Psychology 3301F-001

Clinical 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 course offers a survey of major topics in clinical psychology, including assessment and intervention approaches; experimental psychopathology; ethical, professional and theoretical issues; and emerging trends. 

Prerequisite(s): Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, and one of Psychology 2310A/B or Psychology 2320A/B

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.

Antirequisite: Psychology 2301A/B 

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.

3 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Joanna Sinos, MSc

Office: Social Science Centre (SSC) Room 7440

Office Hours: Email me and we can schedule a time to meet or connect on OWL collaborate

Email: jsinos2@uwo.ca   Phone Number: 519-661-2111 Ext. 88006 

 

Teaching Assistant: Chad Buckland          

Office: Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, 4th floor                     

Office Hours: Monday 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm          

Email: cbucklan@uwo.ca                                             

 

Time and Location of Classes: Tuesdays 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, Social Science Centre, room 3024.                                          

 

Email Policy: I check email regularly and will respond to emails within 24 hours during weekdays. Please include the course code (PSYCH 3301F) in all email subject lines. If for some reason I cannot address your email within this 24-hour timeline or am unavailable for longer than a 24-hour window, I will notify the class via the OWL website announcements feature.

Appointments: If you are interested in scheduling an individual meeting with me at any point during the term, please contact me via email to arrange it. I am only available on campus on select days of the week but will do my best to accommodate your schedule and availability.

 

Course Website: The course website will be found on your OWL page http://owl.uwo.ca/portal                                                                                

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

Hunsley, J. and Lee, C.M.  (2017) Introduction to Clinical Psychology, (4th Canadian Edition): An Evidence-Based Approach (4th Canadian Ed.). Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.  eBook or print.*Required

The textbook is required and is an essential part of the course content. Weekly chapter summary notes will be provided via the OWL website; however, these notes are intended as a guideline only and are not a substitute for the textbook. Context exclusively in the textbook will be evaluated. 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will provide an overview of the field of clinical psychology covering:

 

Definitions and history of clinical psychology

Clinical psychology research methods

Psychopathology and abnormal behaviour

Clinical assessment including clinical diagnosis and the assessment of intelligence, personality and behaviour

Intervention methods used by clinical psychologists

A review of subspecialties within clinical psychology including neuropsychology, forensics, paediatric and child psychology

Professional issues and training in clinical psychology

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

By the end of this course, students should have:

Learning Outcome

 

Learning Activities

 

Assessment

1. Depth & Breadth of Knowledge

 

1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in clinical psychology.

 

1.2 Articulate the concepts and current states of knowledge in clinical psychology.

Readings

 

Lectures

 

Discussions

 

Written assignment

Contribution to Discussions

 

Midterm and Final Exam

 

Written assignment

2. Knowledge and Application of Methodologies

 

2.1 Access, interpret, and critically evaluate appropriate research in psychology.

 

2.2 Identify and critically discuss implications of information relevant to clinical psychology in academic articles and scholarly publications.

 

Reading

 

Discussion

 

Independent researching of journal articles for written assignment

Contribution to discussion

 

Written assignment

 

3. Application of Knowledge

 

 

 

3.1 Use evidence to support claims in written work.

 

3.2 Engage in critical scholarly discussions and debate on clinical psychology topics and utilize course material to critically assess a controversial issue in clinical psychology.

 

3.3 Generate a creative/ novel solution to real life/ scholarly issues.

 

3.4 Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas/ scholarly material.

 

Reading

 

Lectures

 

Contribution to discussion

 

Midterm and final exams

 

Written assignment

 

4. Communication Skills

 

 

4.1 Communicate in writing accurately, clearly and logically, using the discourse of the sub-discipline of clinical psychology.

