SIM/UB Undergraduate Program

Health Psychology: PSY 325

Fall 2023

Image: The Divergent Thinker (Holly Warren)

Instructor: Jean M. DiPirro, Ph.D.

Time/Place: Fall 2023/ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE Course
Please see ublearns.buffalo.edu for all course-related information and be sure to check our UB
LEARNS Brightspace course site REGULARLY. Once per day is optimal!
Office Hours: WED, 8-10 PM (SGT) — UB LEARNS (Zoom) -- Attendance is optional, but feel free to stop by!
E-mail: Please contact me via UB LEARNS (dipirro@buffalo.edu)
Please include “PSY325” in the subject heading of all e-correspondence to me. (Thank you!)
Textbook: Sarafino, E. P. & Smith, T. W. (2019). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial interactions -- ASIA
EDITION (9th ed.). Wiley: Singapore. [ISBN: 9781119586869]

Course Description
This course is designed to introduce you to important and interesting topics in health psychology, an exciting,
increasingly prominent subspecialty within psychology that is concerned with the promotion and maintenance of health &
the prevention and treatment of illness. It will highlight key areas of investigation in health psychology, including the impact
of stress on health and illness; the role of behavior, emotion, and cognition in cardiovascular, psychophysiological, and
addictive disorders; the effect of psychological factors on pain perception; the application of health psychology-based
treatment techniques to enhance psychological & physical health; and the interaction of psychological, social, genetic,
hormonal, & neural factors with immune system activity and the overall well-being of an individual.

Course Structure
The material presented in this course will encompass 11 primary topics, the main points of which will be summarized
in 11 lectures and posted on the course website at the start of every week (Monday) throughout the semester. The lectures
will be given in the form of a PowerPoint presentation in which the information is conveyed in written OR spoken form. In
the written form, a Notes Page will accompany every slide in the presentation and will contain a complete written
transcript of the lecture that is designed to clarify, expand upon, and provide examples of the material presented in the
slides. Be sure to listen to the lecture or read the lecture transcript (as appropriate) – rather than simply viewing the
PowerPoint slides; the most important information in each chapter (and therefore, the most likely material to be tested on
quizzes and exams) can be found in the LECTURE. In addition, textbook chapters, which will provide further explanation of
the material, will be assigned for each topic. Further, supplemental readings & videos, available on the course website, will
be assigned periodically. All supplemental assignments should be considered to be important to your learning of class
material, as each reading/video will confer critical information and will be tested on exams and quizzes. Finally, one written
assignment will be used to facilitate greater understanding of the course content via “hands-on” interaction with it. In sum,
we will approach each topic from a variety of perspectives – using multiple learning mechanisms and multiple information
sources -- to enjoy the greatest learning possible.
Evaluation
Your final grade will be calculated on the basis of your performance on the following work:
Assessment Tool Final Grade Value
1) Exams (2) ONLINE
-- MIDTERM EXAM 20%
-- FINAL EXAM 35%
2) Quizzes (5) ONLINE (6% each) 30%
3) Assignment (1) ONLINE 15%

Exams: There will be two online exams: one midterm exam and one final exam. Each exam will cover material
presented in class lectures posted on the course website, textbook chapters, supplemental readings & videos, and
assignments. All exam questions will be multiple-choice. The midterm exam will assess content covered in the first
six chapters and consist of approximately 60 questions; the final exam will be cumulative (i.e., will assess content
covered during the entire semester) and consist of approximately 80 questions. Please note that although each
exam is scheduled for a specific day, YOU can choose to complete the exam at any time during the assigned 24-
hour window. Last, each exam will be strictly timed, such that ADEQUATE PREPARATION & STUDY IS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY TO PERFORM WELL. The time constraint means that most of the information that you use to answer
questions will need to come directly from your brain; you might have time to look up a few details, but the
majority of questions will need to be answered using the (undoubtedly impressive!) knowledge base that you have
created. NB: The MIDTERM exam is scheduled for Wednesday, OCT 11, 2023. The FINAL exam is NOT yet
scheduled; please check our course site to stay informed about the finalization of the final exam date. (-:

Quizzes: There will be five, short (10-12 questions), online, multiple-choice quizzes; quizzes will be timed, but you
will be able to take each quiz twice to allow for computer glitches that may occur (and achieve better learning &
scores!). Only the higher quiz score will count toward your final grade. In addition, I will post a list of example
questions for each quiz at the start of any week in which a quiz is scheduled. Though I will not post the correct
answers, YOU can use all resources available to you (i.e., lectures, readings, videos) to figure out the correct
answers during the first part of the week so that you are well prepared for the actual quiz later in the week. NOTE:
Quizzes will be available starting on the FRIDAY (8 AM, SGT) of the assignment week and ending on the following
MONDAY (8 PM, SGT). You may choose to complete the quiz at any time during the designated 4-day period.
Please note that the quizzes are designed to help you prepare for upcoming exams, so be sure to use them to your
advantage by preparing well for each quiz!

