Study one subject with exams
University of North Dakota, PSYC 335: Health Psychology
Health Psychology Course: Compare Options and Start Free
Compare learning routes, then explore health psychology in eight free lessons. Use fictional adult scenarios to examine research, beliefs, social context, and everyday barriers. Read the diagrams, try the exercises, and check your explanations.
8 lessonsProgress in this browser
BySeph Fontane Pennock
Reviewed byMichael Callans, MSWBy the end you can...
- Frame biological, psychological, and social research questions about one fictional case.
- Distinguish an event, its appraisal, and practical barriers to action.
- Calculate a proportion using the reference group named in the question.
- Specify a routine, a review measure, and what its results cannot establish.
The route comparison first, then eight lessons on behavior, stress and health information, taught through fictional adult cases.
Choose academic study or a free introduction
Start with the route cards to compare purpose, time, and access, or begin the eight free lessons. This introduction is for adults and requires no prior study.
What health psychology covers
Health psychology examines biological, psychological, and social influences on health and illness, including behavior and health care systems. The APA overview describes the field. The lessons here teach research concepts through fictional adult examples.
Compare actual learning routes
Compare a focused free resource, a scheduled class, one taught subject, and a broader two-year program. Each provider has its own scope and access terms.
Attend a scheduled short class
Cardiff University, Health Psychology, PSY26A5606A
Explore a care-context introduction
Care Learning, Health Psychology Training Course
Explore a broader two-year program
Northern Virginia Community College, Associate of Science in Psychology
See the full comparison
| Provider and offering | Type | Scope | Audience | Access | Workload | Entry requirements | Assessment | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota PSYC 335: Health Psychology | university subject | Health behavior, stress, and health care | US; psychology and related health fields | Paid tuition; materials extra | 18 lessons including 4 proctored exams; 3 to 9 months | PSYC 111 Introduction to Psychology | Assignments and 4 proctored exams | Open, enroll anytime |
| Cardiff University Health Psychology, PSY26A5606A | short course | Frameworks, stress, apps, and wearables | UK; Cardiff campus location | Paid tuition | 10 weekly meetings; Tuesdays 17:00 to 19:00 | not stated | Essay or portfolio, 60%; 30-question class test, 40% | Scheduled January 12, 2027; enrollment offered |
| Care Learning Health Psychology Training Course | free resource | Models, behavior, communication, and care context | UK; health and social care context | Listed free; login required | About 1 hour, depending on experience and pace (provider FAQ) | No prior psychology knowledge required (provider FAQ) | Knowledge checks listed | Login-to-enroll offered |
| Northern Virginia Community College Associate of Science in Psychology | degree | Major concepts, methods, ethics, diversity, and communication; built for transfer to a four-year psychology major | US; Virginia campuses (Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Woodbridge) | Tuition; costs on the college's tuition pages, not the program page | Two years; 62 credits | not stated on the program page | not stated on the program page | Offered at five campuses; term dates not stated on the program page |
Prerequisites, time and depth
No prior study is required for these eight lessons. Work at your own pace and use the examples when a distinction needs another look. UND specifies introductory psychology; NOVA describes a broader two-year program. Review the provider details before choosing a longer route.
1
The biopsychosocial perspective
4 minBy the end you can name three kinds of influence on health.
Engel (1977) proposed a framework that considers biological, psychological, and social dimensions together. It organizes inquiry without assigning equal portions of an outcome.
The APA field overview also includes behavior and health care systems. In the fictional shift-work case, schedules, expectations, and daily rhythms are candidate influences. Their relevance and connections need investigation; the scene supplies no conclusion about a worker's health.
- Biological: Daily rhythms
- Psychological: Expectations about work
- Social: Schedules and housing noise
- Where they meet: One research question
Connect two questions
For the fictional workers, ask when shifts allow rest and how that timing relates to daily rhythms. This connects a social question with a biological one. The connection is a hypothesis to investigate. Source
Try it
For the shift-work study, name one question at each level. Connect two without claiming a proven cause.
