Psychology 3301G-001 (Online for 2020-21)
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
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 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: Dr. Erin Ross, C.Psych.
Email: eross67@uwo.ca
Office Hours: offered remotely; office hours by appointment
Location: Class is online in a blended format, with all core components offered asynchronously. Optional synchronous elements are offered as detailed below (see section 7.1).
Time: Tuesdays – new asynchronous materials will be posted Monday evenings in order to be available Tuesday mornings. Weekly discussion forums will run from Tuesday morning to the following Monday night; optional synchronous elements will be offered Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm as detailed in the schedule below (see section 7.2).
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
Lee, C.M. & Hunsley, J. (2018). Introduction to Clinical Psychology: An Evidence-Based Approach (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
The textbook comes in both paperback and e-book versions. It can be ordered from the Western bookstore here: https://bookstore.uwo.ca/product/cebcodeid24878.
It can also be “rented” for less than $30 from the publisher (ebook only) for the term here: https://www.wiley.com/en-ca/Introduction+to+Clinical+Psychology%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781119403067
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will provide an overview of the field of clinical psychology covering:1) Definitions and history of clinical psychology
2) Clinical psychology research methods
3) Psychopathology and abnormal behaviour
4) Clinical assessment, including clinical diagnosis and the assessment of intelligence, personality and behaviour
5) Intervention methods used by clinical psychologists
6) A review of subspecialties within clinical psychology including neuropsychology, forensics, paediatric and child psychology
7) Professional issues and training in clinical psychology.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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Learning Outcome |
Learning Activities |
How Assessed |
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1. Depth & Breadth of Knowledge |
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1.1 Articulate key concepts, principles, and themes in clinical psychology.
1.2 Understand and describe identified areas of debate and current states of knowledge in clinical psychology. |
Readings Online lectures Online discussions Written assignment
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Contribution to online discussion Midterm and final exams Written assignment |
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2. Knowledge and Application of |
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2.1 Identify and access appropriate research in psychology.
2.2 Interpret, critically evaluate, and synthesize research findings and articles relevant to clinical psychology in academic articles and scholarly publications. |
Readings Online Discussion Independent researching of journal articles for written assignment |
Contribution to online discussion Written assignment |
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3. Application of Knowledge |
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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 Critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas/ scholarly material. |
Reading Online lectures
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Contribution to online discussion Midterm and final exams Written assignment
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4. Communication Skills |
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4.1 Using written communication to clearly articulate ideas and argue opinions within a scholarly framework.
4.2. Present evidence, express opinions, and articulate logical arguments using the discourse of the sub-discipline of clinical psychology.
4.3 Present and critically discuss scientific findings and their implications. |
Online discussions Written assignment
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Contribution to online discussions Written assignment |
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5. Awareness of Limits of Knowledge |
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5.1 Recognize the limits of one’s own knowledge and knowledge in the clinical psychology and how this might influence the analysis and interpretations of broader issues
5.2 Identify and discuss research issues in need of further investigation.
5.3 Discuss and critically evaluate a current issue in clinical psychology using scholarly sources. |
Online lectures Online discussion Written assignment |
Written assignment Online discussions |
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6. Autonomy and Professional Capacity |
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6.1 Demonstrate initiative, personal responsibility and accountability in all course work.
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Online discussion Written assignment |
Contribution to online discussion Written assignment |
5.0 EVALUATION
5.1) ESSAY
The essay is worth 30% of your final grade. See the end pages of the syllabus (section 13.0) for further information. It is due on March 16, 2021.
Essays submitted late will lose 1 mark (out of 30) per day; after one week, essays will not be submitted without support from Student Accommodation Services or through arrangement with me (i.e., using a self-reported absence and then talking to me about an extension). A reminder that self-reported absences only provide an additional 48 hours past the due date unless you have specifically arranged with me for a longer extension.
5.2) EXAMS
The format of the mid-term and final exams will be the same. A combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and short answer questions will be used. Midterm exam will be 2 hours in length; Final exam is 2.5 hours in length. ANY material from the readings or lectures may be selected for the exams. Any additional readings or videos that may be included on the exam will be specifically marked as REQUIRED on the OWL lessons pages.
