This module offers an introduction in theory and practice of health psychology with emphasis on the innovative use of applied technology in various health care settings.
In the project of this module you will learn to redesign an existing face-to-face groups program for patients with chronic somatic disease and to prepare program elements for online use. By working on this project you learn what it means to have a chronic illness, how psychological techniques can be used to improve coping with limitations and how you can use these techniques in a web based program. Furthermore you learn to integrate different design models to develop (e)health interventions.
For this project you need knowledge on chronic illness, on coping and quality of life, on intervention techniques and on the application of technology to help people to adjust successfully. This knowledge you will discover in the theory component of this module. In order to really design web based elements you need skills which you can acquire in the design & research line of the module.
The theory component offers an introduction in health psychology. It will provide you with background information about health psychology, persuasive technology and design principles that will be applied in the design & research component and the project of this module. Through lectures, tutorials and study assignments you will learn about the main psychological theories and models to explain and influence health behaviours, and gain an understanding of what it means for people to become ill and to live with a chronic disease. You will learn what methods can be used to promote health behaviours such as not smoking, healthy eating or exercising. It will be discussed how we can support patients to cope with chronic disease and live a satisfying and meaningful life.
Special attention will be given to the innovative use of technology to promote health behaviour and adaptation to disease. You will learn about the principles of persuasive technology and the systematic design of eHealth interventions.
The design & research component consists of two parts, that share the technological focus. First, in a series of 4 tutorials and practicals students obtain experience with methodologies for user-centred design of eHealth technology. These include performing a contextual analysis, applying human centred design techniques such as prototyping, and usability testing. The second part involves a workshop in which students learn to program and work with response- latency software to measure implicit processes underlying health behaviour. Students become acquainted with recent theoretical advances in dual process models of behaviour. The link between both parts is technology. In user centred design the focus is on how to tailor eHealth interventions to needs of both users as stakeholders. In the workshop ICT is applied in psychometrics
To apply for an exchange programme, you will have to follow these seven steps:
1. Pre-application phase: 6 - 4 months before arrival
2. Nomination: 6 - 3 months before arrival
3. Application phase: 6 - 3 months before arrival
4. Assessment phase: 4 - 2 months before arrival
5. Acceptance or rejection: 3 - 2 months before arrival
6. Preparation to arrival phase: 3 - 1 month(s) before arrival
7. Upon arrival and during your stay at the UT
Entrepreneurship has been part of the University of Twente’s DNA for over many decades: seeing opportunities where others don’t, taking risks when no one else would and setting up successful teamwork to achieve ambitious goals.
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