Psychology 3316F 200 FW25
Psychological Trauma
Western University
London Canada
Department of Psychology
Fall/Winter 2025
Psychology 3316F Section 200
Psychological Trauma
1 Calendar Description
This course covers the psychobiological theories and research aimed at helping us understand the diversity of human responses to traumatic life experiences, including sexual assault, childhood maltreatment and war.
Antirequisites: n/a
Prerequisites: Both Psychology 2801F/G (or one of Health Sciences 2801A/B, Psychology 2840F/G, Psychology 2855F/G) and Psychology 2811A/B (or one of Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, Economics 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2830A/B, Psychology 2850A/B, Sociology 2205A/B, Statistical Sciences 2035, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, Statistical Sciences 2143A/B, Statistical Sciences 2244A/B, Statistical Sciences 2858A/B, the former Social Work 2207A/B), or the former Psychology 2820E, or both the former Psychology 2800E and the former Psychology 2810.
Weekly Lecture Hours: 2 hours synchronous in-person, and 1 hour asynchronous online.
Course Weight: 0.5.
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2 Course Information
Instructor: Paul Frewen, PhD, C.Psych.
Office & Phone: see Brightspace
Office Hours: 12:00-1:00 Wednesdays
Email: pfrewen@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: tbd
Time and Location of Classes: Blended Format
In-person Synchronous: see Student Centre for Timetable
Online Asychronous: Details to be provided on BrightSpace
For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.
3 Course Materials
Gold, S. N. (2017). APA Handbook of Trauma Psychology: Foundations in knowledge. Washington: American Psychological Association. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0000019-000
* Note: Online Library Resource, there is NO NEED to purchase an individual copy.
4 Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge · Make connections between Psychological Trauma and Other Psychology Topics, particularly Abnormal and Clinical Psychology · Explain differences and linkages between the primary theories, research methods and core ideas of trauma psychology |
Attendance and Participation in Face-to-Face Learning
Asynchronous Readings and Videos |
Multiple Choice Final Exam (50%) |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies
|
Critically appraise and knowledge translate an assigned research article in an academic trauma psychology journal
|
Recorded and Narrated PowerPoint presentation (5 minutes)
|
|
Creative and Applied Thinking:
|
Critique of case presentation of trauma psychology in popular media (fictional and non-fictional) |
Written Essay: ≈2000 words |
|
Experiential Learning:
|
Participate in 5 psychology research sessions of direct relevance to course (research listings will be provided on BrightSpace) |
Written Reflections: ≈200 words each x5 for total of ≈1000 words |
5 Evaluation
|
Multiple Choice Final Exam |
50% |
|
Recorded, Narrated PowerPoint Presentation (Essay Component)
|
20% |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques (Essay Component) |
5x2%=10% |
|
Case study (Fictional or Non-Fictional) (Essay Component) |
20% |
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives
Policy on Missing Coursework
Assignments are due on dates specified and are otherwise late penalties of 5% per day.
Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay components to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding
Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.
6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule
|
|
Date |
|
Multiple Choice Final Exam |
During Final Examination Period |
|
Recorded, Narrated Critical Appraisal & Knowledge Translation |
Oct 1 |
|
Case study (Fictional or Non-Fictional) (Essay Component) |
Nov 1 |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques #1 |
Oct 10 |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques #2 |
Oct 24 |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques #3 |
Nov 10 |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques #4 |
Nov 21 |
|
Research Participation and Summaries/Critiques #5 |
Dec 5 |
7 Class Schedule
|
Week |
DATE |
TOPIC & Hyperlinked Asynchronous Lecture Videos |
Required Readings |
|
1 |
09/10 |
|
|
|
2 |
09/17 |
Introduction to... (Continued) |
|
|
3 |
09/24 |
|
|
|
4 |
10/01 |
Different Kinds... (Continued) |
|
|
5 |
10/08 |
Different Kinds... (Continued) |
|
|
6 |
10/15 |
Trauma Exposure as a Transdiagnostic Vulnerability Factor & PTSD Comorbidity |
|
|
7 |
10/22 |
|
|
|
8 |
10/29 |
|
|
|
9 |
11/05 |
FALL READING WEEK |
|
|
10 |
11/12 |
|
|
|
11* |
11/19 |
|
|
|
12 |
11/26 |
|
|
|
13 |
12/03 |
Review |
|
8 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
Statement on Use of Electronic Devices
Any and all electronic devices will be allowed during class, however no electronic devices will be allowed during examinations.
Plagiarism Detection Software
All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com.
Use of AI
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.
AI Policy for Psychology:
Responsible use of AI is allowed in Psychology. This includes using AI for brainstorming, improving grammar, or doing preliminary/background research on a topic. But AI is not to be used in place of critical thinking.
The misuse of AI undermines the academic values of this course. Relying on AI to create full drafts or fabricate sources is prohibited. You are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, so it is highly advised that you critically review your Generative AI output before incorporating this information into your assignments.
If you use AI, you must clearly explain its role in your work. All written assignments will require an AI Usage Statement, in which you will indicate what tools you have used, what you have used them for, and (broadly) how you have modified this information. Assignments without an AI Usage Statement will not be accepted.
Violations of this policy will be handled according to Western’s scholastic offense policies.
Multiple Choice Exams
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Exam Proctoring Software
Tests and examinations for online courses may be conducted using a remote proctoring service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote
Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
Personal Response Systems (“Clickers”)
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system, data collected will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed.
9 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.
If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca Phone: 519 661-2147
10 Absence & Academic Consideration
Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html
11 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement
Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions
Some or all the learning sessions for this course may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers. The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.
