EPE 598 Psychology, Physical Activity, and Health
Spring 2000

TENTATIVE Course Syllabus

Instructor:   Dr. Jennifer L. Etnier
Office:   Physical Education West Building Rm 205
Office Phone: 965-7042
Office Hours:

 Topics
How health issues have changed + what is Health Psychology?
Health-Related Behavior and Promotion
Theories to Explain Health Behavior
Etiology of Obesity
Weight Control Programs
Body Image and Related Concepts
Addictive Behaviors
Solomon's Opponent Process Theory
Eating Disorders
The Theoretical Basis of Pain and Perceived Exertion
Managing Pain and Physical Discomfort, Exercise & Pain
Dealing with Chronic Diseases
The Nature of Stress
Stress and Disease
Managing Stress
Exercise and Stress Reactivity/Recovery
Exercise Adherence
Exercise and Chronic Disease

Your responsibilities:  You are responsible for reading the assignment prior to each class period. You are responsible for the lecture material provided each day.  It is expected that you will attend class regularly, that you will be punctual for class, and that you will verbally participate in class discussions.  It is also expected that if you are having any difficulty with any portion of the course, you will seek help from the instructor.

Assignments
Presentations:  Each student will present 3-5 articles to the class.  A 10-15 min presentation will be required.  Please plan to provide a hand-out which summarizes the article for every member of the class.  Please be well-prepared for this presentation and include visual aids where necessary.  You will need to be able to answer questions about the article which might be posed by the instructor or by your classmates.

Critiques:   You will be given 3-5 articles to critique.  In general, critiques should have a 1 page summary of the article followed by a 2-3 page critique of the article (type written, 1" margins, 12-point font).  Be careful that you do not plagiarize the authors anywhere in the critique.  The critique may include positive comments about the article, but should focus on the shortcomings of the article.  More information relative to critiques will be provided.

Exams:  We will have 2 exams which will be equally weighted.

Grading
Grades are assigned on a normal 10-pt scale.
That is, 89.5-100 is an A, 79.5-89.49 is a B, 69.5-79.49 is a C, etc.

Proposed values of the assignments.
Participation 5%
Presentations 15%
Critiques 20%
Exams  60%

This syllabus.  This course schedule, the course guidelines, and the reading list are all subject to (and likely to) change.  It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of any and all changes.