BKSC041 Sociology

Faculty of Medicine
spring 2027
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Zdeňka Barešová (lecturer)
Mgr. Monika Bielová (lecturer)
PhDr. Pavel Humpolíček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Martin Loučka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tatiana Malatincová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Alena Slezáčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Bc. Kateřina Smolková (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Světlák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Rastislav Šumec, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Blanka Suchá (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Světlák, Ph.D.
Department of Medical Psychology and Ethics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Blanka Suchá
Supplier department: Department of Medical Psychology and Ethics – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Prerequisites
BKPL031p Psychology - lecture || BTPE0222p Pediatrics II- lecture
BTPE0222p
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The course provides insight into topics of social psychology, health psychology, and the study of social phenomena relevant to future healthcare professionals working in fields where behaviour change, self-esteem, self-confidence, body image, and the influence of the media and social environment on behaviour and self-esteem are key areas of consideration. The presented content focuses on current topics highly familiar to people living in today's rapidly changing reality strongly shaped by media content, where healthy functioning is strongly dependent on self-regulation skills, respect for social diversity, and personal resilience to potentially harmful influences of the social environment. The topics are selected to foster respect and compassion towards future patients or clients with different personal histories and social backgrounds, but also self-respect and self-compassion in students on their personal journey of self-development.
Learning outcomes

  • The student describes the mechanism of action of various sources of stress, distinguishes between positive and negative aspects of a stressful situation and its controllable and uncontrollable aspects, and discusses adequate coping strategies.
  • The student uses knowledge from the psychology of goal-directed behaviour to propose a simple individualized plan for changing behaviour or achieving a goal and uses the incoming information about success and failure to modify the plan and expectations where necessary.
  • The student considers individual social background, values, priorities, personality traits, and physical, psychological, economic, and other resources and limitations of the patient, colleague, or other person in any regular interactions, but especially in setting expectations and communicating recommendations. 
  • The student reflects on the possible negative impacts of the media and other social environmental factors on the behaviour and self-esteem in herself/himself, the patient, and others, and points out these potential effects in various situations.
  • The student distinguishes communication supporting autonomy, openness, healthy self-esteem, and self-confidence from communication that threatens self-esteem, is hurtful, belittling, and inadequately manipulative; s/he understands the mechanism of action of both types of communication, and uses the knowledge to reflect on her/his own approaches to interactions with patients, colleagues, loved ones, etc.
  • The student discusses and utilizes basic techniques for supporting her/his own physical and mental health and well-being to prevent burnout and other negative impacts of work-related and other stressors.

Key topics

    • The link between mental and physical health; principles of lifestyle medicine
    • The application of psychosomatic paradigm in healthcare; how and why to take these principles into account in practice
    • What is stress; possible reactions to stress, their functions, advantages, and disadvantages; types of coping and stress management strategies, how to recognize them, assess their adequacy, and support their change if needed
    • Fundamentals of mindfulness for self-care and better self-regulation and communication; principles of mindful meditation
    • Components and mechanisms of self-regulation: How to assess the source and adequacy of standards, and set effective and adequately flexible expectations, plans and goals; how to recognize problems in self-regulation; how to factor in one's own and other people's personal resources and limits in self-regulation; techniques for supporting self-regulation - mental contrasting and implementation intentions; goal systems theory; importance of constructive self-talk and self-compassion in self-regulation; responding to self-regulation failure in oneself and the patient
    • Human motives, psychological needs, and values; principles of the self-determination theory: Distinguishing basic psychological needs from specific motives; supporting the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in communication and behaviour change; recognizing and considering individual differences in patients' motives and values; signs and disadvantages of control orientation and impersonal orientation, and how to avoid supporting dysfunctional motivational orientations
    • Formation of self-efficacy and other aspects of self-concept; how to support growth mindset, adequate self-efficacy levels, and healthy self-esteem; sources of fragile self-esteem; origins, functions, and signs of defense mechanisms; recognizing different types of defense mechanisms in oneself and the patient; effective communication strategies for minimiying the negative impact of defense mechanisms
    • Characteristics of hurtful and abusive communication and how to avoid it: the impact of negative communication on self-esteem; signs and consequences of social stigmatization, bullying, cyberbullying, discrimination, and shaming for the victim, the aggressor, and the broader social environment; motivations of the aggressor to engage in hurtful and abusive communication; negative social phenomena leading to hurtful communication and aggression – anonymity, deindividuation, diffusion of responsibility, etc.
    • Formation of body image: Sources of body image; realistic and unrealistic standards of beauty, where do they come from and how they change; how body image becomes a priority and an enemy; media image of beauty and its impact on individuals and society; how to educate patients negatively influenced by unrealistic images of beauty
    • Psychology of social influence and persuasion: principles of marketing psychology and its effects on idividuals and the society; cognitive biases and heuristics used to subconsciously influence preferences, behavior, and decisions of the target population; two paths of persuasion; effect of personal characteristics of the speaker and the target audience; distinguishing between positive use of nudges and manipulation threatening the autonomy and interests of the patient/client; how to educate patients about the effects of advertising
    • Introduction to the role of psychotherapy and psychological interventions in healthcare; leading psychotherapy schools and their key postulates, advantages, limitations, and practical aspects; the roles of a psychologist in healthcare; multidisciplinary collaboration in a team of healthcare professionals
    • How to communicate positively and effectively in a team; applying the principles of autonomy support, respect, and empathy in communication with colleagues and loved ones
    • How to take care of one's mental and physical health in the context of a specific profession; principles of building psychological resilience; principles of effective rest, relaxation, and prevention of work-related physical and mental fatigue; principles of burnout prevention

