PSY3049 Psychology of Stress and Work-Life Balance Module Handbook

PSY3049 Module Handbook

PSY3049 Module overview  

Module Narrative 

Aims 

This module aims to introduce students to the area of occupational psychology particularly in relation to stress, motivation and work-life balance. The module will introduce theories which underlie stress with a strong focus on the role of stress in the workplace. The students will also gain an understanding of work-life balance and the real-world applications of promoting good work-life balance. The topics will be covered in a variety of ways which will allow the students to engage with some of the critical debates around area. This will range from the complexities surrounding the conceptualisation of work-life balance, to the impact it can have on the health of employees, whilst also incorporating the role of the employer. Although, motivation and stress in the workplace are areas which have been traditionally researched in relation to workplace psychology, both areas, along with work-life balance are currently yielding a lot of innovative research. The module will allow students to critically engage with an emerging and increasingly popular area of occupational psychology and it will appeal to students who have an interest in occupational psychology, but specifically the links between work and home life, and how psychology has helped to shape this discipline. Since work-based stress, motivation and work-life balance are all employment-based topics, the content will be relevant to students beyond their degree and can be carried into their chosen areas of employment. Particularly those who are planning to go into Human Resources, Occupational Psychology or wish to pursue a postgraduate course in this area.

Learning outcomes of PSY3049

Knowledge and skills:  

1. Analyse the key theoretical perspectives underlying stress, motivation or  work-life balance  
2. Discuss contemporary psychological research that relates to this specific area of organisational psychology 
3. Articulate a critical understanding of the impact of the workplace on the psychological wellbeing of the employee  
4. Evaluate the conceptual challenges associated with work-life balance, motivation or workplace stress.

Syllabus  

Topics to be covered will include:  

• Stress in the workplace 
• What is work-life balance and why is it important for employees? 
• What is the role of the employer and workplace culture in relation to maintaining a healthy work life balance? 
• The relationship between work-life balance and mental/physical health  
• The role of technology in the workplace 
• Employee support and policy influences  
• The role of motivation in the workplace

Learning and teaching strategy  

Although there will be a presentation of theories and research in the area, the aim is to provide a session which encourages critical evaluation of concepts and research. In order to provide students with an opportunity to engage with the material presented, various methods such as live answer polls, in-class learning games and other activities will be utilised.

PSY3049 Assessment scheme 

Formative assessment: The students will have an option to submit and received feedback on an essay plan/outline which will need to include the theoretical background they plan to cover, the research papers they plan to refer to, and the points of critical analysis they plan to discuss.  

Summative Assessment: 100% coursework. The students will be required to write a 2000-word essay relating to one of the lecture topic areas. Students will be given a choice of 4 essay questions. They will have the opportunity to obtain feedback, and there will be a dedicated session to outline the details of the assignment (LOs: 1-4).

Research Ethics 

The teaching, learning, assessment and research activities undertaken in this module have been considered and are not likely to require ethical approval.  

• However, please seek advice if undertaking the module entails carrying out any research activities involving human participants, human data, animals/animal products, precious artefacts, materials or data systems. If you submit work that includes data gathered from or about people, this may be treated as academic misconduct and could lead to fail grade being awarded.   
• Further information about ethics can be found at the following link: http://mdx.mrooms.net/enrol/index.php?id=12277 (Log in required). 

Learning resources 

This module has a variety of learning resources available for you to use to support your learning. These include module notes, worked examples, solutions to exercises, feedback, and key reading materials. These can be accessed online via the module page. Please visit the module page regularly to make use of these.

Expectations of studying this module 

Attendance and Engagement  

The  University’s  formal  regulations  about  attendance  are  located  in  (section  C2  in  the ‘University Regulations’ section available here: www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/policies. The main points are:  

You should attend and engage with all scheduled classes and prescribed activities. Studies have  shown  that  a  good  student  engagement  has  a  positive  impact  on  performance  and therefore is an important factor in helping you to fulfill your academic potential. In addition, for those who are on student visas, Dubai’s regulatory authorities require attendance to be monitored.

