EXSC296 - Health and Exercise Psychology

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EXSC199 Psychology of Sport or PSYC100 Foundations of Psychology and PSYC101 Applications of Psychology

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

In prescribing and delivering an exercise or health program, the use of best-practice behavioural strategies that align with the unique needs of the client is essential for effective practice. This is consistent with the professional standards of many accreditation bodies, including those for Exercise Science. This unit aims to provide students with concrete, evidence-based skills and strategies for promoting behaviour change in health and exercise. These include theory and research-driven interventions for promoting motivation for change, and for promoting commitment to healthier lifestyles.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Define and explain the key psychological factors and theories relevant to health and exercise psychology (GA4, GA5)  

LO2 - Critically analyse and apply psychological interventions related to behaviour modification and professional practice (GA4, GA5)  

LO3 - Define and demonstrate basic communication skills when working with clients in professional practice (GA7, GA9)  

LO4 - Analyse the basic features of evidence-based research in health and exercise psychology (GA4, GA5) 

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topics will include: 

• Foundations of health and exercise psychology 
• Theories and models of human motivation 
• Theories and models of health and exercise behaviour 
• Antecedents and consequences of health and exercise 
• Initiating and maintaining behaviour change 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Learning and teaching strategies include active learning, case-based learning, individual and group activities, cooperative learning, project work, web-based learning, and reflective/critical thinking activities, delivered over 12 weeks. These strategies will provide students with access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for application of this learning in health and exercise contexts. These strategies will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit, as well as professional practice standards. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities.  

This unit may also be offered on or off campus in intensive mode or multi-mode for sponsored / special cohorts, with the learning and teaching strategies being equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the School Curriculum Implementation Committee.  

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. The first assessment task enables students to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills in an initial consultation with a client (LO2, LO3, LO4). The second assessment enables students to demonstrate knowledge and application of behaviour change theory and research (LO1, LO2, LO4). The third assessment task develops the ability for students to understand and apply theories and research in health and exercise psychology through a multiple-choice examination (LO1, LO2, LO4). Intensive and multi-mode assessment of EXSC296 will be transparently equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the School Implementation Committee

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Biddle,S.J.H., Mutrie, N., Gorely, T., & Faulkner, G. (2021). Psychology of physical activity: Determinants of physical activity (4th ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

French, D. P., Olander, E. K., Chisholm, A., & Mc Sharry, J. (2014). Which behaviour change techniques are most effective at increasing older adults' self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour? A systematic review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 48(2), 225-234. https://doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9593-z

Gardner, B., Smith, L., Lorencatto, F., Hamer, M., & Biddle, S.JH. (2016). How to reduce sitting time? A review of behaviour change strategies used in sedentary behaviour reduction interventions among adults. Health Psychology Review, 10(1), 89–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2015.1082146

McEwan, D., Harden, S. M., Zumbo, B. D., Sylvester, B. D., Kaulius, M., Ruissen, G. R., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2016). The effectiveness of multi-component goal setting interventions for changing physical activity behaviour: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 10(1), 67-88. https://doi:10.1080/17437199.2015.1104258 

Michie, S., Abraham, C., Whittington, C., McAteer, J., & Gupta, S. (2009). Effective techniques in healthy eating and physical activity interventions: A meta-regression. Health Psychology, 28(6), 690-701. doi:10.1037/a0016136

Michie, S., Richardson, M., Johnston, M., Abraham, C., Francis, J., Hardeman, W., & Wood, C. E. (2013). The behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93 hierarchically clustered techniques: Building an international consensus for the reporting of behavior change interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46(1), 81-95. https://doi:10.1007/s12160-013-9486-6

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational interviewing helping people change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

Sushames, A., Engelberg, T., & Gebel, K. (2017). Perceived barriers and enablers to participation in a community-tailored physical activity program with Indigenous Australians in a regional and rural setting: A qualitative study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1), 172–172. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0664-1