PSYCH 441 Health Psychology. Prerequisites: Psychology 100, Statistics 200
Overview
This course addresses the impact of psychological and social processes on health. Most major illnesses of the last 50 years have at least some behavioral component. For example, the current number one killer is cardiovascular disease, which is associated with behaviors such as smoking, diet, and exercise, and exacerbated by exposure to long-term stress. Thus, health psychologists are interested in answering questions such as: Why do people smoke? How do people stop smoking? What are successful ways to help people adopt healthy diets? What causes stress and how can people learn to cope successfully with it? In our efforts to answer these and many other questions, we will address the following:
- health behaviors, including those that enhance health and those that compromise it
- the impact of stress on health and strategies for successful coping
- how people use health services and communicate with their health care providers
- pain and its management
- issues related to chronic illness
- specific aspects of the most prevalent diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, AIDS and cancer
- the physiological aspects of exposure to stress and the major diseases we will be discussing.
As you learn about how psychological and social elements interact with biological factors to produce a particular state of health, you will need to keep in mind an important factor that underlies everything you learn about the current knowledge of health psychology. Most of the information you will be introduced to is based on research conducted by psychologists. As you probably know, research on health and illness is burgeoning. As you probably also know, it is not uncommon to find long-standing ideas about health and illness questioned by new studies. For example, up until recently, estrogen replacement was recommended for women after menopause, partly due to its ability to protect against cardiovascular disease. But in 2002, a large-scale study called the "Women's Health Initiative" was halted half-way through because the data showed that women taking hormone replacement (estrogen plus progestin) had increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Thus, along with the "facts" you will learn how to evaluate the research and the health-related information that you find on the internet or through other media. To do this you will need to be familiar with the types of research conducted by health psychologists and the validity of the conclusions drawn by these studies. In addition, you will also learn how to critique information from TV, newspapers and the Internet, which is where most people get their health information.
A second important feature about this course is that, as you read about the theories and ideas expressed by health psychologists, you will recognize yourself, your family, friends and acquaintances. Thus, you have a good opportunity to use your personal experiences as examples to make the material real to you. This will make the course more interesting and will also help you learn the material more easily. You will have several opportunities to use your personal experience for assignments in the course.
Finally, as you will find out in the course, social interaction is an important feature of good health. It is also a good way to enhance learning. Thus, the course will be "team-based." You will be assigned to a small team (4 - 5 students) early in the semester and you will rely on your team members for team discussion, projects and a source of help if needed.
Objectives
After taking this course, students will be able to..- Explain why the field of health psychology exists and how it developed.
- Describe methods used to study issues of health psychology and evaluate and critically analyze research in health psychology.
- Define health behaviors; describe specific health behaviors and how they are related to enhancing and compromising health.
- Apply concepts of health psychology to real-life experiences.
- Understand how stress is studied, how it affects physiological and psychological functioning and what factors enhance or reduce its effects.
- Explain the factors involved in pain and various methods for reducing pain.
- Describe unique health-related features of major diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
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| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Assignments
The assignments are a mix of quizzes, individual papers and team projects. Each assignment is marked to indicate whether it is an individual assignment or a team assignment.
You will complete some of the assignments individually (quizzes and personal reflections). However, many assignments will be done in a team. You will be assigned to a team by the second week of the semester and will work with the same team throughout the semester. You will address discussion questions with members of your team and you will complete many of the assignments with them as well. The focus on team activities in the course has several objectives. First of all, we learn better when we can interact with other people. Second of all, working in a team takes some of the pressure off of each individual when it comes to creating an assignment. And finally, in most cases your work experience will involve working with others. Each team project will include a peer review that will allow you to rate your team mates. The team score for the project will be modified by the combination of peer ratings. This procedure is designed to reduce the incidence of team members who don’t contribute a reasonable amount to the work of the team.
Working in teams may not come naturally to you and it is important that you know what to expect from being in a team and that you follow certain procedures so that your team work will go as smoothly as possible. Penn State has several resources to help you work effectively in teams. Before you start your first team project, check out one of the following links:
- http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/teamhint.htm
- https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/Tools/Teams/iStudy/
- http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/teams/index.html
It is expected that every class member will contribute to the accomplishment of his/her team goals and objectives on an on-going basis. To evaluate the contribution of each team member, peer evaluations will occur during the fifth, eighth, ninth, tenth week and the final week of the course. These peer evaluations will be used to determine your grade on class participation. You should review the Peer Evaluation form so that you will know how you will be evaluated by your teammates.
Individual and team paper requirements
Unless otherwise noted in specific paper instructions, all papers must meet the following requirements: 3 to 5 pages, 1.5-spaced or double-spaced, Arial font size 12 pt., and 1" margins.
