The primary purpose of this module is to provide students with a sound understanding of the brain and behaviour in physical activity and exercise settings, particularly the psychological antecedents, concomitants, and consequences of physical activity and exercise, as well as exercise promotion, prescription, and implementation. Physical inactivity is associated with impaired mental health and diminished quality of life, whereas, the salutary benefits of exercise are well established. However, compared to the available literature of exercise effects on physiological outcomes, psychological responses to exercise are less well-studied, and we continue to be challenged with increasing levels of physical inactivity in the population. A further aim will be to develop a critical understanding of synthesis and critical appraisal of the exercise psychology literature to develop students as informed consumers of literature. Finally, this module will develop applied laboratory-based research skills with relevant laboratory measures used in exercise psychology research.

This module first surveys the mental health-related aspects of exercise, the biopsychology of stress, physical activity, and disease. Next, the behavioural determinants of physical activity and interventions for increasing activity are reviewed. In addition, lecture materials, associated readings, and applied activities (i.e., tutorials devoted to cultivating literature review, synthesis, and presentation skills) will be designed to develop the student's ability to critically appraise the extant exercise psychology literature. An applied laboratory-based research project is designed to develop student proficiency with relevant laboratory measures used in exercise psychology research and the application of fundamentals of exercise psychology in applied research.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Identify critical events and people that have shaped current knowledge and scientific methods in exercise psychology. 2. Describe methods of and measurements used in exercise psychology, including psychometrics, psychophysics, and behavioural neuroscience. 3. Summarize and critically evaluate current evidence about the effects of physical activity on physiological responses to stress; affect, mood, and emotion; anxiety; depression; subjective feelings of energy and fatigue; sleep; and, pain. 4. Identify and discuss biologically plausible mechanisms whereby acute and chronic physical activity may exert its effects on the aforementioned psychological outcomes. 5. Systematically search, identify, critically appraise, synthesize, and summarize/present implications from the available evidence/literature of the effects of physical activity and exercise on psychological outcomes.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate value for the utility of exercise psychology research, particularly relative to the therapeutic viability of exercise for mental health, and the promotion of physical activity 2. Demonstrate an appreciation of the relationship between physical activity, exercise, and mental health and the responsibility of the sport and exercise scientist in this context.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate proficiency in administering aerobic testing sessions, including cycle ergometer and treadmill. 2. Measure heart rate variability using PowerLab, including electrode placement, calibration, monitoring of ECG signal, and decomposition into frequency domains. 3. Measure indices of attention and pupillary activity using eye-tracking, including calibration and administration.

A combination of lectures, tutorials, and laboratory experiments will be employed each week. In-person lectures will be reinforced by pre-recorded screencasts of lecture content provided via UL's virtual learning environment; all lecture, tutorial, and laboratory resources will be provided via UL's VLE. Tutorials will focus on cultivating systematic literature review, synthesis, and scientific writing. In small teams, students will complete applied laboratory demonstrations and testing that is designed to develop, demonstrate, and assess student proficiency with relevant laboratory measures used in exercise psychology research and the application of the fundamentals of exercise psychology in applied research.