Self-regulation as a determinant of human health and wellbeing module (PY42001)

Self-regulation refers to a range of psychological processes that allow us to change our thoughts, behaviours, and emotions in favour of our longer-term goals. You might use self-regulation to motivate a healthy lifestyle, to encourage yourself to save more or spend less, or try to give up an unwanted habit.

This module explores theoretical and applied aspects of self-regulation as they relate to everyday health, success, and wellbeing. It discusses what types of goals and motives are more likely to promote long-term success, as well as the strategies and personality characteristics that predict effective self-regulation.

In addition to considering these conceptual topics, emphasis will be placed on the impact of open science, replicability (ability for other researchers to repeat your study), and reproducibility (ability for your findings to be reproduced) on the field of self-regulation. We will also explore how psychological constructs can be validly defined and measured.

What you will learn

In the module, you will:

• learn how to define and measure various aspects of human self-regulation
• explore what motives promote successful goal attainment
• review the evidence that we can train people to have better self-control
• learn about frameworks that allow us to classify strategies and tactics that people use to encourage positive behaviours and discourage unwanted behaviours

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• evaluate leading conceptual approaches to understanding human self-regulation
• appreciate and critically reflect upon the range of methods use to investigate self-regulation
• gain critical insight into issues of reliability, reproducibility, and construct validity in psychological science

Assignments / assessment

• registered replication report (40%)
• final exam (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

The module is made up of a series of student-led seminars that are focused on group discussions and activities.

These seminars typically start with a short presentation by the module lead, followed by break-out groups in which students discuss research papers on the topic of self-regulation.