Psychology 2036B 650 FW24
The Psychology of Physical Health and Illness
Western University
London Canada
Department of Psychology
Winter 2025
Psychology 2036B Section 650
The Psychology of Physical Health and Illness
1 Calendar Description
This course will cover the role of psychological factors in the prevention of illness and the maintenance of good health, and treatment of already-existing illness. Topics will include the stress/illness relationship, psychological influences on physical symptom perception and reporting, personality and health, behavioral factors in disease, coping, adherence and compliance.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2330A/B, Psychology 3330F/G.
Prerequisites: n/a
3 lecture hours; Course Weight: 0.5
2 Course Information
Instructor: Dr. Corey Isaacs
Office Hours: by appointment (via Zoom)
Email: cisaacs3@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Fei Ying
Email: fying2@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Course content will be offered online asynchronously—you will not be required to attend any weekly class sessions. Exams will be administered online synchronously (see schedule below).
Students must have access to a reliable internet connection and a computer that is compatible with online learning system requirements (e.g., Proctortrack).
3 Course Materials
Straub, R. O. (2022). Health Psychology, 7e. Macmillan Higher Education.
The textbook is available in a variety of formats, including print, ebook, and the Macmillan Achieve app. See the Macmillan website for more information about purchase options: www.macmillanlearning.com/college/ca/product/Health-Psychology/p/1319291732
The textbook format that you choose is entirely optional. I always recommend that students use the assigned edition of the course textbook, as there may be important changes between editions. While you may be able to use the previous edition of this textbook without too many problems, you absolutely should not use any earlier edition of this textbook or any other textbook.
4 Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
This course provides a broad introduction to theories and research regarding the scientific study of human health. Students taking this course can expect to become more knowledgeable about a wide range of health-related issues. By the end of this course, successful students should have achieved the following outcomes:
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Identify and describe the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence health and illness |
readings, lessons, online discussions |
exams, online discussions |
|
Apply psychological theories and concepts to the study of health and illness |
readings, lessons, online discussions |
exams, online discussions |
|
Understand the various influences on health-related behaviour and on health and illness |
readings, lessons, online discussions |
exams, online discussions |
|
Critically evaluate theories, research methods, and findings from the field of health psychology |
readings, lessons, online discussions |
online discussions |
|
Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to a non-specialist audience |
readings, lessons, online discussions |
online discussions |
5 Evaluation
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives
Exams (75% of final mark)
This class includes two midterm exams (each worth 20%) and a final exam (worth 35%), which will be administered synchronously online. Exams will cover material from both the textbook and the OWL lessons. The final exam will be cumulative (i.e., it will assess material from the entire course), with an emphasis on material from chapter 13 – 15.
Exams in this course will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service.
Online Discussions (25% of final mark)
You will be required to participate in any FIVE of the weekly discussions throughout the term to earn the Online Discussions component of your course grade. You can choose to participate in six discussions, in which case your BEST FIVE OF SIX discussion grades will be used to calculate your Online Discussions grade. If you participate in more than six discussions, your grade will be based only on the FIRST SIX—any additional discussions beyond the first six will not be graded.
Forum grades will be earned based on the quantity and quality of your contributions to these discussions. A successful student in online education is one who takes an active role in the learning process. You are therefore encouraged to participate actively in the discussions to enhance your learning experience throughout the course.
Discussions will be graded for the quality and content of your contributions. Quality contributions may include:
- posting early in the week and on more than just one occasion
- responding to previous comments from others
- providing explanations of concepts or methods to help fellow students
- presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion
- sharing your own personal experiences that relate to the topic
- providing a link and explanation for a relevant resource you found on the Internet
For each discussion, you will be assigned a grade out of 4 based on your discussion posts. Grades will be assigned as follows:
0 = Incomplete (no participation)
1 = Unsatisfactory (minimal contribution, did not meet the requirements)
2 = Satisfactory (discussion topic addressed, minimal contribution to discussion)
3 = Excellent (posts meet all criteria, provide a valuable contribution to discussion)
4 = Outstanding (posts go beyond basic requirements, present additional information from outside the textbook, and interact well with the other students)
-1 = Penalty for not posting a question prior to the deadline of midnight on Monday (this only applies if you have chosen to participate in that week’s discussion forum).
Each discussion will be open for seven days, from 12:01 AM on Sunday until 11:59 PM the following Saturday. You will be required to post at least one question to the forum (before midnight on Monday) about the previous week's topic as a starting point for discussion. You will also be required to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts during the week. Once the discussion closes (at 11:59 PM on Saturday), no more posts can be made. You’re advised to post early in the week, and always back up your work, as “technical difficulties” is NOT an acceptable excuse for missing a discussion deadline.
Policy on Missing Coursework
Exams. Students who fail to write an exam at the scheduled time will receive a grade of zero unless they receive academic consideration for that exam. There will be a makeup exam for each of the midterms, held approximately one week after the scheduled exam. If a student is excused from both the midterm exam and the associated makeup exam, that portion of their course grade may be reassigned to the final exam.
Online Discussions. If a student fails to participate in at least five of the weekly online discussions, they will receive a grade of zero for each of the incomplete discussions. Because students only have to participate in five of the 11 discussion forums, students will not be excused from the online discussion requirement (i.e., that flexibility is already provided to all students). If you have a long-term illness or other issue of concern that would prevent you from being able to participate in the online discussions, please contact your home faculty’s academic counselling office with appropriate documentation to request relief.
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding
Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.
6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule
Midterm Exam 1 10:00 – 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 1
- Makeup Exam 10:00 – 11:00 AM on Friday, February 7
Midterm Exam 2 10:00 – 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 8
- Makeup Exam 10:00 – 11:00 AM on Friday, March 14
Final Exam TBD (April 7 – 30)
Online Discussions Weekly from Sunday at 12:01 AM – Saturday at 11:59 PM
7 Class Schedule
|
DATES |
READING/TOPIC |
|
Jan. 6 – 10 |
Chapter 1 – Introducing Health Psychology |
|
Jan. 13 – 17 |
Chapter 2 – Research in Health Psychology |
|
Jan. 20 – 24 |
Chapter 4 – Stress |
|
Jan. 27 – 31 |
Chapter 5 – Coping and Stress |
|
Saturday, Feb. 1 |
Midterm Exam 1 – Chapters 1, 2, 4, & 5 |
|
Feb. 3 – 7 |
Chapter 6 – Primary Prevention & Positive Psychology |
|
Feb. 10 – 14 |
Chapter 7 – Exercise, Sleep, & Injury Prevention |
|
Feb. 15 – 23 |
READING WEEK – NO CLASSES |
|
Feb. 24 – 28 |
Chapter 8 – Nutrition, Obesity, & Eating Disorders |
|
March 3 – 7 |
Chapter 9 – Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction |
|
March 8 |
Midterm Exam 2 – Chapters 6 – 9 |
|
March 10 – 14 |
Chapter 13 – Seeking and Obtaining Healthcare |
|
March 17 – 21 |
Chapter 14 – Managing Pain |
|
March 24 – 28 |
Chapter 15 – Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
|
March 31 – April 4 |
No Reading; Final Online Discussion |
|
TBD (April 7 – 30) |
Final Exam – Cumulative; Emphasis on Chapters 13 – 15 |
8 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
Use of AI
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.
Multiple-Choice Exams
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Exam Proctoring Software
Tests and examinations for this course will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
9 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western. If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca Phone: 519 661-2147
10 Absence & Academic Consideration
View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link
Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.
Medical Absences
Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.
Nonmedical Absences
Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Religious Consideration
Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.
11 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement
Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
12 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