Show the answer
Possible questions concern daily rhythms, expectations about the next shift, and work schedules. One proposed connection is that schedules influence when rest is possible, which may interact with daily rhythms. This is a hypothesis to investigate. It is not a conclusion about any worker. The three categories organize the inquiry; they do not assign blame or imply that all influences are equally important in every setting.
Takeaway: The three perspectives organize questions; they do not allocate causes. (source)
2
Reading health research
4 minBy the end you can remove an unsupported causal claim.
An observational study can describe a relationship without establishing its cause. Random sampling concerns who enters a study; random assignment concerns who receives which condition.
The invented survey below includes 200 adult office volunteers. They are the sample, not the entire population of workers. Both variables were reported and breaks were not assigned. Workload, reverse direction, and other explanations remain possible. Name the sample and design when rewriting the claim.
What the survey records
- 200 adult office volunteers
- More reported outdoor breaks alongside less reported stress
What remains unresolved
- Whether breaks caused the difference
- Whether workload or another factor influenced both
Keep the result, change the claim
In the invented survey, "Outdoor breaks prevent stress for everyone" becomes "Outdoor breaks and lower reported stress were linked among 200 adult office volunteers." Lower workload could help explain both reports. Source
Try it
Rewrite the outdoor-break headline, naming the design and sample. Identify one variable that could explain the association.
Show the answer
A suitable headline is: "Outdoor breaks and lower reported stress were linked in a survey of adult office volunteers." Workload could influence both, so the survey does not establish that breaks caused the difference. The 200-person sample also cannot automatically represent every worker. These figures are fictional. The exercise practices matching a conclusion to a design, not choosing a behavior for anyone's health.
Takeaway: An association in a sample does not establish a universal cause. (source)
3
Stress and appraisal
4 minBy the end you can identify an event and its appraisals.
Appraisal concerns an event's significance and the resources available for responding. A shared event can be interpreted differently.
The fictional scheduling change separates the announcement from the employees' expectations. Missing training remains a practical feature of the setting. A study could measure the event, appraisals, available support, and subsequent responses separately. The exercise identifies concepts without prescribing how either employee should think.
Primary appraisal
- What might this change mean?
- Devon expects disruption.
Secondary appraisal
- What resources are available?
- Priya knows someone who can demonstrate the system.
One sentence, two appraisals
Devon says the new system may disrupt work and nobody has demonstrated it. Disruption concerns the event's significance. The missing demonstration concerns available resources. Source
Try it
Devon says, "The new system may disrupt work, and nobody has shown me how it operates." Identify the appraisals.
Show the answer
The event is the introduction of the scheduling system. "It may disrupt my work" expresses a primary appraisal of its significance. "Nobody has shown me how it operates" identifies a resource concern relevant to secondary appraisal. Neither sentence establishes a measured physiological response. The analysis locates parts of a proposed process, rather than judging whether Devon should feel differently or recommending a personal response.
Takeaway: An event, its meaning, and available resources are separate things to examine. (source)
Source: Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: What Is Stress?. OpenStax.
4
Beliefs about health
4 minBy the end you can distinguish beliefs, barriers, and actions.
Ajzen (1991) distinguishes attitudes, perceived social expectations, perceived control, intentions, and behavior. Perceived control is a belief; actual resources and opportunities also matter.
The fictional information session shows why an absent person cannot simply be described as uninterested. Preserve the belief already reported, identify the practical barrier, and ask what action was actually observed. The example applies a general theory without claiming that it explains every absence.
Reported belief or intention
- The information session seems useful.
- The respondent intends to attend.
Opportunity and action
- Work overlaps the opening hours.
- Attendance must be recorded separately.
Value and access can differ
An adult values the information session but works during its only opening hours. Record the favorable evaluation and scheduling barrier separately. The case does not supply an attendance record or establish whether another session was available. Source
Try it
An adult values the information session but works during its only opening hours. Identify the belief, barrier, and missing observation.
