Attention! This is a representative syllabus. The syllabus for the course when you enroll may be different. Use the syllabus provided by your instructor for the most up-to-date information. Please refer to your instructor for more information for the specific requirements for a given semester. Feel free to contact the Psychology Advising Office for any questions regarding psychology courses either by email (psychadvising@osu.edu) or phone (614.292.5750). Thank you!
Psyc 3331H Honors Abnormal Psychology: Syllabus and Course Schedule Course Web Site: Posted through Carmen, go to https://carmen.osu.edu/ Required Text: Abnormal Psychology 17th edition by Jill M. Hooley, James N. Butcher, Matthew K. Nock, & Susan Mineka. Boston: Pearson. (The text cover is pictured to the right.) ISBN-10: 0133852059 ISBN-13: 9780133852059 Additional Readings: Additional readings from outside the text will be made available through the Carmen course web site. Welcome to Abnormal Psychology. Abnormal Psychology entails the scientific study of aberrant thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We will begin this course by considering ways of defining, conceptualizing, assessing, and treating, abnormality. Then, we will study a variety of mental disorders in some detail (see the course schedule for a list of topics). Throughout the course, I hope to convey some of what motivates my enthusiasm for abnormal psychology: that with good thinking and empirical tests, we can improve our understanding of psychopathology and develop increasingly effective interventions. Attendance: Although not directly considered in determining grades, class attendance is critically important to performing well in this class. Some material will be presented in class only. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to regularly attend class. Paper: You are required to write a 10 to 15 page paper (using 12 point font, double-spaced, 1 inch margins; not including references). The due date is listed in the course schedule. If a paper is late by 24 hours or less, students will lose 10 points for it being late. Papers more than 24 hours late will not be accepted. Only in the case of serious, documented, unforeseeable emergency, will an exception be made to this policy. More information about the paper assignment will be provided in class. The paper should be submitted using the drop-box feature of the course website no later than 11:59pm on the due date. It is your responsibility to ensure that assignments posted are successfully placed in the drop-box. You should receive a confirmation from the system that your paper has been successfully posted and you should also be able to see that your paper is indeed in the drop-box. Papers posted on the course website must be successfully posted by the 11:59pm on the due date (time received will be determined by the time stamp on the Carmen system and is not open to dispute). If Carmen malfunctions or you encounter unforeseen problems, you may e-mail me your assignment instead. Page 1 of 5
Exams: There will be four exams, including the final. You must take all of the exams. Each exam will cover assigned readings and lecture material delivered before that exam. While none of the exams are specifically designed to be cumulative, some material assessed in later exams may build on previous material. See the course schedule for exam dates. Please notify me immediately if you anticipate any problems or require special accommodations in taking the exams (also see the section on students with disabilities below). In addition, please notify me as soon as possible if you anticipate any problems in taking the exams at the scheduled times. Details about the exams: Items on the exams will typically be a mix of formats, including multiple choice and short essay. More information will be provided in class before the first exam. Policy on missing exams: If you may miss an exam, you must get approval and arrange an alternate time to take the exam in advance. Prior approval will only be granted in cases of unavoidable (i.e., non-optional) conflicting events. Approval not sought in advance will only be granted in the case of a documented emergency. Be prepared to provide substantiation of the reason for your absence. For example, if you're sick, be sure to get a note from your doctor. Such a note should be on a form made for the purpose or on letterhead. Makeup exams will only be given in cases of documented emergency or when prior approval has been given. Feel free to see me: If at any point you are experiencing difficulty in this course, please see me. In fact, even if you are not having difficulty, feel free to see me. I enjoy talking with students and would be happy to speak with you about the course material or other topics in the field of clinical psychology more generally. You can visit during office hours or contact me to schedule an appointment. To schedule an appointment, please e-mail me a list of times you are free over a period of about 4 days. If you realize you may be struggling in the class, I strongly encourage you to come see me as soon as possible. Student feedback about the course I am always interested in finding ways to improve my courses. I hope you will feel free to share your reactions to the course with me. Of course, at the end of the semester you will be asked to complete a formal course evaluation, but I hope you will also tell me directly what you like and don t like about the course, how you think the course content or structure could be improved, or how you think I might improve my teaching. Feel free to stop by and see me, drop me an e-mail message, or, if you would prefer to remain anonymous, drop a note in my mailbox in Room 129 of the Psychology Building. Students with disabilities The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Student Life Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292- 3307; slds.osu.edu; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue. Page 2 of 5
