Recent advances in psychological, medical, and physiological research have led to a new way of thinking about health and illness and understanding that our health is not only the product of biological processes but also of psychological, behavioral and social processes. Health psychology is a relatively young field of study that examines the relationship between psychology and health. The course highlights differences between health psychology and the biomedical model and examines the kinds of questions asked by health psychologists like: How our personality may affect our health? What does stress do to our health? What psychological and social factors cause people to behave in unhealthy ways? What can psychologists do to help cure illness? Are there ethnic and gender variations in health? Does it matter how your doctor talks to you?