Exams will be open-book and delivered online via Qualtrics. They will not be proctored. If you miss the mid-term exam, a make-up test will be available, though it may differ in format. If you cannot make the make-up test, the points from the mid-term will be added to the final exam, making the final exam worth 55%. If you miss the mid-term and/or the make-up mid-term, you must be in contact with me to confirm accommodations.
5.2.A) Mid-term Exam (20%)
This exam will cover all material from the textbook (chapters 1-8) and class lectures prior to the mid-term. It will take place on February 23, 2021.
5.2.B) Final Exam (35%)
This exam will be a cumulative examination of all material from the class lectures and assigned readings. It will be weighted towards the second half of class (chapters 9 & 11-15), with approximately 65% of material coming from material covered after the mid-term. It will take place during the Final Exam period, April 2021.
5.3) PARTICIPATION
Weekly participation in online discussions will be expected throughout the course. Specifically, there are 8 weeks where discussion is required and 4 weeks where it is not. This participation will be worth 15% of your mark. Each student is expected to contribute a minimum of two comments per week to the discussion. Instructors will post questions at the start of the week (Tuesday). You must post at least once during the first half of the week (due by Friday at 11pm) and again during the second half of the week (due by Monday at 11pm). Comments submitted after the cut-off will not be counted. You cannot go back to make-up missed weeks.
In order to foster academic discussion, the emphasis is on the quality of contributions – the expectation is that comments will be thoughtful, with ideas drawn from lectures and readings as well as the comments of fellow students. Contributions could include questions or points of interest arising from lecture or readings, responses to the comments of others or additional questions their ideas raised, or questions about the application of concepts in clinical settings. The hope is that students will engage with ideas and each other to promote discussion rather than a series of disconnected comments.
As participation is a key element in this course, it is important that we foster and maintain an atmosphere of respect and civility. All class members have a role in creating this atmosphere by responding to comments with interest, and allowing all students to participate. When a student’s behaviour is not consistent with the above, one of the instructors will contact the student privately. If a student’s behaviour continues to be disrespectful, s/he will be removed from the discussion.
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.
Final grades in this class reflect student achievement. Per Department policy, grades that are close to the next grade level (e.g., 79%, 89%) will not be rounded up.
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
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Assignment Schedule |
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Assignment |
Deadline |
Grade (%) |
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Participation |
Weekly (see schedule for exempt weeks) |
15% |
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Mid-term exam |
Feb 23, 2021 |
20% |
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Essay |
March 16, 2021 |
30% |
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Final exam |
TBA |
35% |
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
7.1) Class content
Even though all content is online, the official “class day” for this course is Tuesday. This means that each week, lectures and related materials will be posted to OWL on Monday evening with classes set to start on Tuesday. This means discussions in the forms start every week on a Tuesday and end the following Monday.
On 8 weeks of class, there will be discussions to participate in. The discussions will be clearly identified on each week’s OWL page. There will be NO discussion on weeks 1, 6, 8, and 12 (as listed below).
There are 4 optional Zoom meetings you can participate in if you wish. These are completely optional and do not count towards your participation mark. They will provide information on graduate school and careers in different settings for those who are interested in knowing more about some of the practical aspects of a career in clinical psychology. Following a mini-lecture (approx. 30 min) on the topic of focus, there will be a time for open question & answer around anything course related. You are welcome to join 30 minutes in if you just want to participate in the Q&A. These are offered on weeks 2, 4, 7 & 8. See schedule below for specific topics. These meetings will be held Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm.
7.2) Class schedule
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Session/Date |
Topic |
Chapters |
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1 – January 12
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Course Orientation History of Clinical Psychology No discussion in forums for this week.