Assignment: There will be one (online) written assignment, designed to strengthen your understanding of course
content as well as provide you with an opportunity to learn more about stress and stress-mitigating techniques
examined in the course. Detailed information about the assignment will be posted several weeks before the due
date (Due Date = 10/27 [FRI] - 10/29 [SUN]). NB: This represents extra time; PLEASE USE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!
Grading
Your final grade will be assigned according to the following rubric:
UB Letter Grade % Equivalent Interpretation
A 93.0 – 100 High Distinction
A- 90.0 – 92.9 High Distinction
B+ 87.0 – 88.9 Superior
B 83.0 – 86.9 Superior
B- 80.0 – 82.9 Superior
C+ 77.0 – 79.9 Average
C 73.0 – 76.9 Average
C- 70.0 – 72.9 Average
D+ 65.0 – 69.9 Minimal Passing Grade
D 60.0 – 64.9 Minimal Passing Grade
F 00.0 – 55.9 Failure
***F1 00.0 Failure, participated after the 60% point of the session
***F2 0.00 Failure, started participating but stopped before the 60% point of the session
***F3 0.00 Failure, no participation
Suggestions to Maximize Learning & Success in the Class: PLEASE READ!
• Consult our UB LEARNS course site regularly for up-to-date, important information. I will post announcements (&
send email) FREQUENTLY. As we are separated by (considerable) physical distance in this class, it is extremely
important that we remain connected (like fine neural circuits) virtually. Checking our course site regularly will not only
facilitate your success in the class, but also help to rewire and remodel your neural landscape (i.e., promote learning),
the goal of the class! The most important single means of achieving this goal is to STAY ENGAGED: You don't want to
miss a single learning opportunity.
• Read the assigned chapters before viewing the posted lecture.
• Review the discussion/review questions (i.e., Questions to Consider) that will be posted for each assigned chapter,
along with the lecture. You need not prepare written responses, but you should think carefully about how you would
respond to each question.
• Read the case (prologue) that appears at the beginning of each assigned chapter and consider the discussion questions.
• Stay up-to-date with all reading assignments.
• Prepare well for each quiz and use quiz scores as an indication of how well you understand the material.
• Review/study the practice questions that I post before each quiz.
• Visit me during office hours, WEDNESDAYS, 8-10 PM (SGT), if you have any questions about the material or assessments.

General UB Program Policies

Attendance and active participation is expected by all students in every class.

Late assignments, if accepted, will be penalized.

Students who are absent from the midterm exam must request a make-up exam from the course instructor; a make-up will
be given only if there is an appropriate, documented reason for absence from the exam (such as an MC); any disputes
regarding the validity of the reason or the documentation may be referred to the student advisor.

Students who are absent from the final exam must formally request a make-up exam in writing to the Assistant Resident
Director within 24 hours of the original exam. Supporting documents must be provided. Make-up final exams will not be
granted automatically but will be considered on a case-by-case basis, based on all the relevant circumstances. Disputes may
be referred to the resident director.

There will be no make-ups for other course assessments; students who are absent from such assessments will receive a “0”.

UB Statement of Principle on Academic Integrity

The University at Buffalo has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal
effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation
of their work, for appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors. By placing their name on
academic work, students certify the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements.

Additionally, students are expected to understand and abide completely by the following guidelines for academic integrity
in all UB courses:
• Plagiarism, cheating, and other incidents of academic dishonesty will result in an automatic failing grade for the
course. Depending on the severity of the violation, your case may also be reported to UB for further investigation and
may result in expulsion from the university.
• Plagiarism consists of copying work from another source without giving proper citations. You must not copy
information from printed materials, internet sources, or from the work of other students. If you are uncertain about
how to submit your work correctly, consult the instructor immediately.
• Any claim of ignorance of the rules of academic integrity by any student is unacceptable.

(Please see the next page for Timetable of Topics and Assignments.)
 Timetable of Topics and Assignments

WEEK TOPIC TEXT ASSESSMENT TOOL

Aug 28 Introduction to Health Psychology Ch 1

Sept 4 Nervous & Endocrine Systems Ch 2 Quiz 1 (Ch 1-2): 9/8 - 9/11

Sept 11 Stress: Meaning, Impact, & Sources Ch 3

Sept 18 Stress: Biopsychological Factors & Illness Ch 4 Quiz 2 (Ch 3-4): 9/22 - 9/25

Sept 25 Stress: Coping With & Reducing Stress Ch 5

Oct 2 Health-related Behavior & Health Promotion Ch 6 Assignment POSTED: 10/3 (TUES)

Oct 9 MIDTERM EXAM: WED, 10/11, 12:01 AM-11:59 PM (SGT) EXAM 1 (Ch 1-6)

Oct 16 TERM BREAK: Take a break!!! --

Oct 23 Substance Use & Abuse Ch 7 Assignment DUE: 10/27 (FRI) – 10/29 (SUN)

Oct 30 Nutrition, Weight Control & Diet, Exercise, & Safety Ch 8 Quiz 3 (Ch 7-8): 11/3 - 11/6

Nov 6 Using Health Services Ch 9

Nov 13 Pain & Pain Management Ch 11/12 Quiz 4 (Ch 9, 11-12): 11/17 - 11/20

Nov 20 Review ALL! Quiz 5 (Review): 11/24 - 11/27

Nov 27+ FINAL EXAM: TBA!!! FINAL EXAM (Ch 1-9; 11-12)

PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE:

• ALL topics have a MONDAY start date. I urge you to complete all reading assignments before viewing the
posted lectures; when that is not possible, readings should be completed by the end of the week they are
assigned.
• Quizzes will be available to take over a 4-day period, starting FRIDAY (8 AM, SGT) of the assigned week and
ending the following MONDAY (8 PM, SGT).
• The midterm & final exam will be available to take over a ~24-hr period on the scheduled date.
• The final exam date* will be announced as soon as it is finalized! Please consult the syllabus on a regular basis;
it will be updated as the final exam information becomes available.
WELCOME TO HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, a colorful field, indeed! I hope you enjoy the course …and learn a LOT!!!

Image: Colorful Coronal Brain Section