavior will be examined throughout the course.
Course Learning Outcomes
1. a. Describes how and why this new field of psychology emerged
b. Discusses the relation of psychology with health
c. Identifies health psychology as a separate profession
d. Describes how to be a critical consumer of health- and psychology-related information presented in the media
2. a. Discusses the effects of psychological factors, like stress, on physical health of individuals
b. Identifies different medical disorders and diseases and their implications for the psychological functioning of individuals with these disorders
3. a. Identifies how to improve health related behaviors
b. Identifies how to manage illness problems
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Solid background in basic theories and approaches in psychology. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Skills to obtain and interpret new information in the light of acquired theoretical knowledge. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Skills to follow both national and international publications and developments in the discipline. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Basic applied skills and knowledge of the various disciplines of psychology that do not require specialization. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Awareness of the value of continuing educational practices such as in-service training, seminars, and conferences to keep career-relevant knowledge and skills up-to-date. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Skills to conduct research based on basic knowledge related to testing and measurement, research methods, and statistics. That is, skills related to forming research hypotheses, designing the research, collecting data, applying basic statistical analysis, and reporting. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Knowledge and skills about conducting research and practice by adhering to ethical guidelines. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Skills in oral and written communication both in Turkish and English. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Skills to work in teams that involve disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects. | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Critical thinking skills in following the psychological literature together with the psychology-related information appearing in popular media. | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Skills to generate practical and culture-sensitive solutions to problems. | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Awareness of societal, environmental, and economic factors in professional practice and research. | ✔ | |||
| 13 | Skills to lead and pioneer in the profession of psychology, either in academia or professional practice. | ✔ | |||
| 14 | Skills in independent and team work. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution