Psychology 2036A-650

The Psychology of Physical Health and Illness

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    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, behavioural factors in disease, coping, as well as adherence and compliance.

 

Antirequisites:  Psychology 3330F/G

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if this course has an antirequisite that you have previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in this one.

 

0.5 course


2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

       Instructor: Eric Collins, BHSC, MSc, PhD (c)                     

       Office and Phone Number: 905-926-0867      

       Office Hours: TBA (To Be Announced)                  

       Email: ecollin9@uwo.ca (48 hour response-time)                          

 

       Teaching Assistant: TBA                              

       Office: TBA                                                           

       Office Hours: TBA                                       

            Email: TBA      

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

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. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Ragin, D. (2015). Health Psychology. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health, Second Edition. Routledge: New York, NY

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

In this course, we will explore the biological, psychological, sociological, and environmental factors involved in health behaviour, susceptibility to illness, reactions to being ill, and the individual’s involvement with the healthcare system. Health and illness issues from all over the world will be highlighted. The aim of this course is to expand your understanding of global health problems, as well as their prevention and treatment.


   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will learn to view health and illness from a more holistic perspective. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how psychology contributes to physical health and illness. Students will also learn to think critically about some of the most important historical and contemporary issues that have shaped the perspectives of health and illness among ancient and modern societies.

 

5.0     EVALUATION

The course grade is based on participation in online discussions and on three multiple choice exams.

 

Participation in online discussion forums (25%)

Throughout the term, there will be a total of four online discussion forums on OWL. Each discussion forum is therefore worth 6.25% of the course grade. A forum will become open on the day that its associated textbook chapter is introduced. The opening date for each forum is listed in the Lecture Schedule (see section 7.0 of this course outline). You would need to contact your Academic Counsellor if you miss one or more posting and you are requesting academic accommodation for the missed posting(s) (see Section 9.0 of this course outline). With Academic Counselling approval, the final exam will be reweighed to accommodate the weight of the missing post(s).

Your forum post will be marked according to the following 3-point scale:

0 = no, late, or an inadequate post. Aspects of an inadequate post include: restating the question in your own words, but not providing a clear answer to the question; posting information that is off-topic, incorrect, rude, or irrelevant to the discussion; or providing no references or supporting experience.

1 = adequate post with superficial thought and preparation. Shallow contribution to the discussion (e.g., agrees or disagrees). The post does not enrich discussion; that is, it repeats but does not add substantive information to the discussion. There is use of personal experience, but no references to readings or to research.

2 = the post is factually correct but lacks full development of concept or thought. It elaborates on the question or on an existing post with further comment or observation. There is incorporation of some references from literature and from personal experience. The post contributes valuable information to discussion, with minor clarity errors.

3 = the post demonstrates analysis of the question or of others’ posts. Information is factually correct. There is reflective and substantive contribution which advances meaningful discussion with clear and concise comments. References to literature, readings, or personal experience support comments.

Two multiple-choice exams (35%), and (40%) of the course grade

There will be two multiple-choice exams, non-cumulative in content. These exams deal with the matching material covered in the textbook and in the PowerPoints on OWL. The Mid-Term contains 60 questions. The Final Exam contains 70 questions. Students will have a 2-hour limit to complete the Mid-Term exam, and a 3-hour limit to complete the Final Exam. No aids are allowed during the exams. Bring your Western student card and a No. 2/HB pencil to the exams. Students who wish to change the location of their exam centre will need to give Distance Studies at least 4 weeks of advanced notice before the date of the exam.

According to university policy, the Academic Counsellor--not the course instructor--processes all cases of missing an exam. If you miss an exam, you are required to contact your Academic Counsellor in a timely fashion and be prepared to submit to them the necessary supporting documentation (see Section 9.0 of this course outline). Have your Academic Counsellor inform me in writing (e.g., e-mail) about the outcome of his or her discussion with you.

 

Component

Value

Mid-Term

35%

Final Exam

40%

Discussion Forum

25%

Total

100%

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:


70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Midterm-Exam (35%): This exam is on chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. At the exam centre you selected.

Time and location TBA

 

Final Exam (40%): This exam is on chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. At the exam centre you selected. Date, time, and location TBA (July 30-August 2). As a reminder, do not make plans for travel during the final exam period until you know when your final exams will be.


7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

An assigned textbook chapter means that all the pages in that chapter are assigned as reading. The weekly PowerPoints on OWL expands on material found in the textbook. For the exams, you are responsible for the material in the textbook, as well as the PowerPoints on OWL.

 

      

Week

Day (2018)

Topics & Exams

(Chapter), pp. #

1

Tues, May 8

An Interdisciplinary View of Health

(1)        1-24

2

Tues, May 15

Research Methods

(2)        25-56

3

Tues, May 22

Global Communicable and Chronic Disease

Forum Post #1 Open

(3)        57-91

4

Tues, May 29

Theories and Models of Health Behaviour Change

(4)        92-127

5

Tues, Jun 5

Risky Health Behaviours

(5)        128-165

6

Tues, Jun 12

Emotional Health and Well-Being

Forum Post #2 Open

(6)        166-198

 

TBA

Mid-Term Exam

(1 – 6)

7

Tues, Jun 19

Stress and Coping

(7)        199-237

8

Tues, Jun 26

HIV and AIDS

(8)        238-274

9

Tues, Jul 3

Cardiovascular Disease

Forum Post #3 Open

(9)        275-303

10

Tues, Jul 10

Chronic Pain Management and Arthritis

(10)       304-334

11

Tues, Jul 17

Cancer

(11)       335-370

12

Tues, Jul 24

Health Care Systems and Health Policy:

Effects on Health Outcomes

Forum Post #4 Open

(12)       371-405

13

TBA

Final Exam

     (7 – 12)

 


8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2018 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.