Your lecturers will maintain attendance records during scheduled teaching sessions using the MDX Central app. You are expected to follow any guidelines and instructions provided for proper recording of your attendance for your learning sessions.

The MDXapp (available on iOS and Android) allows students to register their attendance at timetabled classes with a click of a button. All you need to do is: 

1. Connect to the internet using the #mdxDUBAI Wi-Fi network 
2. Open your MDXApp 
3. Log-in via your Campus User ID (M00xxxxx) and password 
4. Ensure that you have given permission to the MDXApp to access your smartphone’s location and camera settings 
5. Find the correct module and timetabled class via the Calendar  
6. When  the  tutor  puts  up  the  class  QR  code,  use  the  scanner  provided  within  the MDXApp to scan the QR code. 
7. You  will  get  an  automated  notification  onscreen  within  the  App  saying  your attendance has been recorded.

Middlesex University Dubai supports students, enabling them to achieve their full potential. We provide this support through a number of strategies, all of which provide our students with a supportive learning environment . Online support material on MyUniHub is provided as a guide to the content of the class but is no substitute for interaction with your tutor and classmates. In accordance with University Regulation C2.1 for taught programmes of study, it is the responsibility of students to attend scheduled classes and prescribed activities for the modules on which they are registered.

Further information on engaging with your programme will be available at your Induction.  

If you experience difficulties beyond your control,  which prevents you from engaging with your module,  you should  notify  your tutor  and  CampusCentral,  who  may be  able  to  offer support and guidance.  

Where your attendance and engagement fail to meet the minimum levels required (normally 75% of scheduled learning sessions and activities but could be higher) to attain the learning outcomes of the module, you may be excluded from the assessment.

PSY3049 Assessment 

Formative assessment 

Formative assessments help show that you are learning and understanding the material covered in this module and allow us to monitor your progress towards achieving the learning outcomes. Although formative assessments do not directly contribute to the overall module mark they do provide an important opportunity to receive feedback on your learning.

Summative assessment  

Summative assessment is used to check the level of learning at the end of the course. It is summative because it is based on accumulated learning during the course. The point is to ensure that students have met the learning outcomes for the course and are at the appropriate level. It is the summative assessment that determines the grade that you are awarded for the module. 

There is one assessment component in this module.  The summative assessment for the module comprises of one 2000 word essay.  When you submit your essay you must include a cover sheet, which can be found on the module page on Unihub. Further details regarding your assignments will be posted on Unihub and will be discussed during your sessions.  You have an opportunity to receive feedback for each of these assignments, but for more information on this assessment and the rubric please see the section below.

Assessment – Essay 

You will need to pick ONE essay question and complete a 2000 word essay.  

The essay questions are: 

1. How can stress at work impact an individual and what can be done to address this? 
2. What is work life balance and what kind of impact can poor work-life balance have on an employee? 
3. How can motivation theories be applied to increase workplace motivation?

Assignment structure, format and details 

1. How can stress at work impact an individual and what can be done to address this? 

• For  this  question  you  will  first  need  to  look  at  how  stress  in  the workplace can impact health  
• And  then  discuss  the  use  of  interventions  for  stress  and  how  this relates  to  beliefs  about  the  way  stress  should  be  tackled  at  an organisational and personal level.  

2. What is work life balance and what kind of impact can poor work-life balance have on an employee? 

• For this question you will first need to discuss the different ways that work-life  balance has  been defined and the different models which have used to explain it 
• You  will  also  need  to  evaluate  research  which  has  looked  at  the relationship  between  poor  work-life  balance  and  the  impact  it  can have on the employee. 

3. How can motivation theories be applied to increase workplace motivation? 

• For  this  question  you  will  first  need  to  address  the  psychological theories of motivation  
• Then you will need to look at how they relate to organisational tactics and strategies to increase motivation and how successful they may be. 
• Make sure if you cover this topic that you include research alongside theory.

For each question you will need to ensure you have a clear structure.  

• Introduction stating how you intend to answer the question 
• Main body of essay 
• Conclusion 
• Clearly format your work ensuring all text is ‘uniform’, i.e. the same 
• Use APA style referencing for your Psychology work 

PSY3049 Assessment marking criteria rubric (Essay)