Psychology 2310A-001

Abnormal Psychology

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 theory course is designed to introduce the wide-ranging theories of psychopathology in adults. Topics will include the major DSM-5 diagnostic categories, as well as research and treatment. The course orientation is empirical, with an emphasis on recent research findings with this population.

Prerequisite:  A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level

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 

Antirequisites:  Psychology 2030A/B, 3310F/G, 3311

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.

2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor:                                                          Dr. Lindsay Bodell

       Office and Phone Number:                          Westminster Hall, room 324; 519-661-2111 (80486)

       Email:                                                         lbodell@uwo.ca

       Office Hours:                                               By appointment

      

      

Teaching Assistants:

Caroline Mantei

Daniel Machado

Lital Yosopov

Office:

WIRB

WH

SSC

Email:

cmantei@uwo.ca

dmachad2@uwo.ca

lyosopov@uwo.ca

Tutorial Room:

SH-3305

SSC-3026

UCC-59

 

      

 

TA Office Hours:                                                 To be arranged with your section’s TA

       Time and Location of Lectures:                     Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30, UCC-56

       Time and Location of Tutorials:

  • 002: Thursdays, 9:30-10:30am, SH-3305
  • 003: Thursdays, 10:30-11:30am, SH-3305
  • 004: Thursdays, 11:30am-12:30pm, SSC-3026
  • 005: Thursdays, 12:30-1:30pm, SSC-3026
  • 006: Fridays, 10:30-11:30am, UCC-59

007:      Fridays, 11:30am-12:30pm, UCC-59                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ 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. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Required: Dozois, D.J.A. (2019). Abnormal Psychology: Perspectives (6th Ed). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

The goal of this course is to familiarize you with current concepts and research on major psychological and mental disorders of adulthood, including issues of assessment, prevalence, course, major etiological theories, and treatment. Class meetings will consist of lectures that give a broad overview of the topic for that class and tutorials designed to provide the opportunity for greater in-depth discussion and exploration of specific topics.

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Course Activities

Assessment of Outcome

Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes relevant to abnormal psychology

Lecture, tutorials, and required textbook readings

Exams and papers

Identify concepts and current states of knowledge based on scientific research in psychology

Lecture, tutorials, and required textbook readings

Exams and papers

Recognize the general diagnostic features of some adult psychological disorders within the DSM-5

Lecture, tutorials, and required textbook readings

Exams and papers

Engage in critical scholarly discussion on psychological topics using evidence to support claims, and apply psychological principles to the understanding of everyday problems

Lectures and tutorials

Class discussions and papers

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Course grades are based on performance on two exams, each worth 35% of your grade, tutorial attendance/participation worth 10% of your grade, and two thought papers each worth 10% of your grade.

 

Exams: These consist of items in multiple choice format.  The final exam is not cumulative per se, but answering some questions correctly will require integration of conceptual material covered prior to the midterm. Exams represent 70% of your final mark.   

 

Tutorials: Your attendance at, and participation in, course tutorials will constitute 10% of your final mark. Your grade will reflect attendance at the tutorials, your thoughtful contributions to the discussion, and the extent to which you pay respectful attention to the TA and the group discussion during this time.  Your own contributions should show critical thinking and that you have read, and thought about, the assigned readings for both the lecture and tutorial that week.

 

Papers: You will have two papers that will make up 20% of your final mark (10% each paper). Papers are to be submitted prior to 5PM through OWL on the due dates noted below in the class schedule. NB: late assignments will be given a grade of zero.

 

Each paper will be a maximum of 2 pages in length (double spaced, 12-point font). For each of these assignments, you are to find a recent news article from a newspaper or news magazine (this can be from a newspaper’s website, but not a blog or other type of website; not a scholarly journal; not a health or science magazine such as Scientific American or Psychology Today) that directly relates to some aspect of Abnormal Psychology in adults that is covered in this course. For example, it could be a report of recently published research on the causes or treatment of a particular mental disorder that we are covering in the course, findings of a survey of public attitudes toward mental illness, an investigation of individuals living with a mental disorder in the community, etc. The article should have been published within the past 24 months.  An electronic copy (saved pdf file, web page, or scanned copy) of the article must be submitted with your assignment, containing the date and name of the newspaper. Your assignment is to critically discuss the significance of this news article with reference to a related section within a chapter of the textbook that we are covering in this course, which you should identify by page number.

