PSYCHOLOGY : PSYCHOLOGY OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Spring 2008 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:15 12:30 PM Elliott Hall N227 3 Credits

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1 1 PSYCHOLOGY : PSYCHOLOGY OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Spring 2008 Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:15 12:30 PM Elliott Hall N227 3 Credits Instructor: Todd Wilkinson Office: N584 Elliott Hall wilk0159@umn.edu Office hours: After class or by appointment. Your instructor is committed to making himself as available as possible to discuss questions and concerns or to provide/accept feedback regarding course content, assignments, or anything else. You are encouraged set up meeting times that fit your schedule (provided those times also fit the schedule of the instructor, obviously). The use of for such purposes is particularly encouraged. Course Description: The course provides a sampling of articles, chapters, and research publications related to the psychology and health, exercise and well-being. Topics include but are not limited to stress and coping, theories of behavior change, psychological benefits of exercise, the relationship between personality and well-being, the influence of culture on psychological health and wellbeing, and subtopics in positive psychology. Class format will be discussion-based, but also include small and large group activities, multi-media presentations, and guest speakers. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions. Course Goals: Upon completion of the course, you should be able to do the following (in no particular order): 1. Identify and describe in depth the major concepts and theories of the psychology of health and well-being discussed in the course; 2. Demonstrate knowledge of how important and relevant issues in health psychology may be addressed by means of psychological research methods; 3. Demonstrate ability to apply principles learned in the course to real-world issues and/or your own experience; 4. Apply theories of health psychology to address relevant questions and issues in the field; 5. Demonstrate enhanced critical thinking skills, especially with respect to the interpretation and application of theory and research in health and exercise psychology and well-being research.

2 2 Course Format: The format of the course will consist of a mixture of class discussions, interactive lecture, group activities and guest speakers. Lectures will supplement the content in the readings and to inform class discussions and group activities. Discussions and activities are intended to encourage the active participation of students in service of the above goals. Attendance and active participation are essential and required. Required Text: Taylor, S. E. (2006). Health Psychology (6 th Edition). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Additional materials will be distributed in class or made available on the course website. Evaluation of Student Performance Your grade for the course will be based on reaction papers, quizzes, a critical thinking exercise, a positive psychology assignment, a final project and participation. In addition, regular reading assignments are expected to be completed on the date they are due. Reaction papers. What is your reaction to the reading(s) for that day? The specific direction you take each of these papers is up to you, but papers should reflect thoughtful consideration of the readings. Papers should be 1-2 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. Be thoughtful about these papers! This is a simple, yet valuable exercise designed to help you incorporate what you are in learning in the class to real-world examples. It is also designed to promote critical thinking on your part, as well as the skills involved in articulating your own point of view. During the semester, 5 reaction papers will be assigned, though only 4 will be counted towards your final grade (i.e. your lowest score will be dropped). Quizzes. Brief multiple choice and short answer quizzes will be administered during the semester. Quizzes are used to make sure that you are grasping the material as well as keeping up with the readings for class. During the semester, 5 quizzes will be assigned, though only 4 will be counted towards your final grade (i.e. your lowest score will be dropped). Critical thinking exercise. Students will work in groups to critically analyze a popular press article (e.g., newspaper, magazine, website, etc.) that makes a claim about health or wellbeing. This exercise will be conducted in class on 2/21. More instructions will be provided in class. Positive psychology assignment. You will incorporate one of three positive psychology exercises designed to increase well-being into your week and write a brief summary of your experiences. Papers should be no less than 2 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. Final project. The final project assignment consists of a presentation to the class about a topic in the psychology of health and well-being. Students will be working in groups of four and will have the option to select their own topics. Students should get approval for their topic before starting work on their project. Relevant topics may include but are not limited to designing an intervention with a specific audience or population aimed at promotion, prevention or other health behavior plan, designing a healthy lifestyle for busy college students, a critical review of a current health trend, designing a research study to examine an important issue in the

