University of the West of England
MODULE SPECIFICATION
Code: USPJET-10-M Title: HEALTH AND ILLNESS COGNITIONS Version: 1
Level: M UWE credit rating: 10 ECTS credit rating: 5
Module type: Standard
Owning Faculty: Applied Sciences Field: Psychology
Valid from: September 2003 Discontinued from:
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Excluded combinations: None
Learning outcomes:
• Understand and critically evaluate the impact of shared social representations to the construction of health, illness, and disease, in relation to health behaviour, symptom perception, and health care provision.
• Evaluate the information processing mechanisms underlying cognitions and representations relating to health and illness. Explain how these representations relate to other cognitive representations.
• Critically evaluate the medical decision making process. Understand the influence of non-clinical variables on medical decision making, and be able to discuss proposed cognitive mechanisms to explain this.
• Propose means by which the understanding of cognitive and social representations of health and illness can influence health promotion and health care provision.
Syllabus outline:
Lay theories and social construction of health and illness
Lay vs. scientific theories / health locus of control / just world beliefs / specific illness theories (obesity, diabetes, alzheimers, lung cancer). Discursive approaches to health and illness. Folk illnesses (e.g., Susto).
Social cognition models
The social cognition approach. Review specific examples - Health belief model, and theory of planned behaviour as a predictor of health behaviour. Examination of information processing mechanisms underlying social cognition models.
Representation of health and health behaviour
Relationship between health beliefs and health behaviour. Placebos, Self efficacy, Control, Attributions. Unrealistic optimism. Stage theories.
Pathways to health and illness
The role of social cognition models in explaining social inequalities in health - an examination of direct and indirect pathways. The implications for individualistic illness representation for health promotion and health policy.
Symptom perception - becoming ill
Recognition of illness and becoming ill, focusing on the impact of mood and social context, the perception of psychological well being, and cognitive representations of illness (Leventhall’s self regulatory model). Discussion of the relation to health behaviour, coping, and screening.
Quality of Life
Relation of QOL to illness and health representations. Measurement issues.
Representation of appearance and the body
The role of cognitive representation in relation to adjustment to perceived abnormalities of appearance, including disability and disfigurement.
Implications for health care provision and decision making
Hypothetico-deductive model and it's alternatives. Evaluation of the impact of non-clinical variables (gender, race, time pressure, feelings towards patients) and illness representation on HCP decision making, communication between patients and HCPs, and patient compliance.
Teaching and learning methods:
Lectures and workshops.
Reading Strategy
All students will be encouraged to make full use of the print and electronic resources available to them through membership of the University. These include a range of electronic journals and a wide variety of resources available through web sites and information gateways. The University Library’s web pages provide access to subject relevant resources and services, and to the library catalogue. Many resources can be accessed remotely. Students will be presented with opportunities within the curriculum to develop their information retrieval and evaluation skills in order to identify such resources effectively.
This guidance will be available either in the module handbook, via the module information on UWEonline or through any other vehicle deemed appropriate by the module/programme leaders.
Bennett, P. and Murphy, S. (1997) Psychology and Health Promotion. OU Press, Buckingham.
Bowling, A. (1994) Measuring Health. OU Press, Buckingham.
Bowling, A. (1995) Measuring Disease. OU Press, Buckingham.
Conner, M. and Norman, P. (1995) Predicting Health Behaviour. OU Press, Buckingham.
Davey, B., Gray, A. and Seale (eds) (1995) Health and Disease : A Reader. OU Press, Buckingham.
Furnham, A. (1988) In Lay theories: Everyday understanding of problems in the social sciences. Pergamon, Oxford. Ch. 5 Lay theories in medicine, pp105-124.
Ogden, J. (1996) Health Psychology: A textbook. OU Press, Buckingham.
Petrie, J.K. and Weinman, J.A. (1997) Perceptions of Health and Illness. Harwood, Amsterdam.
Radley, A. (1994) Making sense of illness: The social psychology of health and disease. Sage, London.
Stanton Rogers, W. (1991) Explaining Health and Disease. Harvester Wheatsheaf, London.
Stroebe, W. and Stroebe, M. (1995) Social Psychology and Health. OU Press, Buckingham.
Wilkinson, R. (1997) Unhealthy Societies. Routledge, London.
Yardley, L. (1997) Material Discoursed of Health and Illness. Routledge, London.
Assessment
Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only) A: 100% B: %
ATTEMPT 1
First Assessment Opportunity
Component A Element weighting
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Timed Assignment (1.5 Hours) - Critique of an Article |
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Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
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Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes) No
Component A
Description of each element Element weighting
EX1 |
Timed Assignment (1.5 Hours) - Critique of an Article |
1 |
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Component B
Description of each element Element weighting
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SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes. Yes
Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………………
(Associate Dean/Programme Director)