Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)

Module PSYS3041: PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH

Department: PSYCHOLOGY (APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

PSYS3041: PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH

Type Open Level 3 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2006/07 Module Cap None. Location Queen's Campus Stockton

Prerequisites

  • Modules to the value of 100 credits from Level 2 Applied Psychology (C810) OR Memory and Language (PSYC2081)

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To provide an introduction to the ways in which psychological factors affect health and illness.

Content

  • Psychology and health promotion/disease prevention.
  • The psychology of illness.
  • Judgement and decision research applied to health care.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Students passing this module should be able to:
  • Explain the ways in which beliefs and behaviours play a role in health and illness.
  • Describe how theories in health psychology can be turned into practice for maintaining and improving people's health in a range of health care settings.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Students passing this module should be able to:
  • Locate, read and review a body of research evidence.
  • Adopt and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives and see the relationships between them.
  • Interpret and evaluate the significance of empirical work.
Key Skills:
  • Students passing this module should be able to:
  • Undertake critical evaluation of the quality of evidence and arguments.
  • Communicate complex ideas effectively in their written work producing a clear, well-written essay.
  • Demonstrate independent learning.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Knowledge and understanding is developed through the weekly 2 hour sessions involving variety of learning modes including lectures, student presentations, video-based material, and some small group work.
  • This knowledge will be assessed in the summative assessment, and the written examination. These assessments will be essay-based, providing students with the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to appraise and apply empirical and theoretical in a critical manner.
  • Preparations for presentations promote students??? abilities to locate, read and evaluate a body of evidence. These abilities are assessed via the summative essay and written examination. Feedback is provided for the summative assessment.
  • All modes of teaching are designed to promote critical evaluation of evidence and arguments, to adopt different theoretical positions, and to interpret empirical work in terms of theory. Assessment of these abilities is based on the summative essay and written examination. Feedback is provided for the summative assessment.
  • Written communication skills are developed through the preparation for the essay and examinations. Assessment of the skills is based on these formative assessments. Feedback is provided for the summative assessment.
  • Good IT skills are required for the preparation of the summative essays. Feedback is provided regarding the adequacy of these skills where necessary.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures and seminar sessions 22 1 per week 2 hours 44
Preparation and Reading 156
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination Component Weighting: 75%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
two-hour examination 100%
Component: Assignment Component Weighting: 25%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
2500 word assignment 100%

Formative Assessment:

Two workshop presentations.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University