3 psychology of health and well-being, and designing a campaign to target fraternity and sorority binge drinking behaviors. Each group will present during the last week of class for about 20 minutes. Grading criteria for this assignment will be distributed during the semester. Presentations should be accompanied by a summary paper (5 pages in length) due the final day of class that describes your project and demonstrates how you incorporated learning from the course. Grading: The point distribution for each of the course components is listed below. Note that regular attendance is assumed (as specified below). Four reaction papers 20% (4 x 10 points) Four quizzes 20% (4 x 10 points) Critical thinking exercise 10% (1 x 20 points) Positive psychology assignment 10% (1 x 20 points) Final project 30% (1 x 60 points) Class participation 10% (1 x 20 points) TOTAL POSSIBLE 100% (200 pts) You will be graded on the basis of how many points you earn, not in comparison to other students. Thus, it is possible for all students to earn As in the course, but also possible for all students to earn Fs. The grading scale will not be more stringent than the following: % of total points A 90-93% A % B % B 80-82% B % C % C 70-72% C % D % D 0-62% F S/N grading requires a final grade of C- or better and all assignments and exams completed to qualify for an S. An incomplete ( I ) grade will be given only in cases of medical or personal emergencies. Incompletes cannot be given if you are receiving a grade of D+ or below on work already completed for the course. Contact your instructor as soon as you suspect you may need an incomplete. 3 Diversity of Views: Course Policies Some topics in this course will be accompanied by discussion and/or debate. You are expected to be respectful of the opinions and views of others. Enlightened discourse is encouraged, but be aware that not everyone views the world through the same lens. Disagreement is inevitable, but successful communication requires that each individual respects the diversity of views.

4 4 Attendance and Participation Policy: Class attendance and participation are crucial to success in this course. Although attendance will not be taken formally, the participation requirement of your grade makes it necessary for you to attend and contribute to the classes throughout the semester. If you must miss a class, it is the responsibility of the student to get all notes, assignments and class content from a classmate. Late Work Policy: All assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class on their due date. If you want to request an extension on an assignment, contact the instructor as soon as possible; extensions will be granted only if you have a legitimate excuse. (Legitimate excuses do not include computer or printer problems or procrastination.) If you have not contacted the Instructor within 48 hours of the time the assignment of concern is due, you will forfeit your right to an extension. You may turn in late work with the penalty that 10% of your total score on the assignment will be deducted for each business day the work is late. HOWEVER, reaction papers and quizzes must be turned in (or taken) at the beginning of class on the day they are due, no late reaction papers or make-up quizzes will be accepted (you are afforded one drop each with these quizzes and papers, meaning only 4 of the 5 of each will be graded). Contacting the Instructor: As stated on the first page of the syllabus, your instructor is committed to making himself as available as possible to discuss questions and concerns or to provide/accept feedback regarding course content, assignments, or anything else. You are encouraged set up meeting times that fit your schedule (provided those times also fit my schedule). The use of for such purposes is particularly encouraged. Please do not attempt to discuss questions regarding grades, assignments, etc., with the instructor immediately before class starts unless you feel the entire class may benefit (in which case the question could be addressed in class). Such impromptu meetings easily spill into class time and is an inconvenience for other students. Save such questions for after class, them, or set up another time to meet. Disputing a Grade: I attempt to assign grades as fairly as possible, granting points on the basis of criteria set forth during class and delineated on assignments. However, by virtue of my being human, I sometimes make mistakes. Read over each returned assignment carefully. If you think you were unfairly deducted, consult with me. After discussing the points in question, one of two things will occur: (1) the mistake you made will be clear to you and you will accept the deduction with renewed understanding, or (2) I will acknowledge my mistake and make any necessary adjustments. Importantly, requests for regrading will not hurt my lofty opinion of you.