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1
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2 – January 19 |
Contemporary Clinical Psychology Research Methods in Clinical Psychology Optional Zoom Meeting: Applying to Grad School & Grad School Life
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2 4 |
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3 – January 26 |
Classification and Diagnosis Assessment: Overview |
3 5 |
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4 – February 2
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Assessment: Interview and Observation Assessment: Intellectual and Cognitive Measures Optional Zoom Meeting: Working for Organizations (Hospitals, School, Govt, etc)
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6 7
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5 – Feb 9 |
Assessment: Self-Report and Projectives |
8
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February 16 |
READING WEEK |
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6 – February 23 |
MID-TERM EXAM No discussion in forums this week |
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7 – March 2 |
Assessment: Integration and Decision-Making Optional Zoom Meeting: Working in Academia |
9 |
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8 – March 9 |
Intervention: Overview Optional Zoom Meeting: Working in Private Practice No discussion in forums this week LAST DAY TO HAVE ESSAY TOPICS APPROVED
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11 |
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9 – March 16 |
Intervention: Adults and Couples A Closer Look at CBT ESSAYS DUE |
12 |
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10 – March 23 |
Intervention: Children and Adolescents A Closer Look at Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
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13
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11 – March 30 |
Intervention: Elements of Change A Closer Look at Emotion Focused Therapy
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14
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12 – April 6 |
Clinical Health Psych, Neuropsych, and Forensic Psych No discussion in forums this week |
15 |
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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 will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that 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 offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
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
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:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- 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 must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It 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 hoursafter 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 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
12.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: 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
- 2020-2021 Calendar References
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.
13.0 Essay Assignment - Essays are due March 16, 2021
For this assignment, you are to write a paper of 2500-3000 words, which is approximately 10-12 pages (typed, double spaced). The paper should follow the APA style (e.g., format of citations and references). It should include a title page but does not include an abstract. Late papers will be penalized by deduction of one point (out of 30) per day. Papers that are more than 2 weeks late will not be accepted unless student has been accommodated or used a self-reported absence. Note that the use of a self-reported absence must include being in touch with me to arrange a new due date.
Your assignment is to choose a particular 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. 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 particular issue that you choose. Be careful not to choose a topic that is either too broad or too narrow.
If you do not select a topic from the selections below, please get approval for your essay topic from me. Approval must be received by March 9 at the latest.
Your essay should include references to at least 10 empirical journal articles or book chapters. Referencing websites is rarely advisable. Many psychology journals can be accessed online through Western Libraries, and your course textbook has a list of major journals relevant to clinical psychology that you may find useful.
Format your references and citations according to APA style (6th ed): these guidelines are available online through Western Libraries under “Publication manual of the American Psychological Association.” The overall format of your paper should follow the APA style guidelines, but you do not need to include an abstract.
The paper should follow an essay format, which means it should contain an introduction with a thesis statement, a main body detailing the research and references to support the statement, and a summarizing conclusion. Your paper can be a maximum of 3000 words/12 pages long (1-inch margins, double spaced, 12-point font).
A good paper demonstrates evidence of critical thinking and discussion. Therefore, a good paper is not only a summary of the findings and opinions of others. Critical thinking involves comparison and contrast of related points from different sources, or discussion of the strengths and weakness of arguments, evidence, and theory.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT EVALUATION CRITERIA. Papers will be graded based on:
- Accuracy and clear understanding of the research and relevant surrounding issues,
- Critical evaluation and discussion of the empirical research,
- Organization and logic in the presentation of points and discussion
- Quality and relevance of references selected for the paper
- Overall quality and sophistication of ideas
- Overall writing style
Possible Essay Topics
(you are welcome to choose a topic from outside this list but you must have your topic approved by me – deadline for topic approval is March 9)
- Ethical challenges in clinical psychology
- What makes psychotherapy effective?
- Emerging roles for clinical psychologists
- Should clinical psychologists seek prescription privileges?
- How does our increasing understanding of neuropsychology influence therapeutic intervention?
- Technology and therapy – online therapy, teletherapy etc.
- Publication-bias/positive results bias in psychology and its effect on the theory and/or practice of psychology
- Participatory research/activist research and its role in the field of psychology
- Challenges in accessing psychological help in Canada
- Is there a role for projective measures in contemporary assessment?
- The impact of client-report progress monitoring and outcome measures in therapy
- Looking at the efficacy of a given treatment for a particular disorder, population, etc
- Comparing the efficacy of two or more treatments for a particular disorder, population, etc.
