Module Code - Title:
PS4138
-
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
PS4042
PS4021
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
to introduce students to the rapidly developing field of health psychology, to highlight the importance of a biopsychosocial approach to understanding health and illness.
and to improve students understanding of the role that behaviour plays in determining health and illness.
Syllabus:
Health Psychology is a sub-discipline of relatively recent origin in psychology, but is rapidly developing a unique identity. Whilst having some concerns in common with clinical psychology- health psychology is concerned with both mental and physical health and in particular their inter-relationship- it is quite distinct from that discipline. Its range of interest is wide and continues to develop, but the discipline by its nature is interdisciplinary, requiring the study of variables at the biological, psychological and social levels. It is an area that is often controversial, reflecting in part, the methodological and conceptual problems inherent in a subject straddling several disciplines. Topics covered include Models of health behaviour, stress, psychoneuroimmunology
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
Knowledge of the role of lifestyle factors in determining health
Ability to evaluate the interaction between physiological, psychological and social systems in determining health
The methodological and conceptual difficulties associated with health psychology research and their impact on the evaluation of research findings.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
a positive attitude to health promotion and a sense of responsbility towards own health behaviour and status
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
ability to self-reflect
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
sarafino (2008)
health psychology
,
Other Relevant Texts:
ogden (2006)
health psychology
, open university
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Module Leader:
stephen.gallagher@ul.ie