Abnormal Psychology (Psych 201):  Syllabus - Fall 2005

• Course Number and Title: Psych 201 - Abnormal Psychology

• Semester Credit Hours: 3 credit hours

• Course Description: Abnormal Psychology (Psych 201) examines the causes, diagnosis, assessment, symptoms, treatment, and possible prevention of the spectrum of mental disorders. Additional topics include the historical and current theoretical perspectives, classification systems, cultural perspectives and legal/ethical issues pertaining to mental disorder.

• Course Prerequisite: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 101)

This course is offered in one of two ways. The first, uses the traditional classroom format. The second will be offered as a distance learning course using the internet. This is the approach you have selected.

Alloy, L. B., Riskind, J. H., & Manos, J. M. (2005). Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspectives (9th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Optional Casebook Packaged With Text
Vitkus, J. (2005). Casebook in Abnormal Psychology (5th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
(Please Note: The Casebook will not be used in this course. However, you are strongly encouraged to purchase a new copy of your text in order to receive a free copy of the "Mind Map" CD that accompanies it.)

 

Upon completion of this course, students should:

1. Demonstrate they have learned the fundamental theoretical perspectives, principles, concepts, vocabulary and methodology for each of the topics listed in the "Major Topics" section of this syllabus.
2. Compare and contrast the major theoretical perspectives found in abnormal psychology.
3. Apply data derived from abnormal psychology research when evaluating alternatives and making personal decisions pertaining to mental health issues for themselves or others.
4. Critically analyze and evaluate information pertaining to abnormal psychology found in film, television, radio, print, and information technology resources.
5. Apply concepts derived from abnormal psychology to one's own experiences and a culturally diverse community.
6. Communicate an understanding of abnormal psychology concepts in written, oral, and/or signed format.
7. Describe the relevance of ethnicity, gender, religion, age and race to understanding differences in such areas of abnormal psychology as incidence of disorders, prognosis, treatment choices, and other topic areas.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of informational technology tools for accessing, interpreting, and expressing knowledge of abnormal psychology issues in a rapidly changing world.
9. Recognize psychological information in the field of abnormal psychology is continually evolving requiring the pursuit of lifelong learning both independently and collaboratively.
10. Increase effectiveness in working as part of a cooperative learning group.
11. Discuss the philosophical issues related to "normality" and "abnormality".
12. Increase the understanding and tolerance of the behavior of others.

Major Study Units

Topics addressed in Abnormal Psychology will include the following:

• Models applied to psychological disorders over the years
• Philosophical issues of "normal" and "abnormal"
• Current theoretical perspectives in understanding psychological disorders
• Experimental techniques used to investigate abnormality
• Issues and techniques of diagnosis and assessment
• Distinguishing characteristics of:
  • Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence
  • Delirium, dementia, amnesia and other cognitive disorders
  • Mental disorders due to a general medical condition
  • Substance-related disorders
  • Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
  • Mood disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Somatoform disorders
  • Factitious disorders
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Sexual and gender identity disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Sleep disorders
  • Impulse disorders not otherwise
  • Adjustment disorders
  • Personality disorders
  • Other conditions that may be the focus of clinical attention
• Treatment approaches
• Prevention strategies
• Legal and ethical issues

 

• Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions and group activities. Students are expected to express their ideas in a respectful manner.
  
• Students are expected to take their exams on the dates assigned. Missed exams are assigned a score of 0 (Failing Grade). For anticipated absences, students are responsible for contacting the instructor in advance in order to arrange for a make-up exam. An exam could only be made up if the student has a valid excuse (i.e., an emergency) for being absent. Please note that written documentation is necessary. The makeup exam will consist of all essays on the topics covered and will be administered at the campus Testing Center.

• Examinations

There will be three exams for this course. Each exam will count as fifteen percent (15%) of the final course grade. The first exam will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. You will take this exam at the CCBC testing center (i.e., your preferred location: Catonsville, Dundalk, or Essex). Exams II and III will be based on patient case studies and will cover materials presented in the lecture as well as in the text. You will take these two exams online.

• CCBC Student Success Center (Testing Center Information)
  

• Journal Article Summary

You are asked to obtain a recent journal article (i.e., published after 1990) from the Journal of Abnormal Psychology which is available at the CCBC Library. You need to read the article and provide a 3-4 page typed double-spaced summary of the article. To receive full-credit for this assignment, your article needs to be attached to your summary. A separate reference sheet listing your one article in APA format needs to be provided at the end of your summary. This project will count as ten percent (10%) of your final grade.

• Debates

There will be a total of 5 online course debates. The date of each debate is listed on your class calendar (WebCT Calendar). For each assigned debate topic, we will discuss a certain controversial issue in abnormal psychology. The students will have to take either the "favorable" or the "unfavorable" position.

Favorable Position
Student is in favor of the issue presented. The arguments and factual information presented are used to assert his/her opinion.

Unfavorable Position
Student is in opposition of the issue presented. The arguments and factual information presented are used to negate the arguments presented by students on the "favorable" side.

During the initial stage of the debate, each student makes his or her case in a thorough research based statement. Then there is a requirement for two additional debate postings to support or defend one's already stated position. This allows for an opportunity to address the arguments presented by the other students.

Each member is graded for his or her individual effort, quality of prepared initial statement, and contribution to the success of the debate. Prior to each debate, you are strongly encouraged to surf the internet in order to find support for your side. You are likely to earn a higher grade if you put at least 20-30 minutes into researching the assigned debate topic online.

