Psychology 2030B-650
The Maladjusted Mind
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course will survey various categories of maladjusted behaviour and consider different explanatory models and treatment strategies for the control of such behaviour. Theories of human adjustment and maladjustment will be reviewed.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2050, 2310A/B and 3310F/G
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Ian R. Nicholson
Office and Phone Number: 519-663-3469
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: inichols@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Christian Hahn
Email: chahn@uwo.caIf you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
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. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Title: Abnormal Psychology (Canadian Edition)
Authors: Beidel, D.C., Bulik, C.M., Stanley M.A., & Taylor, S.
Year: 2018
ISBN: 978-0-13-273534-6
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the course is to provide students with an overview of the major forms of psychopathology and their treatment. The course will begin with addressing some of the fundamental aspects of the foundations of any study of abnormal psychology including understanding the profession of psychology, ethics, psychological assessment, and diagnosis. It will then move into discussions of several different types of psychological disorders, including several that are related to physical functioning. We then conclude with a discussion of psychopathology across the lifespan. All issues will be presented from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
After successfully completing this course, students should be able to:
Recognize the main symptoms of the range of psychological disorders. Measured through Multiple-Choice Exams.
Apply DSM-5 criteria to provide the most plausible diagnosis for a set of psychological symptoms. Measured through Multiple-Choice Exams.
Differentiate between emotional/behavioural states that are diagnosable versus not diagnosable. Measured through Class Participation and Multiple-Choice Exams.
Contrast current scientific theories (e.g. biological, psychological) on the etiology and treatment of psychological disorders. Measured through Multiple-Choice Exams.
Identify various components of assessment (e.g., interviewing, administrating various tests, neuroimaging, and physical and behavioural examinations). Measured through Multiple-Choice Exams.
Describe and analyse the relation of psychological disorder diagnoses and treatments with social and political factors. Measured through Class Participation.
5.0 EVALUATION
The purpose of the course is to provide students with an overview of the major forms of psychopathology and their treatment. The course will begin with addressing some of the fundamental aspects of the foundations of any study of abnormal psychology including understanding the profession of psychology, ethics, psychological assessment, and diagnosis. It will then move into discussions of several different types of psychological disorders, including several that are related to physical functioning. We then conclude with a discussion of psychopathology across the lifespan. All issues will be presented from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.
On-Line Class Participation (15%)
Starting each Monday morning, a new on-line Discussion Forum will be started for a new topic. Each Discussion Forum will last one week. To aid in these Discussions, questions will be posted on-line during the next week. Readings from the text will be used as the basis for these Discussions.
At the beginning of each Discussion Forum, additional relevant web site addresses will be given to students to review and include in the Discussion Topics as they see them as relevant.
For this course to work, students must "come to class". Students lose most of their marks in this requirement by not participating regularly. The class works best if it is thought of as a seminar/discussion group where students comment on the issues discussed, using material from the text and the web. If only one or two students come to class regularly, then the class does not work for anyone. In order to ensure that the discussions remain current, weekly Forums will be closed after they have been open for one week.
**IMPORTANT** Class Participation Requirements: It is expected that students will actively participate in these on-line discussions. A minimum of participation by posting comments are expected on two (2) separate days that add into the Forum Topics discussions for each topic are expected from each student each and every week of a weekly Discussion Forum. For more information on the Class Participation, students should read the “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) in the Announcements.
***Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that your discussion contributions are posted properly and on time. Having written something that didn't get posted, for whatever reason, is not grounds for appealing a grade of zero for that discussion. ***
Please Note: The on-line Discussions will be open from 12:01am on 8 January 2018 until 11:59pm on 18 February 2018 when it is closed for Spring Reading Week. It will be re-opened on 12:01am on 26 February 2018 until 11:59pm on 8 April 2018. All times are in London, Ontario. If you are taking the class in another time zone, you will need to make local adjustments to these times.
First Mid-Term Exam (25%) – 27 January 2018
Content of Exam: The mid-term exam will consist of a maximum of eighty (80) multiple choice questions. They will reflect the material from chapters 1, 2, 3, and 16. There will be approximately an equal number of questions from the each of these four (4) textbook chapters. The exam will be two (2) hours long.
Where to write the exam: When registering for Distance Studies courses, students MUST select an exam centre. Once you have selected the centre, you must write the final examinations and/or midterm tests at that location. Most students come to The University of Western Ontario to write with their classmates. Students living or working outside of London may register to write at one of the designated testing centres (Barrie, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary). Students who wish to change the location of their Distance Studies exam(s) must inform the Distance Studies department at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date(s). Students may contact Distance Studies before the deadline via e-mail at distexam@uwo.ca. Please include your name, course number, section and new location request (out of the ones listed above). No requests for changes will be accepted after the 3-week deadline has passed.
