Abnormal Psychology Syllabus - Fall 2017 PDF

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Abnormal Psychology -- PSYC 330 Fall 2017 Course Syllabus University of Tennessee CRN 51623 Meeting Time and Place: Monday/Wednesday 1:25pm-2:40pm, Humanities and Social Sciences 51 Course Credit Hours: 3 FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION INSTRUCTOR: Kristy Benoit Allen, PhD TA: Lauren Fox, M.P.S OFFICE: Austin Peay 303B Austin Peay 213 OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday 11:30am-1:00pm and by appt. Tuesdays 11:00am-1:00pm EMAIL : [email protected] [email protected]

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II.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an introduction to the field of abnormal psychology. It is designed to provide you with a basic understanding of the major disorders found within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). It will: (1) emphasize research on the etiology, course, prognosis and treatment of various mental disorders; (2) increase your understanding of the development and course of specific disorders from a biopsychosocial or integrative perspective, and (3) teach critical thinking skills that should assist you in better understanding the strengths, weaknesses, controversies, and empirical evidence related to each area of dysfunction. We will begin with a general overview of the history of mental illness, as well as the research approaches used in this area of study. The following weeks will involve a closer look at various theoretical models of psychopathology (i.e. biological, cognitive, behavioral) and the general principles used to assess, diagnose, and treat disorders. The class will then delve deeper into a variety of psychological disorders that affect both adults and children. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course is an elective in the psychology major and directly supports two of the program goals, which are adapted from the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (v2.0, 2012): scientific inquiry and critical thinking, and knowledge base in psychology. These will be evidenced by the ability to describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in abnormal psychology, as well as use scientific reasoning and critical thinking skills to evaluate psychological science and practice. More specifically, by the end of this course, students should be able to: a. Identify the symptoms and defining features of the most common psychological disorders. Assessed through performance on quizzes, exams, and the case study writing assignment, as well as contributions to class activities. b. Summarize and evaluate research methods and measurements commonly used in the study of abnormality. Assessed through performance on quizzes and exams, as well as contributions to class discussions and activities. c. Discuss and understand the etiological factors associated with each disorder as well as appreciate the levels of analysis required to study these factors. Assessed through performance on quizzes and exams, as well as contributions to class discussions and activities. d. Differentiate between and assess the evidence base for the various approaches for preventing and treating disorders. Assessed through performance on quizzes, exams, and the case study writing assignment, as well contributions to class discussions and activities.

III.

PREREQUISITES: PSYC 110 or 117 (General Psychology). I will assume a certain basic knowledge of psychological principles from students enrolled in this course. If you have not taken general psychology, this is not the class for you.

Revised as of 11/17/2017.

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IV.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: Class will consist of a mixture of lecture, discussions, small and large group activities, and video presentations. Responsibility for class’ quality and interactive nature is on both you and me. The quality of the course will depend very much on the preparation and effort expended by members of the class. To make discussion more informative and engaging, you are expected to have completed all assigned readings prior to class and to come to class with a basic knowledge of the topics, as well as questions about difficult or interesting information you reviewed. Read, and with a critical mind, reflect on it, generate questions, and be ready to participate in discussions and contribute to the topic from your individual perspectives. You will be provided with opportunities to demonstrate your understanding of the material through exams and writing assignments, but I also expect you to participate in class discussions and activities. Each member of the University of Tennessee academic community is responsible for their own learning. I will work hard to organize the course concepts and activities in a way that will facilitate your learning, but it is up to you to synthesize the information and make it your own. To be successful you will need to devote 2-3 hours out of class for every hour in class. Again, you must engage the assigned material and complete the assigned tasks before coming to class. After class, you should review and reflect on the concepts discussed in class. I am available to assist you immediately after class, during office hours, or by appointment. The class TA is available to you as well. Please come see one of us if you are having any difficulty whatsoever. Do not be shy! You are also welcome to meet with me regarding any questions you might have about pursuing graduate school and/or a career in psychology.

V.

COURSE COMMUNICATIONS: I will communicate with you primary through the Canvas website and I ask you to do the same. You can typically expect a response from me within 24 hours. If it’s been 48 hours and you still have not heard back from me, please email me again. Please put PSYC 330 in the subject line of any e-mail message that you send me. For technical issues, contact the OIT HelpDesk via phone (865) 974-9900 or online at http://help.utk.edu/.

VI.

TEXTS/MATERIALS/RESOURCES FOR THE COURSE: A. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Hooley, J. M., Butcher, J. N., Nock, M. K. and Mineka, S. (2017). Abnormal Psychology (17th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. This is a relatively new book based on a recent revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Thus, you cannot use a previous edition of the book for this class. You may purchase either the hard copy of this text or the loose-leaf version bundled with Revel, an engaging and interactive e-version of the text (see below). Both are available at the VolShop. B.

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK: Brown, T. A., & Barlow, D. H. (2017). Casebook in Abnormal Psychology (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. This book presents very detailed cases of various psychological disorders including a clinical history, diagnosis, case formulation, treatment plan, course of treatment, treatment outcome, and a discussion. These examples will likely be helpful to you when preparing your case study writing assignment, and will reinforce the knowledge you gain from the required textbook. Beyond that, the vivid nature of these depictions is utterly fascinating, and if you think you may want to go into a mental health profession, I highly recommend this book. That being said, this book is not required, and you can do well in the course without it.

c. RECOMMENDED ONLINE TOOLS: I recommend that you purchase the loose-leaf version of the textbook bundled with Revel. Not only is this cost-effective for you, but the interactive nature of the e-text is very engaging and may help you master the material better. d. CANVAS COURSE: When you registered for the class you were automatically enrolled on the Canvas website for your section of the course. Important announcements, supplemental resources, the syllabus and any updates to it, places to turn in writing assignments, and assignment grades will be available through Canvas. Students are responsible for all Revised as of 11/17/2017.