 

Your assignment should contain: (1) a brief summary of the article; (2) brief summary of the relevant textbook chapter section; (3) critical discussion; (4) your personal reaction to the article. Your critical discussion should include such issues as: how the article confirms, complements, or contradicts something presented in the identified section of the text; how the article does (or does not) contribute to our understanding of some aspect of mental disorders; potential implications for mental health care; issues that should be investigated further; weaknesses of the article, such as scientific inaccuracy or bias. Your reaction to the article could include something that was surprising to you, something you learned, how it made you think differently about an issue, etc.

 

The assignment must be in 12-point font with student name and number at the top of the page, and submitted on OWL by the end of the day. Grades for these assignments will be based on the clarity and organization of your writing, the accuracy and depth of your understanding of the topic, and the demonstration of critical thinking skills. Marks will be taken from assignments longer than 2 pages. Each assignment will constitute10% of your final grade. A copy of the assignment marking scheme will be distributed in your tutorial session.

Concerns about grades can be reviewed with either a teaching assistant or the professor. Students wishing to have a grade reviewed must submit a written note outlining the specific concerns regarding the grade and justification for re-evaluation (e.g., specific place in textbook). Either a teaching assistant or the professor will then re-grade the assignment. It is possible that, on review, students may receive a lower grade than originally assigned.

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 Western's 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  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Exam or Assignment

Date

Weight

Paper #1

Thursday, October 17th, 2019

10%

Midterm exam

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

35%

Paper #2

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

10%

Final exam

TBD – Fall Semester Exam Session

35%

 

 

The details for the final exam were not available at the time of the printing of this syllabus. To avoid potential conflicts with the final exam for this course, students are strongly encouraged to refrain from making end-of-term travel plans that could potentially conflict with the final exam schedule. Check the UWO website for the final exam schedule as it becomes available. 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Date

Topic

Text Chapter

Sept. 10

Lecture: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

Chapter 1

Sept. 12

Tutorial 1: Classification and diagnosis; Overview of DSM-5

Chapter 3

Sept. 17

Lecture: Theoretical Models of Abnormal Behaviour

Chapter 2

Sept. 19

Tutorial 2: Behavioural and cognitive approaches

 

Sept. 24

Lecture: Psychological Assessment & Research Methods

Chapter 4

Sept. 26

Tutorial 3: Back from Madness

 

Oct. 1

Lecture: Anxiety Disorders

Chapter 5 (p. 95-110)

Oct. 3

Tutorial 4: Case study; exposure therapy for anxiety disorders

 

Oct. 8

Lecture: Mood Disorders I

Chapter 8

Oct. 10

Tutorial 5: Case study; CBT for depression

 

Oct. 15

Lecture: Mood Disorders II and Suicide

Chapter 8

Oct. 17

Tutorial 6: Treatment for bipolar disorder; First paper due

 

Oct. 22

Midterm Exam

Chapters 1-5; 8 Tutorials 1-6

Oct. 24

No tutorial

 

Oct. 29

Lecture: Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Chapter 9

Oct. 31

Tutorial 7: Case study; treatment of schizophrenia

 

Nov. 5

Fall Reading Week-No Class

 

Nov. 7

Fall Reading Week-No Tutorial

 

Nov. 12

Lecture: Eating Disorders

Chapter 10

Nov. 14

Tutorial 8: Case study; treatment for eating disorders

 

Nov. 19

Lecture: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

Chapter 11

Nov. 21

Tutorial 9: Controversies in addiction

 

Nov. 26

Lecture: Obsessive-Compulsive and Trauma-Related disorders

Chapter 5 (p. 110-126)

Nov. 28

Tutorial 10: Exposure and response prevention for OCD

 

Dec. 3

Lecture: Personality Disorders

Chapter 12

Dec. 5

Tutorial 11: Are personality disorders treatable?; Second paper due

 

Dec. 8-Dec. 19

Final Exam

To Be Scheduled December 8-19

Chapters 5, 9-12

Tutorials 7-11

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

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

This class may involve the use of a personal response system (PRS). Data collected using the PRS 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. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.



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://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf


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

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;

For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;

must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence



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
- 2019-2020 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, 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 lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.