Program Overview

Introduction to the Program

The track Health Promotion & Behaviour Change combines different fields within psychology, namely health psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, and biological psychology. At the same time, the track has a narrow focus as it deploys this knowledge specifically in understanding motivation and behaviour, aimed at preventing and intervening in unhealthy behaviours.

Program Overview

The Master’s track relates neurobiological, psychological, cognitive, and social processes, such as implicit cognitive processes, habits, stress, social context (e.g., peer pressure) to (un)healthy behaviours. The master´s track Health Promotion & Behaviour Change provides students with:

• the scientific theoretical background of processes related to unhealthy behaviours
• practical skills training in each course

Together, these skills and knowledge can be used to design, give, and evaluate interventions aimed at behaviour change, i.e., to prevent unhealthy behaviours or to promote healthy behaviours.

Teaching Style

The Health Promotion & Behaviour Change track uses problem-based learning (PBL) as an educational model. With PBL, students work in small groups (max. 14 students) on PBL-assignments supervised by a tutor. Within the group, students actively build explanatory models for (real-life) problems. With PBL, prior knowledge will be retrieved, while retention of new knowledge is enhanced. There are rotating formal roles in PBL tutorial groups, for instance, chair (“voorzitter”), which will give students more insight into group dynamics and will teach them to oversee, lead, and protect the learning process.

Objectives

The main objectives in the Master's track Health Promotion & Behaviour Change are to acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for performing scientific research as a scientific professional and fitting a scientific practitioner in the field of health promotion, public health, intervention, and prevention of unhealthy behaviours.

After completing this Master's track, the student is able to:

1. evaluate relevant theories and empirical research findings relevant to the field of health promotion and behaviour change
2. evaluate complex problems from practice related to health promotion and behaviour change
3. develop appropriate prevention and intervention programmes relevant to promote healthy behaviours or change unhealthy behaviours using relevant theory
4. use relevant professional skills (e.g., MI, behaviour change techniques, intervention mapping protocols) to solve complex problems related to health promotion and behaviour change
5. derive hypotheses (predictions) or research questions (problems) based on scientific literature or theory
6. develop the appropriate research design (including procedures and materials) corresponding to research questions and hypotheses
7. develop a data processing strategy and process appropriate data corresponding to research questions and hypotheses
8. use the appropriate analysis techniques correctly interpret the output in light of the research questions and hypotheses
9. write a report of scientific results adapted to the audience
10. present and discuss scientific results adapted to the audience
11. effectively act according to the various steps of the self-regulation process (goal setting, planning, performing, and evaluating/reflecting) toward the desired field of work or profession
12. effectively act according to the different steps of the (self-)regulation process (goal setting, planning, performing, and evaluating/reflecting) together with peers for the purpose of a joint activity or outcome
13. effectively act in accordance with the guidelines for scientific integrity, ethical research, and rules of professional conduct required of a psychologist (Professional Code of Ethics for Psychologists)

Program Details

• Program Type: Master
• Study Load: 60 EC
• Duration: 1 year
• Language of Instruction: English
• Program Form: Full-time, Daytime education