Psychology 320: Health Psychology
Spring 2016
Lectures: Tuesday, Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:50 AM, 108 Ernst Bessey Hall
Name:
Office Address:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Course Assistant
Samantha Schires
37-A Psychology Building
schiress@msu.edu
W 4-6 PM; TH 1-3 PM
Instructors
Instructor
Ignacio D. Acevedo-Polakovich, PhD
127-B Psychology Building
idap@msu.edu
T & TH 10:00-11:00 AM
Course Overview
Health psychology is the branch of science focused on the description, prediction, and influence of
human behavior associated with health and wellbeing. Health psychologists examine a wide range of
topics including factors affecting health and the use of health services.
This course provides a broad overview of topics in health psychology. Content is presented through
assigned readings, and through classroom lectures that clarify—and expand upon—the topics of the
assigned reading.
Course Goals
1. Overview the social, psychological, and biological factors affecting health, illness, and use of
health services.
2. Introduce the basic body systems involved in health.
3. Provide a foundation in the behavioral understanding of health and illness.
4. Overview the roles of stress and coping in health.
5. Explore factors influencing utilization of health care services.
6. Explore factors influencing relationships with healthcare providers.
7. Review factors related to coping with chronic and terminal illness.
8. Examine directions for the advancement of health psychology
Course Readings
Required Text
Taylor, S. E. (2012). Health Psychology (9th Edition) New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Additional Required Readings
These are available for students free of cost via the university’s online collection. Students are
responsible for procuring their own copies of these materials.
Hall, C. C. I. (1997). Cultural malpractice: The growing obsolescence of psychology with the changing
US population. American Psychologist, 52(6), 642-651.
Hernandez, M., Nesman, T., Mowery, D., Acevedo-Polakovich, I. D., & Callejas, L.M. (2009).
Cultural Competence: A review and conceptual model for mental health services. Psychiatric
Services, 60, 1046-1050.
Open Science Collaboration. (2015). Estimating the reproducibility of psychological
science. Science, 349(6251), aac4716 (1-8).
1
Tentative Course Outline
Day/Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
Tuesday, 1/12
1. Syllabus Review
2. Health Psychology Introduction
3. Health Psychology Introduction
3. The Limits of Psychology
4. Systems of the Body
1. Syllabus
2. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 1
Thursday, 1/14
Tuesday, 1/19
Thursday, 1/21
Tuesday, 1/26
Thursday, 1/28
Tuesday, 2/2
Thursday, 2/4
Tuesday, 2/9
Thursday, 2/11
Tuesday, 2/16
Thursday, 2/18
Tuesday, 2/23
Thursday, 2/25
Tuesday, 3/1
3. Open Science Collaboration. (2015) …
reproducibility of psychological
science. Science, 349(6251), aac4716 (1-8).
Hall, C. C. I. (1997). Cultural malpractice …
American Psychologist, 52(6), 642-651.
4. Chapter 2
4. Chapter 2
Readings to Date
5. Chapter 3
5. Chapter 3
6. Chapter 4
6. Chapter 4
7. Chapter 5
7. Chapter 5
90% Chapters 3-5, 10% Cumulative
8. Chapter 6
8. Chapter 6
9. Chapter 7
9. Chapter 7
10. Chapter 8
4. Systems of the Body
Exam 1
5. Health Behaviors
5. Health Behaviors
6. Health Promoting Behaviors
6. Health Promoting Behaviors
7. Health Compromising Behaviors
7. Health Compromising Behaviors
Exam 2
8. Stress
8. Stress
9. Coping, Resilience …
9. Coping, Resilience …
10. Using Health Services
Hernandez et al. (2009). Cultural Competence
… Psychiatric Services, 60, 1046-1050.
Thursday, 3/3
10. Using Health Services
10. Chapter 8
Hernandez et al. (2009). Cultural Competence
… Psychiatric Services, 60, 1046-1050.
Tuesday, 3/15
Thursday, 3/17
Tuesday, 3/22
Thursday, 3/24
Tuesday, 3/29
Thursday, 3/31
Tuesday, 4/5
Thursday, 4/7
Tuesday, 4/12
Thursday, 4/14
Tuesday, 4/19
Thursday, 4/21
Tuesday, 4/26
Thursday, 4/28
Wednesday, 5/4
Exam 3
11. Patients, Providers, Treatments
11. Patients, Providers, Treatments
12. Managing Pain and Discomfort
12. Managing Pain and Discomfort
13. Managing Chronic Illness
13. Managing Chronic Illness
Exam 4
14. Terminal Illness
14. Terminal Illness
15. Major Chronic Disorders
15. Major Chronic Disorders
16. Immune-Related Disorders
16. Immune-Related Disorders
Exam 5
17. Future of Health Psychology
Final Exam
90% Chapters 6-8, 10% Cumulative
11. Chapter 9
11. Chapter 9
12. Chapter 10
12. Chapter 10
13. Chapter 11
13. Chapter 11
90% Chapters 9-11, 10% Cumulative
14. Chapter 12
14. Chapter 12
15. Chapter 13
15. Chapter 13
16. Chapter 14
16. Chapter 14
90% Chapters 12-14, 10% Cumulative
17. Chapter 15
50% Chapter 15, 50% Cumulative
2
Assignments & Grading
Overview
Assignment
Top 5 Exam Scores (20 points each)
Total
Self-directed Contributions
Maximum Points
100
100
5
Percentage
Each Exam is worth 20%
100%
Up to 5% Extra Credit
Grading Scale
Your grade will be calculated in the following way:
To get this grade:
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
You need this many points:
93
88
83
78
73
68
63
58
<58
Your total points will be rounded to the nearest whole number. Scores cannot be “on the border,” they
are one grade or the next. There will be no adjustments because your score is close to the cutoff.
In Class Exams
There will be SIX in-class exams during the semester, each will be worth 20 points. When calculating
your final grade, only the top five exam scores obtained by a student will be considered. There are no
make-up exams. If students miss an in-class exam, that exam will be given a score of zero.
Extra Credit: Self-directed Contributions
Self-directed contributions are written entries, between 250 and 500 words in length, in which students
demonstrate their understanding of course content by relating it to experiences encountered outside of
the course. Students may earn up to five extra credit points (i.e., 5% of the grade) by turning in selfdirected contributions. The following conditions apply:
1. Students may only turn in one self-directed contribution per week.
2. Only the first five graded self-directed contributions turned in by each student will be
considered.
Required components of a self-directed contribution. To be graded, self-directed contributions
must include:
(1) A brief description, or example, of an outside of class experience or media related to course
content;
3
(2) The identification of the concept or concepts of which the experience or example is thought to
be representative, and;
(3) A brief written explanation of how the experience or media example illustrates the identified
concept or concepts.
Self-directed contributions that do not include these three components will not be graded (but will
not count against a student’s total of five), and will be returned to the student along with comments
indicating which components are missing.
Grading of a self-directed contribution. The grading of self-directed contributions will adhere to
the following process:
(1) The self-directed contribution will first be examined to determine if its relating of outside-ofclass material is strong (starting grade of 1 point), acceptable (starting grade of 0.8), or
inadequate. Inadequate contributions will not be graded (but will not count against a student’s
total of five), and will be returned to the student along with comments indicating why the
contribution was inadequate.
(2) Strong or acceptable contributions will then be reviewed for spelling, typographical, and/or
grammatical errors.
a. A 0.1 deduction from the starting grade will be made for each error identified.
b. Graded self-directed contributions will then be returned to the students along with
comments indicating (a) the starting score for the contribution, and (b) any writing
errors resulting in point deductions.
4
Policies
Classroom Environment

