MALK4000-402 Relational Skills Course description

This course gives students a basis for developing and maintaining good relational skills, with special emphasis on the interdependence of verbal and non-verbal behavior. Through analyses of contributions from social psychology, motivation research, and behavior analysis, students learn a practical approach to understanding causal attribution. The actual observational basis for various explanatory models is systematically examined. The objective of the course is that students acquire ways of analyzing the contingencies for both their own behavior and the behavior of others, promoting desired behaviors.

Admission to the study program

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• describe and discuss useful units of analysis in social interaction in working life and daily life
• describe how to factor in the difference between intended and actual results, and discuss confirmation bias and selective perception; fuzzy causality, and problems with self-assessment
• describe and discuss the relational perspective on behavior
• describe and discuss the topics of causal attribution, Future Time Perspective, Perceived Self-Efficacy, rule governed behavior, self-direction, influence and persuasion, and The Dunning-Kruger effect

Skills

The student can

• analyze important variables that influence individual behavior, including self- talk and self-rules

Competence

The student can

• observe and adapt to how their own behavior affects the behavior of others

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, discussions, individual reports and workshop/seminars. Students read selected texts in advance for each day of class, and everyone is expected to participate in class through questions and through joining in discussion.

Language of instruction: Norwegian and English

Development and changes in the health and social care field are often based on new research. To become a good professional practitioner within health sciences, it is necessary to understand and apply research literature and to see it in conjunction with clinical experience and professional development. Theory of science is an important part of the basis for understanding scientific activity. The course stimulates students to take an inquisitive and critical approach to knowledge development in order to make them better equipped to assess the grounds on which health-related decisions are made. The course also provides an overview of the most commonly applied methods in qualitative and quantitative research, and of key principles of research ethics. Insight into the various methods means that as professional practitioners, they will be able to identify research literature that is suitable to answer questions related to the health sciences.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can identify and compare the most common methods used in qualitative and quantitative research
• can discuss the most common theories of science and the relationship between theory of science and research method

Skills

The student

• can identify different types of clinical questions, such as questions about effect and prognosis, and knows which study design is most suitable for answering different clinical questions
• can critically assess research articles
• can understand the choice of different qualitative and quantitative analysis methods and can interpret the results
• can identify and discuss issues related to research ethics

General competence

The student

• can analyse relevant academic, professional and issues related to research ethics and propose solutions
• can disseminate research results of relevance to the discipline
• can analyse academic problems on the basis of the history, traditions, distinctive character and place in society of the health sciences

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. The teaching will be digital, including blended learning.

Work and teaching methods include digital lectures, digital group assignments, in-depth and reflection assignments at seminars on relevant topics, and self-study. The students will give oral presentations at the seminars, and receive oral feedback from fellow students on their group work and oral feedback from the lecturer.

The lectures on campus are given in Norwegian, for English-speaking students digital lectures are published in English. In group work, mutual assessment, etc., the students will be divided into groups according to language. Most of the syllabus is in English, but there are good alternative syllabus books in Norwegian.

Individual in writing home examination (multiple choice test), two hours.

The examination will be in English.