WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON
CANADA
Department of Psychology
2012-2013
Psychology 2036A Section 650 - Online
The Psychology of Physical Health and Illness
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, adherence and
compliance.
Antirequisites: Psychology 3330F/G
0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Mike Morrison, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology
Office: Social Science Centre (SSC) room 6313
Phone Number: 226-374-5095
Office Hours: Wednesdays 3 PM to 5 PM or by appointment, SSC room 6313
Email: mmorr24@uwo.ca
[Please include “PSY 2036” as part of the subject heading in your e-mail]
Teaching Assistant: Laura Beamish
Email: lbeamis2@uwo.ca
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
Required:
Poole, G., Hunt, D.M,, & Cox, D.N. (2012). The Psychology of Heath and Health Care: A
Canadian Perspective (4th Edition). Toronto: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is to examine how scientific theories and empirical findings in
the field of health psychology have contributed to our understanding of physical health
promotion and disease prevention. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how
biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence (1) the creation,
maintenance, and alleviation of physical illness, and (2) the promotion of well-being.
5.0 EVALUATION
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines,
which are as follows (see
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
50-59
below 50
One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
Superior work that is clearly above average
Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
Competent work, meeting requirements
Fair work, minimally acceptable
Fail
There are three multiple-choice tests (worth 30%, 35%, and 35% of the course grade).
These tests are not cumulative. The tests deal with material covered in the textbook and
in the OWL Sakai notes.
No aids are allowed during the test. Bring your Western student card and a No. 2/HB pencil
to the test.
Grades will be posted on OWL Sakai.
According to university policy, the Academic Counselor (not the course instructor)
processes all cases of missing a test. If you miss a test, you are required to contact your
Academic Counselor in a timely fashion and be prepared to submit to them the necessary
supporting documentation. Have your Academic Counselor inform me in writing (e.g., email) about the outcome of his or her discussion with you. If you miss a test, please also let
the instructor know prior to the date of the test if possible, or as soon as possible after the
date of the test. Please do not write a test if you are unwell. The university does not provide
retroactive grade adjustments after the fact of you choosing to write a test when you were
feeling unwell at the time that you wrote the test.
If you miss any of the midterm tests because of legitimate documented reasons (see
Section 9.0 of this course outline) you will, with the instructor’s permission, be writing a
unique 3-hour version of the final exam (multiple-choice) that additionally covers the course
material from the missed midterm(s). The additional material will be weighed according to
the weight of the midterm that was missed. For example, if you missed the first midterm, the
extra questions in your final exam would be worth 30%. If you missed the second midterm,
the extra final exam questions would be worth 35%. If you missed both midterms, the extra
final exam questions would be worth 65%. Note that getting the unique 3-hour version
applies to having missed one or more of the two midterms, and not to missing the final
exam. If you miss the final exam, you must get permission (i.e., a Special Exam form) from
your Dean’s office to write a makeup 2-hour final exam.
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Midterm Test #1 on Saturday October 13th at the exam centre you selected. This test is
on chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and corresponding OWL Sakai notes. Time to be announced.
Midterm Test #2 on Saturday November 10th at the exam centre you selected. This test
is on chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, and corresponding OWL Sakai notes. Time to be announced.
Final Exam held during the December 8th-19th fall final exam period. This test is on
chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, and corresponding OWL Sakai notes. Date, time, and location to
be announced.
7.0 LECTURE SCHEDULE
The following schedule is recommended, in order to have all the readings done by the date
of the relevant test. An assigned chapter means that you are to read all the pages in that
chapter. For each chapter, the associated OWL Sakai note will contain material not found in
the textbook. For the tests, you will be responsible for all the material in the textbook, as
well as that presented in the OWL Sakai notes which accompany the textbook chapters.
WEEK
REQUIRED READINGS (Textbook and OWL Sakai)
1) Sept 10-14
Chapter 1: The Development of the Field
2) Sept 17-21
Chapter 2: Systems of the Body
3) Sept 24-28
Chapter 3: Stress and Coping
4) Oct 1-5
Chapter 4 : Psychoneuroimmunology
5) Oct 8-12
Chapter 5: Communication in Medical Settings
Saturday, Oct 13
EXAM #1 (worth 30%) covering ONLY Chapters 1, 2.
3, 4 (not 5) and corresponding OWL Sakai Notes
6) Oct 15-19
Chapter 6: Hospital Stays and Medical Procedures
7) Oct 22-26
Chapter 7: The Health Care Provider
8) Oct 29-Nov 2
Chapter 8: Chronic and Life-Threatening Illnesses
9) Nov. 5-9
Chapter 9: Health and Physical Activity
Saturday, Nov 10
EXAM #2 (worth 35%) covering ONLY Chapters 5, 6,
7, 8 (not 9) and corresponding OWL Sakai Notes
10) Nov 12-16
11) Nov 19-23
Chapter 10: Health Compromising Behaviours
12) Nov 26-30
Chapter 12: Health Promoting Behaviours
13) Dec 3-5 (Mon-Wed)
Chapter 12: Health Promoting Behaviours (Cont.)
TBA (Between Dec 8-19)
FINAL EXAM (worth 35%) covering Chapters 9, 10,
11, 12, and corresponding OWL Sakai Notes
Chapter 11: Pain
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/handbook/appeals/scholoff.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 The
University of Western Ontario 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 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/undergradresponsibilities.htm
- 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
- 2012 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.