UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ____ FALL, 2011UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ____ FALL, 2011 Psychology 255 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY 3 credits Instructor Shamila Lekka, Ph.D. Office: Dewey 234 Phone: TBA Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday 9am-10am and by appointment E-mail This is the best way to reach me. I check my e-mail every day and will respond to you within 24hrs. If you decide to leave a voice mail message, please include your first and last name, your full telephone number, and the best time to reach you. Please come and see me if you have special circumstances that you would like to discuss, if you have questions about the course material or want to talk about careers in psychology. Course Overview This course is to provide an introduction to the theory and research of health psychology. We will be learning about the contribution of psychological research to the understanding, prevention and treatment of a variety of health concerns. The lectures are organized to emphasize the biopsychosocial model where we will learn about the underlying biological, psychological and social factors that contribute to health problems and the factors that affect the course of the diseases and the outcomes. Prerequisite This course is designed for intermediate undergraduate students in psychology and related fields who have completed Research Methods I (Psyc 109). Please see me if you have not taken this prerequisite. Class Format The format of the course will include lectures, small group discussions, in class learning activities and assignments. Questions, comments, and active class participation are encouraged. I expect students to come to class with the readings for the assigned day completed, to listen attentively and respectfully, and to contribute to in-class activities and discussions. Course Requirements The major requirements of the course will assess both your mastery of the course material (lectures, readings, and activities) and your ability to integrate the material by making connections between different topics that we have discussed.Exams (3 exams, closed book and each worth 30 points). Each exam will consist of multiple-choice and short answer questions. The final exam is not cumulative. Exams will include information from the lecture notes and readings. Each exam will begin promptly at the start of the class period. Please note the make-up exam policies listed under “Course Expectations and Responsibilities.” In-Class Activities (30 points total). ICAs will consist of MCQs or short answer questions assigned periodically during class time and should be completed individually during class time. The goal of the ICAs are to test your comprehension of the material covered in class that day. This is an active learning activity where you will first attempt to complete the ICA with your books and lecture notes closed and then go back, check what you missed and correct it before handing it in. Attendance for the entire class period is required to receive credit for the ICA on that day. These in-class activities will be administered for credit randomly throughout the term. There may be up to two ICAs on any given day. There will be a total of 6 ICAs throughout the semester; all of these will be graded out of a possible 5 points each. Group Discussions/ Team Work (total of 20 pts) There will be 4 group discussions in total, with each worth 5 pts. This is a time for students to discuss and brainstorm the assignment due the next week. Each group will consist of 3-4 students and students will rotate so that each student gets to work in a different group for each assignment. Group assignments will be graded using the grading rubric I will provide you. This is an opportunity for students to work as a team to pull together the resources you need to complete your assignments. If you have a laptop, please bring it to class so we may do some literature searches. We will discuss what to look for, how to cite your resources and what resources are reliable. Not everything on the internet is a fact! Assignments (50 pts total) There will be a total of 4 assignments. The first assignment will be worth 10 points and the remaining three will be worth 15 points each. Material gathered during the group discussions should be used to write up these assignments. Each student should complete their assignments individually. Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date. You are expected to write up each assignment, no more than 2 pages long, using APA citations. E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.Summary of Course Requirements Course Requirement Possible Points Percentage of Course Grade Exams (3 @ 30 pts) 90 45% In-Class Activities (6 @ 5 pts) 30 15% Assignments (4 @ 10 first assignment and 15 for the remaining three) 50 25% Group discussions 20 10% Participation 10 5% TOTAL 200 100% Class Website Please familiarize yourself with the PSY 255 Blackboard site, and check frequently for announcements. Class lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard at least 24 hours in advance of the class. It is your responsibility to print copies of the notes if you wish to have them. I would recommend that you print out the Blackboard notes before coming to class. The notes posted on Blackboard are meant to serve as an outline of the material covered in class. I strongly encourage you to attend class and take more extensive notes on the material covered as exams will require greater detail than that provided on the posted notes. All your grades will be posted on blackboard. Course Expectations and Responsibilities You are responsible for knowing and following the course policies listed below. Attendance: Please come to each class ready to engage in the day’s lesson. This includes having the assigned reading completed, lecture handouts from Blackboard printed (if you desire to have the handouts to aid in note taking), and any assignments ready to turn in at the start of class. I understand that sometimes circumstances beyond your control may prevent you from attending class. If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you have missed. Special Accommodations: Students with special needs that affect their ability to participate fully in class, to meet all course requirements, or that require special exam administration should contact Accommodation, Consultation, Counseling & Educational Support Services