Assessment deadline

Marks and feedback

To be submitted Before 10 a.m. on:

20 working days after deadline (L3,4, 5,6 and 7)

15 working days after deadline (block delivery)

11/04/2025

09/05/2025

Please note, for Exams the date is arranged centrally aligned to the academic calendar. Exams timetables will be released 6 weeks before the exam period. Please check the exams calendar regularly on this link (requires BREO login).

Key assignment details

Unit title & code

PSY004-6 Public Health

Assignment number & title

Assignment 2: Proposal of a public health intervention

Assignment type (including exams)

Written Report

Weighting of assignment

80%

Size or length of assessment or exam duration

3500 words

Please indicate the final word length at the end of the assignment. If the assignment exceeds the word limit by more than 10%, we would normally grade only the first part of the text up to the assignment limit.

Unit learning outcomes

1. Design and undertake substantial investigations to address significant areas of theory and practice within the context of promoting positive health behaviour change.

2. Identifies, evaluates and maintain capabilities and qualities to support effective communication in a range of complex and specialised contexts.

Assignment Brief Discussion with Students

23/01/2025

What am I required to do in this assignment?

The second assessment will comprise an individually written full report of the proposed intervention outlined in Assessment 1 which will consider in detail:

(1) Background and need for the proposed intervention

(2) Target behaviour based on needs assessment

(3) Influences of target behaviour (using the COM-B)

(4) Intervention development: considering what intervention types and policy categories will bring about change, and what the active ingredients of the intervention will be (Behaviour Change Techniques)

(5) How the intervention will be delivered

(6) How the intervention will be evaluated

Please see the marking criteria at the end of the assessment brief for more detail. The feedback you receive on your presentation will be vital when writing your report. Make sure you address all the comments you receive from tutors and reflect on any issues raised by the review panel. You may decide to change aspects of your intervention, this is completely fine. However, whilst the sample, method etc. may change I would strongly advise that you stay within the broad topic area.

Please make use of the template that has been provided for you, to help you to structure and format your report. Following this closely will ensure that you include all key necessary elements and support you to meet the assessment criteria.

Most typical comments from previous years:

Behavioural diagnosis is weak. Ensure that your target behaviour is SMART and grounded on the current evidence base.

There is a lack of supporting evidence when understanding influences of the target behaviour.

Behaviour change techniques are not clear or not aligned to intervention strategies selected. You must provide all behaviour change techniques used and demonstrate how these will be incorporated into the intervention. I have provided a useful table within the template to guide you with this. Also remember to refer to published examples also.

Submission is in electronic format only through the assessment link in the relevant assessment folder. Please leave plenty of time for your submission as late submissions will not be accepted.

What do I need to do to pass? How do I achieve a good grade?

The Unit Information Form states the Threshold Expectations that inform both you and markers what is the minimum needed to be demonstrated to pass the assessment. They should, therefore, answer the question "What do I need to do pass?. During the assessment introductory session, you should be given the opportunity to check your understanding of the threshold statements and what you need to do to surpass them.

The assessment marking criteria listed below show how your work is assessed. The assessment criteria are informed by the units learning outcomes and the assessment task. Carefully reading the assessment criteria should help you understand the aspects that will be used to judge your progress and achievement of the learning outcomes and offer guidance on how do I achieve a good grade.

The threshold expectations for this assessment are as follows:

Display mastery of a complex health issue showing specialised knowledge of intervention mapping, theoretical application and advanced research skills through the design and application of an individual public health intervention.

Autonomously deliver a written report of a theoretically driven intervention

How does this assignment relate to my learning in this unit and help me develop knowledge and skills that I will need for my future?

How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in the scheduled sessions

This unit introduces you to the discipline of public health and demonstrates the role Health Psychology can play in relation to the promotion of health and prevention of disease and illness among the UK population. The scheduled sessions will provide you with the opportunity to critically engage with the relevant theories, methodologies, epidemiological concepts and interventions in facilitating positive health behaviour change. All of the above topics are useful in helping you identify, design and evaluate relevant evidence-based interventions in the context of promoting positive behaviour change for a complex problem.

Within the University of Bedfordshire, graduate competencies refer to the skills, knowledge, attributes, and abilities that individuals are expected to possess upon completing their education at the graduate level. Our graduate competencies are the fundamental building blocks in preparing you for the future world of work. They form the foundation for learning outcomes within and beyond your course. They are relevant for every subject and you can work towards them in different ways, so that you can attain and benefit from them even if you have lots going on outside university. These competencies will be integrated across your course and units.

The table below indicates graduate competencies gained relevant to this assessment.

What should I be aware of when preparing my work? How and where should I submit my work?

When submitting work for assessment, you must ensure that it is all your own work. Failure to do this could result in sanctions, including removal from your course. The Academic Integrity Resource (AIR) has been designed to introduce you to academic integrity and how to demonstrate this during your studies.

The University provides access to Studiosity that connects students with a team of writing specialists who are here to help you with writing and core skills - anytime, anywhere. Studiosity provides you with two online services: Writing Feedback and Connect Live. Their Writing Feedback gives feedback on referencing, choice of language, structure and spelling/grammar within 24 hours. If you are not sure how to use the feedback to enhance your work before making a final submission, you can arrange to discuss this with a member of the Study Hub team. Connect Live also offers live support in areas such as basic English, maths and stats, science and generic study skills. Both services are available 24/7, 365 days of the year, and you can access them for FREE via BREO.

Your final submission must be in your own words - do not copy or paraphrase from generative AI authoring systems. Some examples of what NOT to do include: using AI to generate content and/or make the arguments or points in your assignment read better, or take a more academic tone, to correct facts figures or data within your assessment, or to change the words you have written in your assignment. Please follow?this link?to a student site on BREO for more detailed information on AI.

Any student submitting an assignment containing content generated by AI which is presented as the students own work constitutes academic misconduct. Should such use of AI be detected, students will be invited to a viva with two tutors to discuss the content of their work. Should the use of AI be substantiated at viva, students will be referred to the Academic Conduct Panel.

It is important to disclose when you have used assistive software such as Grammarly and/or any other assistive technology that the university permits you to use that may be included in a Learning and Teaching Support Agreement. If you have used any assistive technology in writing this work, please include a brief statement on the first page of your assessment detailing what was used and how.

NB: The BPS stipulate that there is a minimum pass mark of 50% for any unit that contributes to the accredited award MSc Health Psychology. Therefore, if a graduate does not receive the necessary 50% mark but does achieve the necessary 40% pass mark for this unit in line with standard University academic regulations, students will be offered an alternative non-BPS accredited award. For any questions relating to this please refer to the course handbook