• Case Analysis Paper

You are asked to write a case analysis. The overall length of the paper should be approximately 5-7 typed double spaced pages (American Psychological Association [APA] format). This assignment is meant to help you better understand the diagnostic process by integrating it into your thinking about abnormal behavior portrayed by characters in film.

You will be assisted in this project throughout the course, briefly stated here, however, you will need to choose a movie character and think about his or her personality and abnormal behavior. Your paper should include five axes of diagnosis based on DSM-IV format studied in our course and any relevant supporting information (e.g., observed symptomatology) for your diagnostic decisions. In addition, you will need to provide a detailed analysis of the possible etiologic factors for the character's behavior using information provided in the film. You may focus on a variety of factors such as his or her childhood history, socio-cultural factors, biological predisposition, environment, or any other contributing variables. The case analysis should also contain information about case conceptualization, treatment options and prognosis. You are encouraged to comment on the film's characterization of psychopathology in light of your understanding of the character's diagnoses.

You are strongly encouraged to hand in your case papers for review by the instructor prior to the due date. This paper will be twenty percent (20%) of your final course grade. There are no citation requirements for this assignment but you may use library and/or internet resources to research your hypotheses about the case. You will be informed about my grading criteria for this assignment during our class discussions. Please begin thinking about the film character early in the semester so that you can allow yourself time to formulate your ideas and hypotheses.

• Extra Credit (50 Points Maximum)

  You can earn up to 50 extra credit points during the semester. Please note that additional extra credit work (i.e., in excess of 50 points) is not counted toward your final course grade. Throughout the semester, you will be provided with various opportunities to earn extra credit points. Please be selective and work on projects that are meaningful to your personal learning experience.

  Two extra credit options are noted below. These are optional projects. Keep in mind that other projects will be offered during your course work in WebCT.

  • (25 Points Each)
    Write a 3-4 page typed summary and reaction paper on the following:

    Lachenmeyer, Nathaniel. (2000). The Outsider: A Journey into My Father's Struggle with Madness. New York: Broadway Books.

    Jamison, Kay Redfield. (1995). An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. New York: Vintage Books.

Assignments and Tests	Point Value
Debates # 1-5 (20 points each)	100 Points (10%)
Exam 1	150 Points (15%)
Exam 2	150 Points (15%)
Exam 3	150 Points (15%)
Case Analysis Paper	200 Points (20%)
Journal Article Summary	100 Points (10%)
Online Activities (15 Modules - 10 points each)	150 Points (15%)
Total Points	1000 Points

 

Percentage	Final Points	Letter Grade
90-100%	900-1000	A
80-89%	800-899	B
70-79%	700-799	C
60-69%	600-699	D
<60%	<600	F

Here are some tips you should follow which will help you to succeed in this course:

• Set aside a specific time each week to work on this course. The estimated amount of time you should spend is at least 6 hours/week.
• Keep in touch with me and your classmates by frequently checking your course e-mail, bulletin board, and calendar. This will help build a sense of community among us. Using the various communications tools provided in this course effectively is the same as "raising your hand" and participating in class discussions.
• Be aware of the time lag that is inherent in most on-line courses. Although the communications tools make it appear that the transfer of information such as assignments is "instantaneous", it does not mean that the reply will be instantaneous. One of the hardest things about an on-line course is becoming comfortable with its asynchronous nature. In general, expect assignments to be returned within 7 days.
• Familiarize yourself with published deadlines. Changes in deadlines are posted in the calendar.
• Ask for help when you need it. I look forward to helping you fully understand the material.
• Remember that there are traditional ways for keeping in touch. Call me directly in case you need to get a hold of me immediately. I will try my best to return your phone call on the same day.
• Work off-line and save your assignments on your computer before submitting them electronically. You can use the saved version of your work to copy and paste to an on-line assignment or you can attach the saved file to an e-mail or bulletin board message. This will prevent a lot of frustration should your Internet connection or your system "fail".
• Be sure you check the course syllabus and other course material for intructions on how to submit assignments. You are strongly encouraged to save your files in Rich Text Format (.rtf format). This will minimize the potential for inadvertently transmitting computer viruses.
• Be sure to install anti-virus software on your local system and check all downloaded files before opening them.

"CCBC is a multiethnic community comprised of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. This community recognizes the need to establish a code of conduct that contains rules and regulations that promote growth and development, guide student actions, and define sanctions that will be imposed when rules and regulations are violated. For the benefit of the community at large, these regulations limit certain behaviors and activities. They also protect the health, welfare, safety, rights and property of the college. Any student whose conduct violates this Code of Student Conduct will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion." (Page 291 of 2001-2002 College Catalog)

• Standards of Classroom Behavior
  "Primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class for the remainder of the class period." (Page 295 of 2001-2002 College Catalog)

• Academic Integrity
  Each student has a responsibility to submit work that is uniquely his or her own, or to provide clear and complete acknowledgement of the use of work attributable to others. To these ends, the following actions are expected of students:
  • Complete all work on exams without assistance
  • Follow the professor's instructions when completing all class assignments
  • Ask for clarification when instructions are not clear
  • Report to the instructor any unauthorized information related to an exam
  • Provide proper credit when quoting or paraphrasing
  • Submit only one's own work

Students who do not accept responsibility for the integrity of their own work will experience sanctions, including a written reprimand, failure of the assignment, failure of the course, and/or dismissal from the program. For repeat and extreme offenses, the College reserves the right to suspend or expel students. Suspension is an action taken only by the Dean of Student Development and Enrollment Management or a designee. Students may appeal a charge of academic dishonesty within ten days of receiving notice of the offense. The appeal will be handled accordingly to the same procedures established for other student appeals with the appropriate dean.