SE205-5-SP-CO:
Health and Active Lifestyle
2025/26
Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
09 August 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BSC C680 Psychology with Sport and Exercise,
BSC C681 Psychology with Sport and Exercise (including Year Abroad),
BSC C682 Psychology with Sport and Exercise (including Placement Year)
This module will provide the student with a broad introduction to the psychology of exercise and physical activity. The student will explore the psychological mechanisms that explain how an active lifestyle can enhance wellbeing.
Despite the evidence that an active lifestyle is good for wellbeing and health not everyone is meeting the minimum recommendations for physical activity. Why this behaviour is not being performed will be explored, by examining theories, empirical research, interventions and initiatives which have incorporated active living and leisure time exercise.
Students will be encouraged throughout the module to enhance their critical thinking skills to evaluate research evidence and communicate their knowledge to academic and general population audiences.
The aim of this module is:
- To provide you with a theoretical and practical understanding of how psychology underpins physical activity behaviours, which in turn can improve wellbeing and quality of life.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Understand what is meant by wellbeing and how this relates to physical and psychological health.
- Understand how physical activity and active lifestyles aid wellbeing.
- Understand theories of behaviour change, behaviour change techniques and how these can be used in intervention design.
- Critically evaluate and understand what factors may contribute to a `successful` physical activity intervention.
- Understand social and individual difference (personality) constructs that influence activity engagement.
- Demonstrate key skills in the retrieval, synthesis, analysis and communication of information from current literature in the field.
Please note that students require basic knowledge of statistical analysis using SPSS software for this module.
Classes will include debates, open tutorials and some standard lectures.
This module will be delivered via:
- 3 hours of content delivered per week.
- 2 hours of weekly sessions.
This will be a combination of recorded lecture material and activities that students need to complete in their own time before attending the live weekly session which will be two hours in duration.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Part 1: Critical Appraisal |
13/03/2026 |
70% |
| Coursework |
Part B: Infographic |
08/05/2026 |
30% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Andrew Brinkley, email: andrew.brinkley@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Andrew Brinkley, Dr Carly Wood
SRES Office, email: sres (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
Yes
No
No
Dr Jen Burbage
University of Portsmouth
Associate Head (Students)
Prof Joanne Hudson
Swansea University
Professor
Dr Emily Hunt
Brunel University of London
Senior Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (Psychology)
Available via Moodle
Of 30 hours, 24 (80%) hours available to students:
6 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
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