Respectful conduct is expected from students and instructors, who should arrive to the
classroom as focused and prepared to learn as possible (even when the class starts unreasonably
early for a Michigan Winter).

Questions and discussion are an important part of the learning process. At the risk of having to
spend the entire semester listening only to the instructors’ thoughts and commentary, students
are invited to participate and offer their insights based on course materials.

In order to facilitate the conditions for all students to learn (and the instructors to teach), cell
phones, other electronic communication devices, music players/headphones and newspapers
are not allowed in class. Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices before
class.
Email Communication

E-mails regarding the course should be directed to the course assistant and originate from a
Michigan State University account. If necessary, the course assistant will then forward the
message to the instructor or copy him on the response.

The main purpose of email should be brief inquires regarding course content not addressed in
the syllabus or information otherwise not available to students. When a student needs to discuss
a particular set of personal circumstances regarding their course performance, a meeting with
the course assistant is the appropriate venue.

The following types of email will not receive a response:
 Inquiries about information that is provided in the syllabus or otherwise accessible (i.e.,
library policies)
 Rude or disrespectful correspondence
 Correspondence from an account not issued by Michigan State University
Academic Integrity

Each student is responsible for adhering to the scholastic dishonesty policy of Michigan State
University.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated; this includes giving or receiving aid on exams, as
well as plagiarism from print or electronic sources.

Any student who is found to be guilty of plagiarism, giving or receiving aid on exams or any
other form of academic dishonesty will fail the course.
Absences

There are no make-up exams. If a student misses an in-class exam, that exam will be given a
score of zero.
5

In recognition that important unforeseen events can force students to miss exams, the final
grade will be calculated as the sum of the five highest scoring exams plus any extra credit
obtained by completing self-directed contributions.
Policies Regarding Exams

All exams are “closed-book”.

Students should arrive no later than the start of class for in-class exams. No one will be allowed
to sit for an exam after the first completed exam has been turned in.

There are no make-up exams. If a student misses an in-class exam, that exam will be given a
score of zero.
Commercialized Lecture Notes

Commercialization of lecture notes and university-provided course materials is not permitted in
this course.
NOTE: Students with disabilities
The publication/material required in this class are available in alternative formats upon request.
Students with disabilities are responsible for making their needs known to the instructor, and seeking
assistance, in a timely manner. Your instructor will be able to provide a departmental contact.
6