Psychology 341 - Abnormal Psychology Course Syllabus

 

Instructor:  Dr. Joanne Hoven Stohs                              SAMPLE

Office:  H810D   Phone:  278-3105                              T&R SAMPLE

Office Hours:  X&R 0:oo                                  EMAIL:  jstohs@fullerton.edu

 

Required Texts (please buy at Little Professor): 

·        Comer, R. J. (2005).  Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (4th Ed).  NY: Freeman.

 

·        Mandatory Course Packet:  Notes and Exercises for Psychology 341, Dr. Stohs (both can be obtained at the Little Professor Bookstore).

 

Prerequisites:  You MUST have successfully completed Psychology 101 - Introduction to Psychology in order to have a background for the basic theories, concepts and language used in Abnormal Psychology.

 

General Education Requirements.  Psych 341 adheres to the G.E. goal identified in section III. Disciplinary Learning, C. Social Sciences and 2. Implications, Explorations and Participatory Experience in the Social Sciences of the university catalogue.  I will assist you in drawing upon psychological material learned previously in Psychology 101 but we will integrate theories about healthy functioning with applications to specific psychological problems.  We utilize what you learned about therapy in Psych 101 by examining how specific techniques are applied to the major psychological disorders.  This course will extend your knowledge about various theories and expand your thinking about the particular skills needed to become a counselor or clinician.  We draw upon cross-disciplinary perspectives from psychology, sociology and criminal justice when we consider the criteria for assessing abnormality (deviance) as well as various personality disorders and sociocultural treatments.  Social science techniques are necessary for evaluating studies of various treatment schemas such as the psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive therapies.  The relationship between social science and social problems is made explicit throughout the course especially when discussing the problem of psychiatric labels and the incidence as well as higher prevalence of psychotic and anxiety disorders among members of the least advantaged social classes.  The link between biopsychology and social problems is explored when we consider the effect that psychotropic medications has had on the movement to deinstitutionalize those who are seriously disturbed. 

 

Learning Outcomes:  Our goal is to understand the most important psychological disorders that are currently validated by clinicians and academics through the DSM-IV.  We will cover a wide array of problems that appear to have their roots in socialization or in the brain and attempt to understand how clinicians detect, assess, and treat abnormal patterns of behavior and thought.  This class covers basic symptoms and treatments and requires a good deal of memorization and integration.


 

Exams:  There will be FOUR exams given during this semester as well as a cumulative, mandatory FINAL.  Exams will occur approximately once every three weeks and will cover the material immediately preceding it. NO make-up exams will be given. Your ONE lowest exam grade during the semester can be dropped. This means that ONE missed exam (for whatever reason) may count as your lowest grade--NOT including the FINAL.  Failure to complete all course requirements results in a failing grade.  Exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answers or essays. Please bring an F289 Scantron form (which you can purchase at the bookstore) to each exam. Answer only the multiple choice questions on the form.  Short answers and essays can be completed on the exam itself (along with your name).  Answer all MCQs with a #2 lead pencil.  The semester exams are NOT cumulative.  The FINAL exam must be taken by ALL students and covers material from throughout the semester.  The date and time of our final is listed on the reverse side of this sheet.  Everyone must take the exam at the time and date indicated.  Do not schedule work during this time nor plan trips until after exams are completed.  It is not fair to other students or to myself to ask for special exemptions unless extreme circumstances prevail.  There are no extra credit options available in this course.

 

Attendance:  It is important that you participate in the class exercises and discussions and you will need your course packet to do so.  Learning is a collaborative process to which we all contribute.  Your ideas, questions, examples and our review exercises will help extend your personal knowledge base as well as expand the thinking of all class members.  We need your input!  Exams will cover material from the text, review sessions, and lectures.  If you miss a class, please obtain notes and other materials from your classmates.   Regular attendance, participation, and appropriate classroom behavior will benefit you through a point system.

That is, class exercises (found in our course packet) will be collected intermittently throughout the semester.  You will receive participation points for completing the exercises.

 

Grading Scale:  My scale is based on the standard percentile cut-off for an A-F system.  That is: A= 100-90, B= 89-80, C=79-70, D=69-60 and F is any average that is less than 60 points.  Exams may be curved.

 

Academic dishonesty:  Please be cognizant of the university policy on cheating or plagiarizing in the CSUF catalog.  In essence, anyone who cheats or plagiarizes by taking another’s work as their own will put themselves at risk of earning a failing grade in the course and may have a letter placed into their permanent file about their dishonest behavior.


 

READING AND EXAM SAMPLE:

 

WEEK OF:                 TOPIC & ACTIVITY:

                                    Readings in Comer's text

Aug. 24                        Chapter 1 - Abnormal Psych Past and Present

Aug. 31                        Chapter 3 - Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Sep., 07, T                  Review for Exam 1.

Sep. 09                        Exam 1 (Sept., 09)

Sep. 14                        Chapter 4 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Panic & Phobias

Sep. 21                        Chapter 5 - Stress Disorders

Sep. 28                        Chapter 7 - Mood Disorders

Oct. 05                                    Complete Chapters and review exercises; Exam 2 (Oct. 07)

Oct. 12                                    Chapter 6 – Somatoforms and Dissociations

Oct. 19                                    Chapter 9 - Eating Disorders

Oct. 26                                    Chapter 15 - Disorders of Aging & Cognition

Nov. 02                       Complete Chapters and review exercises; Exam 3 (Nov. 04)

Nov. 09                       Chapter 12 - Schizophrenia

Nov. 16                       Chapter 13 - Personality Disorders

Nov. 23                       Fall Break.  No class meetings

Nov. 30                       Complete Chapters and review exercises; Exam 4 (Dec. 02)

Dec. 07                        Chapter 2 - Theories of Abnormality & Review

Mandatory Final        FINAL EXAM, WEEK OF FINALS, 7:00-8:50am

                                   

                                   

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING THE COURSE!! HAVE A GREAT BREAK.