Study resources and literature
    recommended literature
  • The handbook of social psychology. Edited by Gardner Lindzey - Elliot Aronson. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1969, xiv, 786. info
  • Principles of Social Psychology (Orig.) : Základy sociální psychologie [Hayes, 1998] : Základy sociální psychologie [Hayes, 2003]. info
  • NOLEN-HOEKSEMA, Susan; Barbara FREDRICKSON; Geoffrey R. LOFTUS and W. A. WAGENAAR. Psychologie Atkinsonové a Hilgarda. Translated by Hana Antonínová. Vydání třetí, přepracov. Praha: Portál, 2012, 884 stran. ISBN 9788026200833. info
  • Světlák, M., Slezáčková, A., Šumec, R., & kolektiv. (2026). Praktický průvodce lékařskou psychologií: Jak najít správná slova v klinické medicíně. Grada Publishing. ISBN 978-80-271-5556-9
  • Hagger, M., et al. (eds.). (2020). The handbook of behavior change. Cambridge University Press.
    not specified
  • Wood. A. (2020). The motivational interviewing workbook: Exercises to decide what you want and how to get there. Callisto Publishing LLC.
  • Handbook of self-regulation : research, theory, and applications. Edited by Kathleen D. Vohs - Roy F. Baumeister. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford, 2011, xv, 592. ISBN 9781606239483. info
  • RYAN, R. M. and E. L. DECI. Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press, 2017. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806. info
  • Motivation and action. Edited by Jutta Heckhausen - Heinz Heckhausen. Third edition. Cham: Springer, 2018, xv, 909. ISBN 9783319650937. info
  • Handbook of competence and motivation. Edited by Martin V. Covington - Andrew J. Elliot - Carol S. Dweck. New York: Guilford Press, 2005, xvi, 704. ISBN 1593851235. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching

Classes are conducted as interactive lectures with discussion, involving examples from everyday life and healthcare practice. Home preparation may include reflection on the topics to be discussed in the following lecture or application of the topics that have been discussed previously.

Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements

To pass the course, the student must obtain the required number of points for completing homework and for active participation in class (min. 70% of the maximum score, which is determined by the number of lectures and homework assignments - typically one assignment per lecture). Homework usually takes the form of short reflections on topics discussed in the preceding or following lecture and is submitted electronically by a specific deadline (usually 6 days or a week following the assignment).


Since the course consists of lectures only, missed classes can be compensated for by obtaining the required number of points in a compensatory test composed of the essential content of the missed lectures (10 multiple-choice questions). The test is scored so that compensation for complete absence from class requires a full score from the test and submission of all homework assignments. To obtain at least the minimum number of points for the test, it is necessary to achieve at least 7 correct answers out of 10. Missing points for unsubmitted or inadequate homework cannot be replaced by test points.

Alternate completion
The course can only be completed in one of the forms described in the previous sections.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information

All information about the course, including assignment instructions and supplementary materials for individual topics, is available in the interactive course syllabus.

Feedback on the recognition of homework is gradually entered into an electronic notebook associated with the course. Assignments can only be submitted in the manner specified in the assignment (electronic answer sheet or depository, discussion forum, etc.).

The primary contact person for general organizational matters regarding the course is Tatiana Malatincová, PhD. Questions regarding the content and organizational aspects of specific lectures should be directed to the teacher listed for the given topic. The list and schedule of topics with the respective teachers will be listed in the interactive syllabus for the given semester.

Attendance at lectures is not mandatory according to the Study and Examination Regulations of Masaryk University. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that students actively participate in classes and do not seek to compensate for their participation with a final test. The lectures are interactive and practically oriented and include clinical examples, discussions, and applications of psychological principles to real-life situations. These experiences cannot be fully replaced by self-study or available literature. The content and form of the lectures are curated to students develop a way of thinking that can be applied in their future profession.

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, spring 2019, spring 2020, spring 2021, spring 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024, spring 2025, spring 2026.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2027, recent)
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