Quizzes
There are 9 quizzes in the course, 6 are 20 points, 1 is 30 points and 2 are 40 points. The quizzes are mostly multiple choice and multiple select items, with a few short essays or fill-in-the- blank. The quizzes will require knowledge and comprehension of the issues in health psychology as well as the ability to apply it. If you read the assigned reading over carefully, you should be able to take the quiz with your book available to refer to in the allotted time.
Personal Reflection Assignments (Individual; 3 @ 30 points each)
Making connections between what you read and your own experience is a powerful way to learn this material. Assignments for lessons 3, 6 and 7 are individual reflections in which you will be asked to reflect and write about how your own personal experience as it relates to the information in each lesson.
Profile Assignments (Team; 3 @ 40 points each)
In the profile assignments, for lessons 5, 9 and 11, you will take the personal connection to the material to a higher level than you do in your personal reflections. In these assignments, you will collaborate with your team members and use your collective experience and your creativity to construct a profile that appropriately represents the issues from the lesson.
Discussions (7 @ 5 points each)
Seven lessons will include some discussion between you and your team members. These will enable you to think more deeply about some of the issues discussed in the materials for each lesson.
Your discussion posting will earn points, depending on the quality of the posting (e.g., argument, reasoning, how you defend yourself, etc.). If you simply state that "Jen’s comments are excellent. I agree with her" or "I like your argument," you will receive no credit for this posting.
Midterm Project: Taking Sides (Team; 50 points)
The midterm project is a team project that will allow you to apply the information from the first half of the course to evaluate opposing viewpoints on real controversial issues related to health.
Final Project (Team; 50 points)
For this project, you will also work with your team to create a treatment plan, pulling from all of the information of the course and using empirical evidence to support the plan. A good strategy would be to look at the final assignment at the beginning of the course. As you go through the course you will be able to pay particular attention to issues that will be helpful to you when you do the assignment.
Peer Evaluation: by team members
See Lesson 5, 8, 9, 11 and 13, which are the part of the Profile Assignments, Mid-term and Final Project.
Course Schedule
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Week 1 Lesson 00: Course Introduction Lesson 1: What is Health Psychology |
Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 1 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 2 Lesson 2: Research Issues in Health Psychology |
Readings: |
Brannon and Fiest - Chapter 2 (electronic reserve) |
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Assignments: |
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Week 3 Lesson 3: Health Behaviors |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 3 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 4 Lesson 4: Health-Enhancing Behaviors |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 4 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 5 Lesson 5: Health-Compromising Behaviors |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 5 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 6 Lesson 6: Stress and Coping |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 6 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 7 Lesson 7: Moderators of the Stress Experience |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 7 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 8 Lesson 8: Using Health Services |
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Readings: |
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Assignments: |
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Week 9 and 10 Lesson 9: The Patient in the Treatment Setting Using Health Services, Patient Provider Relations and the Management of Pain |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 8, 9, 10 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 11 Lesson 10: Management of Chronic and Terminal Illness |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 11 and 12 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 12 and 13 Lesson 11: Heart Disease, Hypertension, Stroke, Diabetes |
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Readings: |
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Assignments: |
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Week 14 Lesson 12: Psychoneuroimmunology, AIDS, Cancer, Arthritis |
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Readings: |
Taylor - Chapter 14 |
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Assignments: |
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Week 15 Final Project |
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Readings: |
None |
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Assignments: |
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Grading
Course grades will be determined on the following basis:
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Assignments |
Individual or Team? |
Lesson |
Points |
| Quizzes | Individual | 1: Quiz 1 | 20 |
| 2: Quiz 2 | 20 | ||
| 4: Quiz 3 | 20 | ||
| 6: Quiz 4 | 20 | ||
| 7: Quiz 5 | 20 | ||
| 9: Quiz 6.1 and 6.2 | 40 | ||
| 10: Quiz 7.1 and 7.2 | 30 | ||
| 11: Quiz 8 | 20 | ||
| 12: Quiz 9 | 40 | ||
| Personal Reflection Assignments | Individual | 3: Health Behaviors | 30 |
| 6: Stress | 30 | ||
| 7: Coping | 30 | ||
| Profile Assignments | Team | 5: Smoking/Drinking | 40 |
| 9: Patient provider Communication | 40 | ||
| 11: Cardiovascular Disease | 40 | ||
| Discussions | Team | 2, 4, 6 (2 for this lesson), 7, 9, 10 | 5 (35 total) |
| Midterm | Team | 8: Taking Sides on Controversial Issues | 50 |
| Final | Team | Treating a mysterious illness | 50 |
| Total Points | 575 | ||
Grades will be based on the total number of points acquired. The following grading scale will be used to determine your overall course grade:
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Points
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Letter Grade
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534-575
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A
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517-533
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A-
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500-516
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B+
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477-499
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B
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460-476
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B-
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442-459
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C+
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402-441
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C
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345-401
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D
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0-344
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F
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Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.