Unable to write an exam: Students who are unable to write a scheduled midterm test must inform their instructor and provide proper documentation to their academic counsellor. IF approval is made for a make up test and your exam centre is in London, your instructor will arrange the time and location of your rewrite. If you are writing at an off-campus exam centre, you must contact Distance Studies office if your make up test is approved to arrange your rewrite. Students will be required to pay an off-campus make-up exam fee.
Students requiring academic accommodation: Academic accommodation consists of arrangements that allow a student with a disability a fair opportunity to engage in academic activities and fulfill essential course and program requirements. Accommodation does not remove essential requirements of a course or program. It does not fundamentally alter content of exams, standards for assigning grades, or requirements that students independently demonstrate their knowledge of course material. Examples of accommodations include writing exams in a quiet location, use of extra time when writing exams, or the use of assistive technology when writing exams. An accommodation is a response to unique challenges that a student faces given his or her disability and particular program requirements. Because of the individualized nature of accommodation, students and prospective students are encouraged to meet with an SSD counsellor to obtain information about specific accommodations and services that may be available to them. Students who require exam accommodations should follow the instructions for obtaining such accommodations that are at: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/
Marking of the Exam: While the majority of students will be writing their exams on campus, many will be writing at one of the six designated assessment centres outside of London. Only when ALL the exams have been received from these centres will the exams be marked and marks posted. This normally takes up to two (2) weeks for mailing and processing all exams.
NO electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
Identification required for examinations: No student will be allowed to write an examination without either a Western ONECard student ID or another piece of government-issued photo identification.
Second Mid-Term Exam (30%) – 3 March 2018
Content of the Exam: The mid-term exam will consist of a maximum of one hundred (100) multiple choice questions. They will reflect the material from chapters 4, 5, 6, 10, and 14. There will be approximately an equal number of questions from the each of these five (5) textbook chapters. The exam will be two (2) hours long. Students are NOT responsible on this exam for material from earlier in the course (i.e., material covered in the earlier mid-term exam).
Where to write the exam: When registering for Distance Studies courses, students MUST select an exam centre. Once you have selected the centre, you must write the final examinations and/or midterm tests at that location. Most students come to The University of Western Ontario to write with their classmates. Students living or working outside of London may register to write at one of the designated testing centres (Barrie, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary). Students who wish to change the location of their Distance Studies exam(s) must inform the Distance Studies department at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date(s). Students may contact Distance Studies before the deadline via e-mail at distexam@uwo.ca. Please include your name, course number, section and new location request (out of the ones listed above). No requests for changes will be accepted after the 3-week deadline has passed.
Unable to write an exam: Students who are unable to write a scheduled midterm test must inform their instructor and provide proper documentation to their academic counsellor. IF approval is made for a make up test and your exam centre is in London, your instructor will arrange the time and location of your rewrite. If you are writing at an off-campus exam centre, you must contact Distance Studies office if your make up test is approved to arrange your rewrite. Students will be required to pay an off-campus make-up exam fee.
Students requiring academic accommodation: Academic accommodation consists of arrangements that allow a student with a disability a fair opportunity to engage in academic activities and fulfill essential course and program requirements. Accommodation does not remove essential requirements of a course or program. It does not fundamentally alter content of exams, standards for assigning grades, or requirements that students independently demonstrate their knowledge of course material. Examples of accommodations include writing exams in a quiet location, use of extra time when writing exams, or the use of assistive technology when writing exams. An accommodation is a response to unique challenges that a student faces given his or her disability and particular program requirements. Because of the individualized nature of accommodation, students and prospective students are encouraged to meet with an SSD counsellor to obtain information about specific accommodations and services that may be available to them.Students who require exam accommodations should follow the instructions for obtaining such accommodations that are at: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/
Marking of the Exam: While the majority of students will be writing their exams on campus, many will be writing at one of the six designated assessment centres outside of London. Only when ALL the exams have been received from these centres will the exams be marked and marks posted. This normally takes up to two (2) weeks for mailing and processing all exams.
NO electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
Identification required for examinations: No student will be allowed to write an examination without either a Western ONECard student ID or another piece of government-issued photo identification.
Final Exam (25%) - date to be determined by Registrar (April 14-30, 2018)
Content of Exam: The final exam will consist of a maximum of one hundred (100) multiple choice questions. They will reflect the material from chapters 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13. There will be approximately an equal number of questions from the each of these five (5) textbook chapters. Students are NOT responsible on this exam for material from earlier in the course (i.e., material covered in the earlier mid-term exams). The exam will be two (2) hours long.
