GRA 2231 Occupational Health Psychology
GRA 2231 Occupational Health Psychology
As organizations today are facing challenges in their efforts to perform effectively, there is increasing agreement that to be successful, they need to focus on employee health and well-being for a unique competitive advantage. The field of occupational health psychology aims to help organizations address this need.
Standing at the intersection of health psychology, work and organizational psychology, and social and environmental psychology, occupational health psychology is a field of psychology concerned with improving the quality of work life, and with protecting and promoting the health, well-being and safety of workers.
This course on occupational health psychology will help students understand the field of occupational health psychology, reflect on central theories, research, and practices associated with occupational health psychology, and identify how to best advise organizations and employees dealing with occupational health issues.
By the end of the course, the students:
- Have advanced knowledge of the depth and scope of the occupational health psychology field.
- Have advanced knowledge of central theories, research, and practices in the field of occupational health psychology.
- Have advanced knowledge about the most common research methods applied in occupational health psychology.
- Can apply in depth knowledge from the field of occupational health psychology to develop strategies to sustain, develop, and increase health, well-being and safety in the workplace.
By the end of the course, the students:
- Can analyze and critically evaluate theories and studies in the field of occupational health psychology.
- Can apply occupational health psychology theories to formulate scholarly arguments.
- Can analyze existing theories, methods, and interpretations in the occupational health psychology field and work independently to create practical solutions.
- Can use relevant empirical evidence to create strategies for dealing with work stressors and facilitating employee health and well-being.
- Can critically evaluate occupational health initiatives and programs.
- Convey advanced knowledge through presentation and discussion.
By the end of the course, the students:
- Can critically examine and use different theoretical approaches and perspectives from the field of occupational health psychology to understand and analyze various situations and issues relating to occupational health and well-being.
- Can critically reflect upon, communicate, and discuss a selection of theories and research findings from the occupational health psychology field.
- Can communicate about academic issues, analyses, and conclusions in the occupational health psychology field, both with specialists and the general public.
Topics covered in the course include:
- Theories of occupational stress, health, and well-being
- Positive occupational health psychology
- Sources, boundary conditions, and consequences of occupational stress, health, and well-being
- Coping and deviant workplace behaviors
- Preventive stress management strategies
- Psychological health and interventions
The course is structured as a combination of lectures, discussions, in-class activities, and asynchronous (approximately 12 hours)/synchronous group work. It requires a substantial amount of preparation by the students and active involvement during class. A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours.
Please note that while attendance is not mandatory, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
All literature in the course is mandatory. For the term paper, it is expected that the students use the course literature and show mastery and understanding of the material covered in the course.
The term paper accounts for 100 % of the final grade and is supposed to be written by up to three students (graded as a group).
Approximately 12 hours of the total course will be asynchronous.
The examination for this course has been changed starting academic year 23/24. It is not possible to resit the old version of the examination.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 100 Grouping: Group/Individual (1 - 3) Duration: 2 Week(s) Comment: Term paper Exam code: GRA 22319 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | |
Student's own work with learning resources | 124 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.