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Social and Health Psychology: Research in Behavioural Regulation, MSc

Utrecht University, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences


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Quick facts

Country: Netherlands Duration: 24 Months
City: Utrecht Start Date: September
Educational Form:
  • Research
Languages: English 
Education Variants:
  • Full Time
Application Deadline: 1 March
Annual Tuition Fee: € 1672
€ 14000 (non-EEA)

Programme Description

The name of this programme has formerly changed. The name used to be 'Psychological Health Research'. This Master´s programme is still officially registered under the name Psychological Health Research (code 60380). You will need to use this name and code when you apply for this programme.

The master programme is based on the understanding that people are able to regulate their behaviour, that is to predict, plan, control, and change their behavioural efforts in service of their short-term and long-term personal goals. As such, the programme highlights issues and questions relating to how and why people manage to regulate their behaviour in the face of competing interests and distracting circumstances.

The purpose of the master programme is to familiarize students with theories of behavioural regulation that focus on motivational, affective, and cognitive aspects of the regulation of behaviour and their interaction, and to teach how students may apply basic knowledge and innovative research methods in addressing specific research questions relating to phenomena of behavioural regulation.

This approach to behavioural regulation is demonstrated in two domains of psychology that present particularly challenging questions about the regulation of behaviour, namely interpersonal behaviour (e.g., social justice and morality behaviour; the relative self in social comparison processes; conflict in interpersonal behaviour; and automaticity in social behaviour) and health behaviour (e.g., eating and sexual behaviour as prototypical examples of visceral health behaviours; trauma and loss and their impact on well-being; psychobiological adjustment to illness), and which represent the main research themes of the two research groups involved in the master programme, the Department of Social and Organizational Psychology and the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology respectively.

Career Opportunities

The primary aim of the SHP research master programme is to prepare students for an academic career, starting with preparation for Ph.D. research, in the field of behavioral regulation in general or, more specifically, in the domains of interpersonal and/or health behavior. The programme is also suited for those who prefer a career as a researcher in non-academic institutions such as the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction or the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research. Programme graduates are highly trained researchers and are also well qualified for a position as a policy officers in behavioral science in companies and governmental organizations.

  • Contents
  • Requirements
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Contents

The SHP research master programme takes two years. The first year is primarily devoted to course work with four theoretical courses emphasizing the basic affective and cognitive processes involved in behavioral regulation and their application in the domains of social behaviour and health behaviour; one statistics course (multivariate analyses); two integrative courses during which students will learn how to test theoretical ideas empirically and are familiarized with methodological procedures. In addition to these courses, students also have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects during a research training which will cover all relevant aspects of conducting a study.

The second year is primarily spent on preparations for the master´s thesis and writing the thesis. During the first semester students can choose an optional course, will be involved in a second research training project, write their thesis proposal, and follow a course that deals with all the relevant aspects of preparing a study. The second semester is primarily spent on writing the master´s thesis; students also will be provided with a course that deals with all relevant aspects of writing up research.

Courses
  • Behavioral Regulation I: Affect and Motivation (course coordinator Catharine Evers, Ph.D.)

This course deals with the basic psychological and biological processes involved in the regulation of affect and their consequeces for subsequent behavior.

  • Behavioral Regulation II: Thought and Cognition (course coordinator Ruud Custers, Ph.D.)

This course offers students an advanced understanding of how human beings shape and rely on their cognitive system to control their thoughts and behaviors.

  • Multivariate Statistics (course coordinator Irene Klugkist, Ph.D.)

This course teaches student to use multivariate statistics for the analysis of empirical data.

  • Integrative Practicum I (course coordinator Monique Smeets, Ph.D.)

During this course student will develop and improve their academic research skills such as formulating research question, translating these questions into study designs, deciding which statistical techniques to use, and analyzing and interpreting data.

  • Advances in research on behavioral regulation I: Interpersonal behavior (course coordinator Bob Fennis, Ph.D.)

This course trains students in their understanding and use of theories of behavioral regulation applied to interpersonal behavior.

  • Advances in research on behavioral regulation II: Health behavior (course coordinator Denise de Ridder, Ph.D.)

This course trains students in their understanding and use of theories of behavioral regulation applied to health behavior.

  • Integrative Practicum II (course coordinator Bob Fennis, Ph.D.)

The goal of this course is to train students in their understanding and use of research paradigms in the field of behavioral regulation.

  • Research Training I & II (course coordinator Henriet van Middendorp, Ph.D.)

This course offers students the opportunity to participate in an ongoing research project and familiarize themselves with all relevant aspects of doing research.

Optional course

Student can choose a course from one of the other research master programmes offered by the Graduate School of Social Sciences.

  • Research Seminar I & II (course coordinator Michael Hafner, Ph.D.)

Both courses offer an in-depth training of how to deal with all relevant aspects of doing research, such as writing a research proposal, formulating hypotheses, find appropriate samples, data collection, analyzing data and writing up research.

  • Master Thesis (coordinator Denise de Ridder, Ph.D.)

Students conduct their research under individual supervision of one of the teachers involved in the SHP programme.

You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.

Most European Universities recognise the IELTS test.

More information

Requirements

  • Applicants must hold a Dutch academic bachelor´s degree in Social Science/ Interdisciplinary Social Science, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Pedagogy, or Psychology or a foreign bachelor degree that equals the level of that Dutch university bachelor´s degree, for the programme´s admissions committee to decide.

  • Students who meet the admission requirements and have a GPA of 3.3 (or the Dutch equivalent of 7.5) or higher will be accepted. Students with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.3 (Dutch equivalent: 7 or better) may be eligible and can compensate by other capacities they possess, according to the programme´s admissions committee.

  • A good knowledge of English is required.
    • TOEFL internet: 93
    • IELTS: 6.5 (and 6.0 for written part)
    • Cambridge EFL Advanced English: B
    • Cambridge EFL Proficiency in English: C

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