PSYCHOLOGY 126    Section:

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

Winter Quarter 2005

Units: 4
Prerequisites: Psychology 1, 41 and 101.
Course Goals: Health Psychology focuses on the role of psychosocial processes in health promotion and maintenance, illness prevention and treatment, and the relationship between psychosocial factors and physiological processes involved in health and disease.  This course will familiarize you with 1) psychological theory (e.g., pertaining to stress, coping, personality, cognition) and physiological knowledge (e.g., in areas of immunology, endocrinology, cardiovascular physiology) relevant to health psychology, 2) research methods employed in the field, and 3) the research database in the field.  I hope that you will come away from this course with a better appreciation of your own (and others?) health, as well as an understanding of the importance of examining issues of health and disease from a biopsychosocial perspective

Format: Classes will include lectures and videos; questions and discussion are always welcome.

Topics:
Introduction to Health Psychology
Biological factors in health and disease
        genetics
        immune system
Psychological factors in health and disease     
        placebo effects
        stress and neuroendocrinology
        psychoneuroimmunology   
        coping
Social factors in health and disease                    
        social support
        cultural influences
Health behaviors
Smoking
AIDS    
Cardiovascular disease
Student health

Grading:
There will be three exams and a final (which is optional if you take all 3 midterms).  In addition there will be opportunities for extra credit.  Final grades will be based on straight percentages of total maximum points.
Text(s):

Textbook Information not Available Yet
Classroom Class Schedule Course Website
6 Olson M W   2:10 PM - 4:00 PM http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/courses/capitanio/psc126/
Instructor Instructor Email Office Office Hours
John Capitanio , Ph.D. * Primate Center MW 4-5:30