Where to write the exam: When registering for Distance Studies courses, students MUST select an exam centre. Once you have selected the centre, you must write the final examinations and/or midterm tests at that location. Most students come to The University of Western Ontario to write with their classmates. Students living or working outside of London may register to write at one of the designated testing centres (Barrie, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary). Students who wish to change the location of their Distance Studies exam(s) must inform the Distance Studies department at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date(s). Students may contact Distance Studies before the deadline via e-mail at distexam@uwo.ca. Please include your name, course number, section and new location request (out of the ones listed above). No requests for changes will be accepted after the 3-week deadline has passed.
Exam conflicts: If you have a conflict, please contact your Academic Counsellor at your Home Faculty so arrangements can be made for you to write your exam. For Barrie, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto, Calgary, or Vancouver students, please contact the examination office by email at distexam@uwo.ca.
Unable to write or missed a final exam: If you cannot write an examination in the regular period, you may request from the Dean’s Office of your Academic Faculty the privilege of writing a special examination. This privilege is based on compassionate, medical, or religious grounds with the appropriate supporting documents. IF approval is made for a make up test and your exam centre is in London, your instructor will arrange the time and location of your rewrite. If you are writing at an off-campus exam centre, you must contact Distance Studies office if your make up test is approved to arrange your rewrite. Students will be required to pay an off-campus make-up exam fee.
Students requiring academic accommodation: Academic accommodation consists of arrangements that allow a student with a disability a fair opportunity to engage in academic activities and fulfill essential course and program requirements. Accommodation does not remove essential requirements of a course or program. It does not fundamentally alter content of exams, standards for assigning grades, or requirements that students independently demonstrate their knowledge of course material. Examples of accommodations include writing exams in a quiet location, use of extra time when writing exams, or the use of assistive technology when writing exams. An accommodation is a response to unique challenges that a student faces given his or her disability and particular program requirements. Because of the individualized nature of accommodation, students and prospective students are encouraged to meet with an SSD counsellor to obtain information about specific accommodations and services that may be available to them. Students who require exam accommodations should follow the instructions for obtaining such accommodations that are at: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/
Marking of the Exam: While the majority of students will be writing their exams on campus, many will be writing them at one of the five designated assessment centres outside of London. Only when ALL the exams have been received from these centres will the exams be marked and marks posted. This normally takes up to two (2) weeks for mailing and processing all exams.
NO electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
Identification required for examinations: No student will be allowed to write an examination without either a Western ONECard student ID or another piece of government-issued photo identification.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
On-Line Class Participation: 15%
First Mid-Term Exam (27 January 2018): 25%
Second Mid-Term Exam (3 March 2018): 30%
Final Exam (date to be determined): 30%
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Topic 1 – What is a Psychologist: 8 January 2018 – 14 January 2018
Chapter 1 - "Abnormal Psychology: Historical and Modern Perspectives"
Chapter 16 - " Abnormal Psychology: Legal and Ethical Issues"
Topic 2 – Research in Psychopathology: 15 January 2018 – 21 January 2018
Chapter 2 - "Research Methods in Abnormal Psychology"
Topic 3 – Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis: 22 January 2018 – 28 January 2018
Chapter 3 - "Assessment and Diagnosis"
Topic 4 – Anxiety Disorders: 29 January 2018 – 4 February 2018
Chapter 4 – “Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders”
Topic 5 - Affective Disorders: 5 February 2018 – 11 February 2018
Chapter 6 - "Bipolar and Depressive Disorders"
Topic 6 – Schizophrenia and Dissociative Disorders: 12 February 2018 – 18 February 2018
Chapter 5 – “Somatic Symptom, Dissociative, and Factitious Disorders” (pages 183-194 ONLY)
Chapter 10 – “Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders”
Topic 7 – Physical Health: 26 February 2018 – 4 March 2018
Chapter 5 – “Somatic Symptom, Dissociative, and Factitious Disorders” (pages 167-183 ONLY)
Chapter 14 – “Health Psychology”
Topic 8 – Disrupted Daily Living: 5 March 2018 – 11 March 2018
Chapter 7 – “Feeding and Eating Disorders”
Topic 9 – Disorders of Control: 12 March 2018 – 18 March 2018
Chapter 9 – “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders”
Topic 10 – Personality Disorders: 19 March 2018 – 25 March 2018
Chapter 11 – “Personality Disorders”
Topic 11 – Disorders and the Age Spectrum - Childhood: 26 March 2018 – 1 April 2018
Chapter 12 – “Neurodevelopmental, Disruptive, Conduct, and Elimination Disorders”
Topic 12 – Disorders and the Age Spectrum – Old Age: 2 April 2018 – 8 April 2018
Chapter 13 – “Aging and Neurocognitive Disorders”
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. 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 http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2017/pg954.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2017 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