Show the answer
The favorable evaluation is a reported belief about usefulness. The clash between opening hours and work is an opportunity barrier. The scenario does not supply an attendance record or show whether another session was available. Concluding "not interested" would discard information already given. A research account should preserve the difference between valuing an activity and having a practical opportunity to participate in it.
Takeaway: Keep beliefs, opportunities, and recorded actions separate. (source)
5
Habits and environmental barriers
4 minBy the end you can classify an obstacle using COM-B.
COM-B organizes influences into capability, opportunity, and motivation. The components interact, and motivation includes automatic routines as well as deliberate intentions.
At the fictional desk, not knowing the current revision, being unable to access it, and reaching for a familiar stack are different obstacles. The framework helps specify what to investigate; it does not establish which change will succeed. Connect the proposed response to the obstacle actually described.
- Capability: Knowing which leaflet to use
- Opportunity: Being able to reach the stock
- Motivation: Plans and familiar routines
- Where they meet: Placing current leaflets
Match the response to the obstacle
The current leaflets are locked away. A reminder does not open the cupboard. Checking whether staff can obtain the stock addresses the stated opportunity barrier; any proposed change still needs evaluation. Source
Try it
The correct leaflets are locked away. Does a reminder email resolve the most directly constrained COM-B component?
Show the answer
Physical opportunity is directly constrained: staff cannot reach the materials. A reminder might make the task more salient, but it does not provide access to the locked box. The scenario supports examining access arrangements first, not assuming reminders never help. A check could record whether staff can obtain the current leaflets during each shift. The framework separates the stated obstacle from a proposed but mismatched response.
Takeaway: Name the obstacle before choosing a response. (source)
6
Social support and context
4 minBy the end you can distinguish three forms of social support.
Social support includes useful information, encouragement, and tangible assistance. The fictional desk separates these functions so each can be described.
Counting contacts does not establish which help was available. If volunteers reporting more support stay longer, experience or scheduling flexibility might help explain both. That association alone does not establish causation. The exercise classifies help and the demand addressed, without inferring a health outcome.
Understanding and encouragement
- A colleague explains where materials belong.
- Another listens to concerns about the first shift.
Practical assistance
- A colleague covers the desk during orientation.
Try it
One colleague explains filing; another covers the desk during orientation. Classify each support function and the demand addressed.
Show the answer
Explaining the filing system provides informational support for a knowledge gap. Covering the desk provides practical support for a scheduling conflict. Either colleague might also offer encouragement, but that is not stated. The distinction helps define what a study would measure. It would be premature to claim that either act improves health or guarantees retention merely because it fits a familiar support category.
Takeaway: Identify what help does, not just how many contacts exist. (source)
7
Understanding health information
4 minBy the end you can calculate a proportion with the correct denominator.
Gigerenzer and Hoffrage (1995) studied frequency formats for specified probability problems. Their findings do not establish that every count display makes every inference easy.
The fictional leaflet audit applies that format to information quality. The two questions use the same numerator but different reference groups. No real checking system or health outcome is represented. Read the grid's unit before calculating, then compare the two denominators in the worked example.
16 of 24 flagged leaflets highlighted.
Two questions, two denominators
The invented audit has 100 leaflets: 20 outdated and 80 current. Sixteen outdated and eight current leaflets are flagged. Among flagged leaflets, 16/24 are outdated, about 67%. Among outdated leaflets, 16/20 are detected, or 80%. Source
Try it
Compare the outdated fraction of the 24 flagged leaflets with the detected fraction of all 20 outdated leaflets.
Show the answer
Sixteen out of twenty-four flagged leaflets are outdated: two-thirds, or about 67%. Sixteen out of twenty outdated leaflets were detected: 80%. The first describes the flagged pile; the second describes coverage of outdated items. Both calculations are correct for their respective questions. Reporting 80% as the accuracy of the flagged pile would substitute the wrong denominator and misrepresent this fictional audit.
Takeaway: Choose the group named in the question before dividing. (source)
8
Planning and reviewing a small everyday change
4 minBy the end you can specify a plan and review measure.
