Well-being and Health, 5 cr

The course is optional and available to social psychology major students.

Prerequisites

Bachelor's studies in social psychology.

Pre-exam/Pre-assignment: A prerequisite for course participation is the approved completion of a pre-assignment:

Glance through chapter 1 (Changing Behavior: A Theory- and Evidence-Based Approach) and read more carefully chapter 2 (Changing Behavior Using the Theory of Planned Behavior) of The Handbook of Behavior Change (Edited by Martin Hagger et al., 2020; Cambridge University Press - you can find an online version of this book in the library).

Write three most important insights as bullet points (total length max. half a page). Send your text to Nelli Hankonen, nelli.hankonen@tuni.fi, with the message title “Pre-assignment for course”, as soon as possible, but at the latest by the 26th of October.

This pre-assignment helps you get an idea of the type of texts that will be read over the course, and also introduces one traditional theory from the area (the TPB).

Warm welcome to the course!”

Learning outcomes

After attending this course, the student will:

• have an advanced understanding of central social psychological theories related to behaviour change.

• be able to list theoretical methods and techniques of behaviour change and their combinations suggested by these theories.

• be able to critically evaluate research evidence supporting these theories.

• be able to analyse intervention descriptions (logic models, program theories) to determine their match with formal theories.

Contents

The course will present an advanced overview of central behaviour change theories. In this course, students will gain understanding of the central social psychological theories related to behaviour change. These theories cover a range of key social psychological concepts (e.g. attitudes, motivation, identity, behavioural regulation, habit, social support), as well as several analytical levels, from individual to interpersonal, to community-, institutional and societal-structural level. Historical development of the theories as well as interlinkages and overlaps between concepts in the theories will be discussed. We will also discuss how these social psychological theories have increasingly been used to design public policy.

Applied examples are presented from several areas, e.g. environmental sustainability, organizational behaviour, wellbeing and health, education, human service professions training, and business. After the course, the student will have the conceptual tools to understand and analyze the relationships between theories and behaviour change phenomena and interventions.

Assessment practices and criteria

Assessment on a scale 0-5. Assessment criteria will be given on the course.