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announcements and information posted on Canvas, and thus all students are expected to have an active NetID account and to access Canvas at least once before each class session. Go to https://utk.instructure.com and log in with your UTK NetID to access our Canvas course. e. TURNINGPOINT PERSONAL RESPONSE SYSTEM “CLICKER:” We will be using clickers in this section of PSYC 330. Research (e.g., Mazur, 2009) demonstrates that the use of such devices can enhance student learning by allowing frequent feedback about how well students are understanding material as it is being presented, and by increasing engagement. All students are required to purchase a TurningPoint subscription, and either buy a TurningPoint clicker or download the app to provide your responses via phone or laptop. You must bring whatever device you choose to class everyday as I will use them for administering quizzes (see below). Refer to this website for details on how to integrate your clicker with Canvas, as well as other related information: http://oit.utk.edu/teachingtools/clickers/

VII.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION METHODS: A.

EXAMS (64% OF GRADE). There will be 4 in-class closed book exams (including the final exam). Questions will be based on all material covered in lectures and any material covered in the assigned reading. The final exam is not cumulative. The tests will mostly be in a multiple-choice format, but will also include fill-in-the-blank, matching, and short answer questions. All four exams are worth 100 points each.

B.

QUIZZES (16% OF GRADE). Because attendance and participation in this class is so highly valued, it will be monitored via random, unannounced quizzes that will be given at the beginning of class. Each quiz is worth 10 points, and 12 quizzes will be offered throughout the semester (two may be dropped). NOTE: If you are late to class or leave early and miss the quiz, you will receive a 0 for that quiz. As quizzes are designed to monitor attendance, I DO NOT allow students to make up quizzes. If you have extenuating circumstances and foresee that you will not be able to attend class on a given day (e.g., excused absence for an extracurricular activity), plan to use your “freebie” quizzes those days. If you attend all classes and take 11 or 12 quizzes, I will keep your 10 highest quiz scores. Content of quizzes will revolve around the assigned reading for that day. The goals of these quizzes are 1) to emphasize the importance of attending class, 2) to encourage you to keep up with the reading, and 3) to help you prepare for the types of questions you will see on exams.

c. CASE STUDY WRITING ASSIGNMENT (20% OF GRADE). You will be provided with a detailed case study of a patient and asked to write up a 3-5 page case conceptualization. A handout will be provided within the first few weeks of class with further detail but essentially the paper will be divided into 4 sections: a description of the diagnosis or diagnoses you would give the patient and a justification for such, a description of the diagnosis or diagnoses that you considered giving the patient but ultimately did not (called a differential diagnosis) and a justification for such, a description of why you believe the person has come to have these difficulties using at least two of the causal viewpoints we will cover in class (e.g., biological, cognitive), and a description of the specific treatment you would recommend for the patient and why. We will take several steps to help you prepare for this assignment: we will cover similar case studies together in class, I will provide you with a detailed grading rubric so you know what I am looking for, and you will hand in a rough draft of your paper well in advance of the due date so that we can provide you will feedback that will help your final grade (see timeline below for details on dates). d. EXTRA CREDIT. You can earn up to 15 points of extra credit in this class in two ways. 1) First, if you complete the end of the semester evaluation that you will receive via email from the university on 11/20, you will receive 3 points of extra credit. You must take a screenshot showing that you have completed the evaluation and email it to Lauren. This is due by 1:25pm on the last day of class. Revised as of 11/17/2017.

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2) Additionally, 6 points of extra credit can be earned for turning in a two-page, double-spaced (12-point font) summary of a peer-reviewed journal article that is about psychopathology in some form (it could be a treatment study, a study of risk factors for a disorder, a neural bases study, etc.). Think back to something that intrigued you over the course of the semester (e.g., what can neuroimaging tell us about conversion disorder, why is homosexuality a risk factor for eating disorders in men, how can mindfulness be helpful in the treatment of bipolar disorder, etc.) and find a relevant article that helps you understand the issue a little more. i. The article can be from any peer-reviewed journal (e.g., from a psychology journal, a medical journal, etc.). You must have the article(s) approved by Lauren before you begin writing your summary. ii. You must summarize each section of the research article (introduction, method, results, and conclusion). iii. In addition, your write-up must discuss how the article relates to information covered in the course. Make sure to include information from the course (use the book as the reference) to expand on the concepts presented in the article. You must reference course material. iv. Make sure that you include in-text citations along with a reference page, in proper APA style. v. You can complete two of these article summaries for a total of 12 extra credit points (15 if you also complete the course evaluation). The two articles do not have to be related to each other. vi. You can turn in extra credit throughout the term, but it is formally due by 1:25pm on the last day of class. This is the same due date as your case study writing assignment, so please plan accordingly!

VIII.

Grading Assignment Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Exam 4 Quizzes Case Study Writing Assignment Total

Possible Points: 100 100 100 100 100 125 625

My Points:

Final Grade A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF

Total Points 579-625 560-578 535-559 516-534 497-515 472-496 454-471 435-453 410-434 391-409 372-390...