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Psychology of Safety and Catastrophes

* Exchange students do not have to consider this information when selecting suitable courses for an exchange stay.

Course Unit Code060-0020/01
Number of ECTS Credits Allocated4 ECTS credits
Type of Course Unit *Choice-compulsory type B
Level of Course Unit *Second Cycle
Year of Study *Second Year
Semester when the Course Unit is deliveredWinter Semester
Mode of DeliveryFace-to-face
Language of InstructionCzech
Prerequisites and Co-Requisites Course succeeds to compulsory courses of previous semester
Name of Lecturer(s)Personal IDName
VYK52prof. PhDr. Hana Vykopalová, CSc.
Summary
The course deals with the psychological aspects collectively in danger, disaster medicine, emergency medicine selected contexts, prevention and assessment of risks of life, including human behavior and responding to threats in a critical situation. The course focuses on the basic understanding of the fundamental concepts and related background of the issue incl. of prevention and safety.
Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit
On completion of the course specifically aimed to create specific theoretical knowledge and skills in the application of synthetic and analytic approach to processing and evaluation of selected theoretical situations to create optimal conditions for their application in practice.
Course Contents
1. Introduction to the issue. Basic concepts and their interpretation. Security Terminology. Security legislation.

2. Disaster medicine and emergency medicine. Terrorism and the protection of the population. EMS and emergency assistance.

3. Social behavior and social action, perception and assessment of the situation, verbal and non-verbal communication, attitudes, social groups and their meaning, communication and relational structures in social groups, basic laws of people's behavior in social groups.


4. Communication in stressful situations. Crisis communication. Specifics, purpose and meaning of crisis communication. Communication as prevention of conflict resolution.


5. Human behavior in a critical life situation
Psychology in rescue. Thematic exercises, floods and other disasters a
mass disaster. Manifestations of aggression, anxiety and fear, essence, causes.
Individual behavior, personality typology, group behavior, human behavior in a crowd.


6. Mental load and stress
Manifestations and effects of strain and stress. Methods of assessment of mental stress. Personality potential. Perception of short-term and long-term manifestations of strain and stress. Perception of life stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder, causes, symptoms, course. Psychotherapy of post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychosocial programs.

7. Specific threat situations
Abduction and hostage situations, other threatening and risky situations (assistance to victims
violence, intentional and unintentional damage to property, dealing with victims,
victims, terrorism,...).

8. Safety aspects of work psychology
Perception of working conditions and workload. Perception of short and long term
manifestations of strain and stress.

9. Assessment of neuropsychological stress at work. The importance of the technical and organizational environment for the work of a rescuer. Basic principles of paramedic psychohygiene. The importance of professionography.


10. AGGRESSION
Examples of aggression and aggressive behavior. Procedures aimed at aggression-aggressiveness, including signals of their recognition and the possibility of preventing this behavior. Practical comparative examples of the manifestation of aggression and aggressiveness and the possibility of their solution.

11. Crisis and continuity of crisis aid. Procedures, methods and techniques for solving crisis situations. Crisis intervention.

12. Humanitarian aid, humanitarian intervention and humanitarian law. Implementation of IHL. Effects and interpretation of IHL rules.

13. Anti-conflict teams, humanitarian units and other specialized units. Their importance and social utility. Claims and requirements for their professional level.
Recommended or Required Reading
Required Reading:
Čech,J.: Vyjednávanie a branie rukojemníka. APZ, Bratislava 2000,
Vizinová, D., Preiss, M.: Psychické trauma a jeho terapie. Portál, Praha 1999,
Vykopalová,H.: Vybrané kapitoly ze sociální psychologie v kontextu
komunikace, Olomouc 2000.
Skřehot, P. a kol.: Prevence nehod a havárií. 1. díl Nebezpečné látky a materiály
Staal, M.A., Harvey, S.C.: Operational Psychology. Santa Barbara, California, USA, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4408-6620-3
Výzkumný ústav bezpečnosti práce, v.v.i. & T-SOFT a.s., Praha, 2009, ISBN 978-80-86973-70-8
Štětina, J. a kol.:Medicína katastrof a hromadných neštěstí. Grada, Praha, 2001, ISBN 80-7169-688-9
Prymula, R. a kol.Biologický a chemický terorismus. Grada Publishing, Praha, 2002, ISBN 80-247-0288-6
Remeš, R., Trnovská, S. Praktická příručka přednemocniční urgentní medicíny. Grada, Praha 2013, ISBN: 978-80-247-4530-5
Čech,J.: Vyjednávanie a branie rukojemníka. APZ, Bratislava 2000,
Vizinová, D., Preiss, M.: Psychické trauma a jeho terapie. Portál, Praha 1999,
Vykopalová,H.: Vybrané kapitoly ze sociální psychologie v kontextu
komunikace, Olomouc 2000.
Skřehot, P. a kol.: Prevence nehod a havárií. 1. díl Nebezpečné látky a materiály
Staal, M.A., Harvey, S.C.: Operational Psychology. Santa Barbara, California, USA, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4408-6620-3
Výzkumný ústav bezpečnosti práce, v.v.i. & T-SOFT a.s., Praha, 2009, ISBN 978-80-86973-70-8
Štětina, J. a kol.:Medicína katastrof a hromadných neštěstí. Grada, Praha, 2001, ISBN 80-7169-688-9
Prymula, R. a kol.Biologický a chemický terorismus. Grada Publishing, Praha, 2002, ISBN 80-247-0288-6
Remeš, R., Trnovská, S. Praktická příručka přednemocniční urgentní medicíny. Grada, Praha 2013, ISBN: 978-80-247-4530-5
Recommended Reading:
Vykopalová,H.: Základy psychosociální přípravy Humanitárních jednotek ČČK. ČČK, Praha 2003.
Vykopalová,H.: Základy psychosociální přípravy Humanitárních jednotek ČČK. ČČK, Praha 2003.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures, Tutorials
Assesment methods and criteria
Task TitleTask TypeMaximum Number of Points
(Act. for Subtasks)
Minimum Number of Points for Task Passing
Credit and ExaminationCredit and Examination100 (100)51
        CreditCredit30 10
        ExaminationExamination70 21