Psychology

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.