Psychology 3301F 001 FW24
Clinical Psychology
Western University
London Canada
Department of Psychology
Fall 2024
Psychology 3301F Section 001
Clinical Psychology
1 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.
https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html
Antirequisites: Psychology 2301A/B
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, and one of Psychology 2310A/B or Psychology 2320A/B.
Three (3) lecture hours; 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: Sheldon Hill
Office & Phone: see Brightspace
Office Hours: Virtual office hours by appointment
Email: shill63@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Office: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Email: TBA
Time and Location of Classes: See Student Centre for Timetable
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
Hunsley, J. & Lee, C. M. (2017). Introduction to Clinical psychology: An evidence-based approach (4th Ed.). Etobicoke, ON: Wiley.
The textbook or e-book version are available at The Bookstore here.
4 Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand the profession of clinical psychology, and explain how it differs from other related fields.
- Understand the professional and practical considerations of the role of a clinical psychologist.
- Understand the foundations of engaging in research in the clinical psychology field.
- Understand the purpose of assessment and diagnosis for psychological disorders. Remember and understand a variety of assessment measures, and evaluate when a measure should be used.
- Understand the various interventions that are employed in clinical psychology, and apply this knowledge to various psychology disorders and concerns.
- Apply their understanding of assessment, diagnosis and prevention to a case study, cohering their knowledge.
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.
|
Lectures Readings Self-directed research |
Essays Participation Final exam |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies.
|
Lectures Readings
|
Participation Essays Final exam |
|
Application of Knowledge.
|
Lectures Readings Self-directed research |
Essays Participation Final exam |
|
Communication Skills.
|
Lectures Readings |
Essays Participation Final exam |
|
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.
|
Lectures Readings |
Essays Participation Final exam |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity.
|
Lectures Readings Self-directed research |
Essays Participation Final exam |
5 Evaluation
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.
- Participation will be evaluated by verbal participation during class and attending class. This component is worth 10% of the final course grade. Participation will be graded on your best marks from 9 classes with the following grading scheme:
- 0 marks: absent from class.
- 1 mark: attended class.
- 2 marks: attended class and made a substantive contribution to at least one discussion during class.
- Case study essay #1 is a fictional therapy case file that you will be provided with prior to an in-class assessment session. We will have a guest who will be acting as the “client” who is undergoing a psychological assessment, and you will be provided some information about them before the class. The information that you gain from the in-person session will be written in an essay of 750 words and is due on October 25, 2024 at 11:59pm. This component is worth 20% of your final grade. Please see the assignment instructions document in BrightSpace for further instruction.
- Case study essay #2 is a fictional therapy case file that will be provided to you early in the term. Based on this case study, you will interpret the concerns, suggest an assessment plan, propose a diagnosis, and research treatment and interventions applicable to the case. This written component will be minimum of 2000 words and must be submitted by December 6, 2024 at 11:59pm. This component is worth 35%. Please see the assignment instructions document in BrightSpace for further instruction.
- The final exam is weighted at 35% and will be scheduled by the Registrar’s Office. This exam covers all material from all lectures, including the assigned readings. The final exam is multiple choice, short answer and long answer.
Policy on Missing Coursework
University policy on academic considerations are described here. This policy requires that all requests for academic considerations must be accompanied by a self-attestation. Further information about academic considerations, and information about submitting this self-attestation with your academic consideration request may be found here.
Please note that any academic considerations granted in this course will be determined by the instructor, in consultation with the academic advisors in your Faculty of Registration, in accordance with information presented in this course outline.
- For missed participation, no academic consideration based on self-attestation will be given. The flexibility in taking the best 9 participation marks is the consideration.
- For case study essay #1, the student’s essay grade will be reduced by 2% for each day that the paper is not submitted past the deadline.
- If you are not able to attend the class with the in-person assessment, you must work with your Academic Counsellor and provide documentation to them in order to receive the information from the missed class to complete the essay.
- For case study essay #2, the student’s essay grade will be reduced by 2% for each day that the paper is not submitted past the deadline.
- Please note that this assessment is considered to be central to the learning objectives for this course. Accordingly, students seeking academic consideration for this assessment will be required to provide formal supporting documentation. Students who are granted academic consideration for this assessment will be provided with the following opportunity to make up this work: a later submission date for the essay, or, based on the student’s circumstance, a reweighting of course components.