Gollwitzer and Brandstätter (1997) distinguish a goal from a plan linking a situation with an action. Their studies concern goal pursuit under specified conditions; a plan cannot remove every barrier.
Choose the review measure before collecting the fictional delivery records. An improvement would describe what changed. Without a suitable comparison, it would not isolate the plan's causal effect. Even five successful deliveries would not establish a lasting habit.
- CueA delivery arrives
- ActionThe coordinator places it in the review tray
- RecordWas it filed before shift end?
- ReviewCount five deliveries and note obstacles
A plan still needs an opportunity
When a delivery arrives, the on-duty coordinator will place it in the review tray. Count how many of the next five deliveries reach the tray before shift end. A missing tray or unstaffed desk can still prevent the action. Source
Try it
Plan for the next five deliveries: name a cue, action, review measure, and barrier the plan cannot resolve.
Show the answer
A model plan is: "When each delivery arrives, the on-duty coordinator will place it in the dated review tray." Record the number of five deliveries filed before shift end. A missing tray or unstaffed desk could prevent the action. Reviewing those obstacles helps interpret the record. Even five successful deliveries would not prove a lasting habit or show that the plan alone caused success.
Takeaway: A clear plan specifies when to act; a review records what happened. (source)
What do you learn in health psychology, and what does it include?
You learn how biological, psychological, and social factors are studied together in health and illness. The APA overview includes behavior and health care systems. Here you interpret research, distinguish beliefs from barriers, and evaluate information through fictional examples and worked exercises. (source)
Can I take a free online health psychology course?
Yes. The lessons here include all teaching, exercises, and answers. Care Learning lists a free online resource requiring login, in a UK care context. Its public description was inspected for this comparison; its lessons behind the account gate were not inspected. (source)
What prerequisites do university courses require?
Requirements vary. UND's PSYC 335 page specifies introductory psychology. Care Learning's FAQ says no prior psychology knowledge is required. The Cardiff and NOVA pages checked for this comparison do not state entry requirements, and that omission does not establish unrestricted admission. Read current provider requirements before arranging your academic study schedule. (source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4)
How does health psychology differ from clinical psychology?
Health psychology emphasizes interactions among biological, psychological, and social influences on health. Clinical psychology includes research and professional practice concerning psychological difficulties. These are overlapping areas, not a broader-versus-narrower hierarchy. (source 1, source 2)
How does a broad program differ from one subject?
What arithmetic does this course use?
Lesson 7 uses counts, fractions, and percentages to compare two reference groups. The worked example shows each division. (source)
How do I compare learning routes?
Where can I find a health psychology PDF?
UND links a syllabus and explains how its print control generates a PDF. That supplies course information, not the entire taught subject free. The OpenStax sources provide further reading; this page contains its complete eight-lesson introduction online, including every worked exercise. (source)
Where to go next
Sources
- American Psychological Association. (2014). Health Psychology Promotes Wellness.
- American Psychological Association. Clinical Psychology Solves Complex Human Problems.
- Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129-136.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Analyzing Findings. OpenStax.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: What Is Stress?. OpenStax.
- Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., and West, R. (2011). Implementation Science, 6, article 42. The paper that introduced the COM-B model and the intervention wheel.
- Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., and Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e: Regulation of Stress. OpenStax.
- Gigerenzer, G., and Hoffrage, U. (1995). How to improve Bayesian reasoning without instruction: Frequency formats. Psychological Review, 102(4), 684-704.
- Gollwitzer, P. M., and Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 186-199.
- Northern Virginia Community College. Psychology: Program overview.
- University of North Dakota. PSYC 335: Health Psychology. Course information, checked November 4, 2026.
- Cardiff University. Health Psychology, PSY26A5606A. Course information, checked November 4, 2026.
- Care Learning. Health Psychology Training Course. Course information, checked November 4, 2026.
- Psychology.com. Learn: public track and access information. Opened November 4, 2026.
- Psychology.com. Courses: course and mini course catalog. Opened November 4, 2026.
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, November 4). Health Psychology Course. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/courses/health-psychology