PSY210 Health Psychology
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Sep 09, 2026
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Psychology
Nina Bosankić-Čmajčanin
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
Introduce students to the field, scope, and major perspectives of Health Psychology. Explain psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural influences on health and illness. Introduce major models and theories of health behavior and behavior change. Examine health-risk and health-protective behaviors and their determinants. Explain the role of stress, coping, social support, and other psychological factors in health. Examine patients' experiences of symptoms, illness, pain, and chronic disease. Explore the effects of illness on patients, families, and informal caregivers. Introduce principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and behavior-change interventions. Develop students' ability to critically evaluate health-related claims and research evidence. Enable students to apply Health Psychology concepts to real-world health problems.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Morrison, V., & Bennett, P. (2022). Introduction to health psychology (5th ed.). Pearson.
Additional Literature
Taylor, S. E. (2021). Health psychology (11th ed.). McGraw Hill.Teaching Methods
Class discussions with examples
Active tutorial sessions involving workshops on course related, in class covered topics for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress
Individual and team assignments and projects
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course introduction: | |
| 2 | What is health , health psychology, models of health | chapter 1, pp. 1-29 |
| 3 📍 | Health inequalities | chapter 2, pp 30-49 |
| 4 | Health- Risk Behaviors | chapter 3, pp 50-85 |
| 5 | Health protective Behavior | chapter 4. pp. 86-120 |
| 6 | Explaining Health Behavior | chapter 5, pp. 122-157 |
| 7 | Changing Behavior | chapter 6. pp. 158 -176 |
| 8 | MIDTERM EXAM | |
| 9 | Preventing Health problems | chapter 7. pp. 178-204 |
| 10 | Stress, Health and Illness, Theory | chapter 11. pp. 302-336 |
| 11 | Stress and Illness moderators QUIZ | chapter 12. pp. 336-371 |
| 12 | Managing Stress | chapter 13. pp. 372-393 |
| 13 | The Impact and outcome of illness | chapter 14. pp. 394-431 |
| 14 | Improving quality of life | chapter 17. pp. 495-517 |
| 15 | Group project |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSY210.1 | Course | Wednesday 15:00 - 17:50 | B F2.4 | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 - 15:00 | A F2.22 | |
| Wednesday | 12:00 - 15:00 | A F2.22 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : L O 2 3 4 5 6
Quiz
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : L O 2 3
In-term exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : L O 2 3 4
Group project
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : L O 2 3 4
Field assignment
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : L1 2 3
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
42 hours ⏳ (14 week × 3 h)
Quiz
12 hours ⏳ (3 week × 4 h)
Field assignments
6 hours ⏳ (1 week × 6 h)
In-term Exam Study
16 hours ⏳ (8 week × 2 h)
Final Exam Study
60 hours ⏳ (15 week × 4 h)
Group Project
14 hours ⏳ (7 week × 2 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [PSY210] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Sep 09, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| PSY210 | Health Psychology | 2 | 1 | 6 | Wed 15:00-17:50 | |||||
| Prerequisite | PSY103 | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Nina Bosankić-Čmajčanin | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Monday: 12:00-15:00 Wednesday: 12:00-15:00 |
|||||||
| nbosankic@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | Introduce students to the field, scope, and major perspectives of Health Psychology. Explain psychological, behavioral, social, and cultural influences on health and illness. Introduce major models and theories of health behavior and behavior change. Examine health-risk and health-protective behaviors and their determinants. Explain the role of stress, coping, social support, and other psychological factors in health. Examine patients' experiences of symptoms, illness, pain, and chronic disease. Explore the effects of illness on patients, families, and informal caregivers. Introduce principles of health promotion, disease prevention, and behavior-change interventions. Develop students' ability to critically evaluate health-related claims and research evidence. Enable students to apply Health Psychology concepts to real-world health problems. |
|||||||||
| Textbook | Morrison, V., & Bennett, P. (2022). Introduction to health psychology (5th ed.). Pearson. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Class discussions with examples. Active tutorial sessions involving workshops on course related, in class covered topics for engaged learning and continuous feedback on progress. Individual and team assignments and projects. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Course introduction: | |||||||||
| Week 2 | What is health , health psychology, models of health | chapter 1, pp. 1-29 | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Health inequalities | chapter 2, pp 30-49 | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Health- Risk Behaviors | chapter 3, pp 50-85 | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Health protective Behavior | chapter 4. pp. 86-120 | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Explaining Health Behavior | chapter 5, pp. 122-157 | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Changing Behavior | chapter 6. pp. 158 -176 | ||||||||
| Week 8 | MIDTERM EXAM | |||||||||
| Week 9 | Preventing Health problems | chapter 7. pp. 178-204 | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Stress, Health and Illness, Theory | chapter 11. pp. 302-336 | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Stress and Illness moderators QUIZ | chapter 12. pp. 336-371 | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Managing Stress | chapter 13. pp. 372-393 | ||||||||
| Week 13 | The Impact and outcome of illness | chapter 14. pp. 394-431 | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Improving quality of life | chapter 17. pp. 495-517 | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Group project | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Exam | 1 | 30 | L O 2, 3, 4, 5,6 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Quiz | 1 | 15 | L O 2, 3, | Not Allowed | |
| In-term exam | 1 | 20 | L O 2, 3, 4 | Not Allowed | |
| Group project | 1 | 20 | L O 2, 3, 4, | Not Allowed | |
| Field assignment | 1 | 15 | L1, 2, 3 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 14 | 42 | Quiz | 4 | 3 | 12 | |||
| 0 | Field assignments | 6 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| In-term Exam Study | 2 | 8 | 16 | Final Exam Study | 4 | 15 | 60 | |||
| Group Project | 2 | 7 | 14 | 0 | ||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 29/09/2026 | |||||||||