- For a missed final exam, students must work with their Academic Counsellor to find a suitable rewrite date at their earliest convenience. A rewrite date will be set based on the needs of students who missed the original date.
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.
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
|
Assessment |
Date/Deadline |
|
Case Study Essay #1 |
October 25/24 at 11:59pm |
|
Case Study Essay #2 |
December 6/24 at 11:59pm |
|
Participation |
Ongoing |
|
Final exam |
To be scheduled by Registrar |
7 Class Schedule
|
Lecture Dates |
Topics |
Assignments and Readings |
|
September 10 |
Introduction
|
Chapter 1: The Evolution of Clinical Psychology Chapter 2: Contemporary Clinical Psychology |
|
September 17 |
Diagnosis Assessment I |
Chapter 3: Classification and Diagnosis Chapter 5: Assessment Overview |
|
September 24 |
Assessment II |
Chapter 6: Interviewing and Observation Chapter 7: Intellectual and Cognitive Measures |
|
October 1 |
Assessment III |
Chapter 8: Self-report and Projective Measures Chapter 9: Integration and Clinical Decision-Making |
|
October 8 |
Assessment Essay |
Guest assessment practical |
|
October 15 |
Reading Week! |
|
|
October 22 |
Research Methods Prevention |
Chapter 4: Research Methods in Clinical Psychology Chapter 10: Prevention Essay Due: October 25/24 @ 11:59pm |
|
October 29 |
Intervention I |
Chapter 11: Intervention Overview |
|
November 5 |
Intervention II |
Chapter 12: Adults and Couples |
|
November 12 |
Intervention III |
Chapter 13: Children and Adolescents |
|
November 19 |
Intervention IV |
Chapter 14: Identifying Key Elements of Change |
|
November 26 |
Intervention V |
|
|
December 3 |
Special Topics Exam Review
|
Chapter 15: Clinical Health Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, and Forensic Psychology Essay Due: December 6/24 @ 11:59pm |
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
Laptops are permitted in classes, but are expected to be used for the purposes of engaging in the class with minimal distraction to students around you. Lectures must not be recorded without permission from the instructor.
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.
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.
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 from Course Commitments
Students must familiarize themselves with the Policy on Academic Consideration – Undergraduate Students in First Entry Programs.
Students missing course work for medical, compassionate or extenuating circumstances can request academic consideration by completing a request at the central academic consideration portal. Students are permitted one academic consideration request per course per term without supporting documentation. Note that supporting documentation is always required for academic consideration requests for examinations scheduled by the office of the registrar (e.g. December and April exams) and for practical laboratory and performance tests typically schedule during the last week of the term. Students should also note that the instructor may designate one assessment per course per term that requires supporting documentation. This designated assessment is described elsewhere in this document. Please note that any academic considerations granted in this course will be determined by the instructor of this course, in consultation with the academic advisors in your Faculty of Registration, in accordance with information presented in this course outline. Supporting documentation for academic considerations for absences due to illness should use the Student Medical Certificate or, where that is not possible, equivalent documentation by a health care practitioner.
Course Assessments that Require Supporting Documentation
Instructors are permitted to designate one assessment per course per term as requiring supporting documentation to receive academic consideration. For this course the following assessment has been designated as requiring supporting documentation:
Case Study Essay #2, due December 6, 2024 at 11:59pm.
Accommodation for Religious Holidays
Students should review the policy for Accommodation for Religious Holidays. Where a student will be unable to write examinations and term tests due to a conflicting religious holiday, they should inform their instructors as soon as possible but not later than two weeks prior to writing the examination/term test. In the case of conflict with a midterm test, students should inform their instructor as soon as possible but not later than one week prior to the midterm.
Special Examinations
A Special Examination is any examination other than the regular examination, and it may be offered only with the permission of the Dean of the Faculty in which the student is registered, in consultation with the instructor and Department Chair. Permission to write a Special Examination may be given on the basis of compassionate or medical grounds with appropriate supporting documents. To provide an opportunity for students to recover from the circumstances resulting in a Special Examination, the University has implemented Special Examinations dates. These dates as well as other important information about examinations and academic standing can be found here.
11 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: 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.
12 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