5 5 Maintaining Academic Honesty: You are responsible for handing in work that is your own. Any instances of plagiarizing, inadequate citing, or inappropriate collaborating on writing assignments will be dealt with severely. In written assignments, if you quote someone (3 or more words identical to those of another author), you must put the quotation in quotation marks and cite the original author. If you paraphrase someone else s ideas, cite the author of those ideas. When paraphrasing, be sure that you actually put the author s ideas into your own words--simply changing a few words in the sentence does not make that sentence a paraphrase. Either directly quote the author or put the idea in your own words. Either way, you must cite the original author. Academic misconduct in these respects may result in a failing grade and notification to the College of Liberal Arts. If you ever have a question about what constitutes plagiarism, please discuss it with the instructor and/or consult the University Policy on Academic Misconduct at Accommodations for Disabilities: In cooperation with Disability Services, reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with a documented permanent or temporary disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.). Any student to whom such criteria applies should contact the Instructor and Disability Services (the latter of which is located in University Gateway, Suite 180, 200 Oak Street SE [ ]) at the beginning of the semester. All discussions will remain confidential. Additional Resources If you are having problems with basic study skills, emotional stress, writing skills, or something else, one or more of the following offices may be able to help you. Writing Resources: Writing Lab, Composition Program: 306 Lind Hall, The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Writing: 227 Lind Hall, , Minnesota International Student Association (provides free writing tutors for international students): located at 825 Washington Ave SE #105 (but moving soon), , More writing resources: Other Resources: University Counseling and Consulting Services: 109 Eddy Hall, Learning and Academic Skills Center: 104 Eddy Hall, International Students and Scholar Services: 190 Humphrey Center, Disability Services: University Gateway, Suite 180, 200 Oak St. S.E.,

6 6 Course Schedule (NOTE: Information below is subject to change as the course demands.) Date Topic Reading (to be read for that day) and assignments due Tuesday, 1/22 Introductions What is the psychology of health and well-being? Thursday, 1/24 Introduction to health psychology Taylor Chapter 1 Tuesday, 1/29 Systems of the body Taylor Ch. 2 Quiz 1 Health-Enhancing Behavior and Health Promotion Thursday, 1/31 Health behavior Taylor Ch. 3 Tuesday, 2/5 Health-enhancing behavior Taylor Ch. 4 (pp ) Thursday, 2/7 Exercise Psychology Taylor Ch. 4 (pp ) Cox, 2007, pp , note that pp are optional Reaction Paper 1 (RP1) Tuesday, 2/12 Guest speaker Carrie Heitzler, VERB Campaign Thursday, 2/14 Exercise Psychology positive and Lavallee et al., 2004, negative effects pp Haggar & Chatzisarantis, 2005 Tuesday, 2/19 Nutrition and well-being Gesch, 2005 Quiz 2 Thursday, 2/21 Critical thinking in the psychology of article you select health and well-being Critical thinking exercise Health-Compromising Behavior Tuesday, 2/26 Health Compromising Behaviors Taylor Ch. 5 Thursday, 2/28 Alcohol and substance use Oltmanns & Emery, 2007 RP2 Tuesday, 3/4 No class, day for health and well-being Thursday, 3/6 Health risk behavior and college Prentice & Miller, 2003 students Ballie, 2001

7 7 Tuesday, 3/11 Health compromising behaviors the Bell, 2006 influence of the media Stern, 2005 Quiz 3 Thursday, 3/13 Health compromising behaviors the Dal Cin et al., 2007 influence of the media (cont.) BBC News, 2002 Tuesday, 3/18 Thursday, 3/20 Spring Break Spring Break Stress and Coping Tuesday, 3/25 Stress Taylor Ch. 6 Thursday, 3/27 No class, Society of Behavioral Medicine conference Tuesday, 4/1 Occupational Health Psychology Cavanaugh et al., 2000 Job stress Attridge, 2000 Musbach, 2007 RP3 Thursday, 4/3 Moderators of the stress experience Taylor Ch. 7 Tuesday, 4/8 Occupational Health Psychology Barnett & Hyde, 2001 Workplace Interventions Job stress article Quiz 4 Socio-Cultural Factors and Well-being Thursday, 4/10 Health disparities Tucker et al., 2007 Evans & Kim, 2007 Tuesday, 4/15 Subjective well-being and happiness: Are Frank, 2005 there cultural, social and Wallis, 2005 economic differences? RP4 Thursday, 4/17 Guest speaker - TBD Positive psychology Tuesday, 4/22 Positive psychology personality and Seligman et al., 2005 signature strengths Quiz 5 complete SSQ Thursday, 4/24 Positive psychology personality and Funder, 2004a attributional style Seligman et al., 1990 Tuesday, 4/29 Flow Funder, 2004b Jackson & Csikzsentmihalyi, 1999 RP5

8 8 Thursday, 5/1 Future Directions in the psychology Taylor Ch. 15 of health and well-being Positive psychology assignment due Tuesday, 5/6 Presentations no reading Thursday, 5/8 Presentations no reading Final Paper due