FALL, 2009

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY (PSYCH 320)

                                               

Lecture: Tuesday & Thursday                                                                Room: VUCB 222

Lecture: 10:35-11:50                                                                              Instructor: J.P. Garofalo, PhD

Office Hours: By appointment                                                                Office: CL208E

Phone: 360-546-9717

E-Mail: jgarofalo@vancouver.wsu.edu

Web-Page: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/garofalo/garofalo_home.htm

 

Course Description

The goal of this course is to introduce you to major questions and methods that have guided the research in Health Psychology, a field which examines the role of psychological and social factors in the development & progression of medical disease. Students are expected to be acquainted with the basics of experimental design and the critical evaluation of psychological literature. Class format will consist of both lecture and discussion. The course will cover three main topics: (1) Conceptual Underpinnings of Health Psychology, (2) Psychosocial Factors and Specific Diseases, and (3) Evaluating Behavioral Medicine Interventions.

 

Readings:

1) Health Psychology: A Cultural Approach, 2nd Edition, by Regan A.R. Gurung (2010). Boston:  Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-0-495-60079-4

                                   

Course Requirements:

Exams: 3

Exam I and 2 = 60 points each

Exam III = 70 points

Discretionary: 1 x 10 points

 

Exams: The first two exams will be worth 60 points each and will consist of multiple-choice and short answer. The final exam (Exam III) will be worth 70 pts. Make-up exams will only be given under special circumstances.

 

Discretionary Points: You can earn 10 points at the discretion of the instructor in terms of your active participation in lecture. Arriving to lecture on time and your attendance will be taken into account. Simply stated, active participation in this course will be rewarded; patterns reflecting poor participation will not.

 

Readings: The majority of readings will come from Gurung’s book.

 

Lecture: While attendance to lecture is not required, historically those who attend lectures perform better on exams. Lecture begins at 10:35am. Please avoid arriving late for it disrupts the instructor and the other students. Further, seek out fellow students for material missed, for I will not re-teach lecture.

 

Extra Credit: Several faculty members at WSUV currently conduct research studies for which they seek participants. If you participate in a WSUV sponsored research study, you will receive 3 points. If you would prefer not to participate in a research study, you may elect to write a two-paged, double-spaced review of a health psychology-related article published in 2006. This option is NOT a requirement. If you are scheduled to participate in a research study, and are unable to attend, you must provide a minimum of 24-hour notice to the experimenter, either by e-mail or voicemail, that you are canceling your appointment. Failure to provide adequate notice will make you ineligible for receiving extra credit.

 

 

Grading Policy

Final Grade:  A total of 200 points can be earned from the exams. Your final grade will be calculated by dividing the total points earned by 200. The percent average will determine your letter grade as follows:

                        A+:       98-100%           A:         93-97%             A-:       90-92%

                        B+:       87-89%             B:         83-86%             B-:        80-82%

                        C+:       77-79%             C:         73-76%             C-:        70-72%

                        D+:       67-69%             D:         63-66%             D-:       60-62%

                        F:         59% and below

 

 

Lecture Schedule

 

Date                             Lecture                                                                                                                 Chapter

 

Aug 25    (T)                  Introduction to course                                                                                        1

                                    Shift towards a biopsychosocial model

Aug 27  (TH)                Cultural Approaches to Health                                                                           2                       

Sept 1    (T)                    Physiological Bases of Behavior                                                                       3

Sept 3    (TH)                 Physiological Bases of Behavior and Health                                                      3

Sept 8    (T)                  Physiological Bases of Behavior and Health Health Behaviors                                        

Sept 10     (TH)             Health-Enhancing Behaviors                                                                              6

Sept 15    (T)                Health-Compromising Behaviors                                                                        7

Sept 17    (TH)              Health-Compromising Behaviors                       

Sept 22    (T)                Behavioral Medicine Interventions     REVIEW SHEET

Sept 24    (TH)              EXAM I                                                                     

Sept 29    (T)                Stress                                                                                                               4

Oct 1      (TH)              Stress & Moderators of the Stress Experience                                                    5

Oct 6       (T)                Stress & Mood                                                            

Oct 8      (TH)              Moderators of the Stress Experience                                                                  5

Oct 13      (T)               Control    and    PTSD Slides                                                       

Oct 15    (TH)               Pain                                                                                                                  9

Oct 20    (T)                 Management of Chronic Illness            REVIEW SHEET FOR EXAM II             8

Oct 22    (TH)               Psych. Issues in Advancing & Terminal Illness                                                   10

Oct 27    (T)                 Diabetes                                                          

Oct 29     (TH)              EXAM II

Nov 3      (T)                Hypertension                                                                                                     13        

Nov 5       (TH)             Hypertension                                                    

Nov 10      (T)               Heart Disease                                                                                      

Nov 12       (TH)           Heart Disease                                                  

Nov 17     (T)                Immune System                                                                                                11

Nov 19       (TH)           Psychoneuroimmunology                                                                                    11

Nov 23-27                     THANKSGIVING DAY (NO LECTURES)

Dec 1       (T)               AIDS              

Dec 3       (TH)             Cancer                                                                                                             12

Dec 8       (T)               Cancer                                                                                                             12

Dec 10     (TH)             Future of Health Psychology                                                                              14

 

Dec 14th – 18th                        Finals Week (TBA)

 

 

 

 

Academic Integrity:  Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course.  Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will be given an “F” for the course (or whatever the instructor wants to put there….doesn’t have to be F for the course) and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.  For additional information about WSU’s Academic Integrity policy/procedures please contact (360) 546-9573. 


Disability Accommodation:  Accommodations may be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible.  All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of Student Services Center (360) 546-9138.

 

Emergency Notification System:  WSU has made an emergency notification system available for faculty, students and staff. Please register at myWSU with emergency contact information (cell, email, text, etc). You may have been prompted to complete emergency contact information when registering for classes on RONet. In the event of a Building Evacuation, a map at each classroom entrance shows the evacuation point for each building. Please refer to it. Finally, in case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Each individual is expected to make the best decision for their personal circumstances, taking safety into account.  Safety plan website - http://safetyplan.vancouver.wsu.edu/

 

Important Dates and Deadlines: Students are encouraged to refer to the academic calendar often to be aware of critical deadlines throughout the semester.  The academic calendar can be found at www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX.  Questions regarding the academic calendar can be directed to the Office of Student Affairs in VSSC 100 or call 360-546-9559.

 

If they want a shorter version even something like this would help:

 

Important Dates and Deadlines:  www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX

 

 

 

 

 

I, ________________________(print your name), give permission to Dr. Garofalo and/or his teaching instructor

 

to e-mail me exam scores, or scored (and edited) papers, and any evaluated material for Psychology 320 during

 

the FALL of 2009. My signature below indicates that I am willing to receive this information by way of e-mail

 

knowing that this means of communication is not secure, and thus, the transmitted material is not protected.

 

 

 

_____________________________________

My Signature                                        Date