How Does Stress Affect Experience and Behaviour?
Understand the effects of stress on human behaviour and learn practical strategies for stress management
General Information
Master's
Application
Applications closed. Application deadline was 03/10/2025 .
For any questions, contact your local coordinator.
Course description
This course is designed for students from various disciplines who are interested in understanding the effects of stress on human behaviour and learning practical strategies for stress management. The goal is to provide participants with a solid understanding of the cognitive and biopsychological mechanisms behind acute and chronic stress and to explore approaches for reducing stress-related negative behaviours.
The course examines the reciprocal effects of stress and behaviour, focusing in particular on the following aspects:
- Fundamentals of stress: acute vs. chronic stress, stressors and stress responses.
- Effects of stress on behaviour: selected topics such as addiction, emotional eating, social conflicts and procrastination.
- Cognitive and biopsychological mechanisms of stress effects: e.g. stress hormones.
- Health-oriented behaviors: stress reduction through exercise, mindfulness, social support, or nutrition.
- Prevention and intervention: practical strategies for reducing stress in everyday life and their theoretical foundations.
Schedule
Online self-study resources will guide students through the following programme:
- Stress definition
- Stress research
- Stress effects
- Stress resilience and coping
- Stress and behaviour
- Stress and cognition
- Stress and eating behaviour
- Stress and sleep
- Stress and addiction
- Stress and social behaviour
- Stress and physical activity
- Stress and relaxation
Requirements
An interest in psychology, mental health or social sciences.