 

4.2 Present and critically discuss scientific findings and their implications.

 

Discussions

 

Assignment

 

Contribution to discussions

 

Written assignment

 

5. Autonomy and Professional Capacity

 

 

5.1 Demonstrate initiative, personal responsibility and accountability in all course work.

 

5.2 Utilize instructor- feedback to improve written material.

 

Written assignment

Written assignment

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Attendance & Participation = 5%

Midterm = 25%

Essay = 25%

Final Exam = 45%

 

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component 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. 

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

Assignments

Deadline

Grade

Participation

During Lecture time

5%

Midterm exam

October 8th, 2019

25%

Essay

December 3rd, 2019

25%

Final Exam

As scheduled during final exam period Dec 8-19

45%

6.1) ESSAY

The essay is worth 25% of your final grade.  See page 9 for further explanation. It is due on the date of the last class (December 3rd, 2019).

 

6.2) EXAMS

The format of the mid-term and final exams will be the same. A combination of fill in the blank, and short answer questions will be used. Midterm exam will be 2 hours in length; Final exam is three hours in length.  ANY material from the readings or lectures may be selected for the exams. No "aids" are allowed in exams.

 

6.2.A) Mid-term Exam (25%)

This exam will cover all material from the textbook, class lectures, and tutorial presentations prior to the mid-term. It will take place during normal class time, on October 8, 2019.

 

6.2.B) Final Exam (45%)

This exam will cover all material from the textbook, class lectures, and tutorial presentations subsequent to the midterm.  It will take place during the Final Exam period, December 8-19, 2019.

 

Exam Schedule

Exam

 

Date

Time & Location

Midterm Exam

 

October 8, 2019

In Class

Final Exam

 

December Final Exam period

TBD: December 8-19, 2019

 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Week

Date

Topics

1

Sept 10

Course Overview, Organization & Greetings


History and Overview of Clinical Psychology

 

2

Sept 17

Classification and Diagnosis

 

Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

 

3

Sept 24

Assessment: Overview

 

Assessment: Interviewing and Observation

 

4

Oct 1

Assessment: Intellectual and Cognitive Measures 

 

Assessment: Self-Report and Projective Measures 

 

5

Oct 8

MIDTERM EXAM

 

(Essay Thesis Statements Due)

 

6

Oct 15

Assessment: Integration and Clinical Decision-Making

 

7

Oct 22

Prevention

 

8

Oct 29

Intervention: Overview

 

9

Nov 5

READING WEEK

 

10

Nov 12

Intervention: Adults and Couples

 

11

Nov 19

Intervention: Children and Adolescents

 

12

Nov 26

Intervention: Identifying Key Elements of Change

 

 

13

Dec 3

Clinical Health Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, and Forensic Psychology

 

(ESSAY DUE)

 

 

December 8-19

FINAL EXAM

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://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.

 

Essay Assignment 

For this assignment, you are to write a paper of 2500-3000 words, which is approximately 10 pages (typed, double spaced). The paper should follow the APA style (e.g., format of citations and references), but does not include an abstract. Late papers will be penalized by deduction of one point (out of 25) per day.

 

 Your assignment is to choose a topic in clinical psychology and write a review of recent research findings and theoretical developments relating to that topic. Some suggested topics are listed below. If you wish to choose a topic that is not in the list, you are free to do so, but regardless of what essay topic you choose to pursue, you are required to have it approved by the T.A. before you begin. You will also be required to have a thesis statement approved by the T.A. (The deadline for this approval is October 8th, 2019).  Your topic should relate to some aspect of the discipline of Clinical Psychology.  Note that the amount of existing research varies widely with domain of interest, so the breadth or specificity of your topic will depend on the issue that you choose. Be careful not to choose a topic that is either too broad or too narrow.

 

Your essay should include references to at least 10 empirical journal articles or book chapters.  Referencing websites is rarely advisable.  If possible, include some review articles as well as some articles presenting original empirical studies. The mark will be based on such factors as the comprehensiveness of the review, level of understanding of the issues, critical evaluation of empirical research, accuracy of the information, innovativeness of thinking, clarity of presentation, and overall writing style