Statement on Academic Misconduct It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term academic misconduct includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct http://studentlife.osu.edu/pdfs/csc_12-31-07.pdf. Statement on Sexual Misconduct / Relationship Violence Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories (e.g., race). If you or someone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted, you may find the appropriate resources at http://titleix.osu.edu or by contacting the Ohio State Title IX Coordinator, Kellie Brennan, at titleix@osu.edu Disputing Grades: Occasionally, a student may believe that a grade is flawed. If you would like to dispute a grade, I ask that you submit a written request for a grade change. You may e-mail such requests to strunk.20@osu.edu. Any written requests for grade changes should include detailed information including how you believe the grading was in error and any supporting information. Final Course Grades: Students can earn up to 500 points throughout the course. There are four exams, each worth 100 points. The paper is worth 100 points. The percentage of points earned will be used to assign final grades, using the scale below. A 93% + C 73% - 76% A- 90% - 93% C- 70% - 72% B+ 87% - 89% D+ 66% - 69% B 83% - 86% D 60% - 65% B- 80% - 82% E Below 60% C+ 77% - 79% Extra Credit. There are two assessments that will be announced in class (one near the beginning of the class and the other near the end). For completing each assessment by the date announced in class, you will earn you 7.5 points of extra credit. If you complete both assessments, you will earn 15 points (3% of the regular points available used in assigning your course grade). Note. To promote easy and transparent course transferability between institutions in Ohio, this course is designed to meet each of the following learning outcomes (recommended by the Board of Regents after consultation with faculty): Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe and evaluate the historical and cultural viewpoints as well as current theoretical views of psychological disorders. 2. Compare and contrast the symptoms of psychological disorders with non-pathological behaviors.* 3. Describe the clinical picture and discuss clinical assessment of each of the major psychological disorders (e.g. anxiety, somatoform, mood, personality, and psychotic disorders as well as addictions) using the DSM for reference.* 4. Evaluate the relevance of current and past research within clinical and counseling psychology.* 5. Distinguish myths and misconceptions from facts regarding psychological illness and therapy and apply facts to understanding of diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of psychological disorders.* 6. Evaluate ethical issues regarding treatment and current status of treatment resources.* 7. Assess and critically analyze theories, research methods and findings (outcomes), and applications developed by psychologists and made available through textbooks, newspapers, professional and lay periodicals, and the internet.* Note: All learning outcomes listed above are considered essential. All comparable courses must address 100% of the learning outcomes listed above. Page 3 of 5
Course Schedule Readings listed below are whole chapters from the text unless otherwise indicated. When the assignment is a portion of a chapter, page numbers (and sometimes section headings) are provided. Additional readings from outside the text will be announced in class and will be made available through the Carmen course website. Date / Day of Week Topics / Readings (Assigned readings are to be completed prior to first class meeting for which they are listed; Additional readings from outside the text will be announced in class and made available on the Carmen course website.) T, 8/22 Introduction, Course overview R, 8/24 T, 8/29 R, 8/31 T, 9/5 Views on abnormal behavior and its causes Readings: Chapter 1 (page 1 16, up to Research Approaches in Abnormal Psychology ); Chapter 2; Article on Carmen: Should hypersexuality disorder be a diagnosable mental disorder?; Chapter 3. Clinical assessment and diagnosis Readings: Chapter 4; Article on Carmen: Do we still need psychiatrists? R, 9/7 Research methods and treatments for psychological disorders Readings: Chapter 1 (page 16-31, starting with Research Approaches in Abnormal Psychology ); Chapter 16. T, 9/12 Exam 1 R, 9/14 T, 9/19 R, 9/21 T, 9/26 R, 9/28 T, 10/3 R, 10/5 Exam 2 Stress and physical and mental health (including posttraumatic stress disorder) Readings: Chapter 5; Article on Carmen: Science and non-science based treatment for trauma-related disorders Panic, anxiety, obsessions and their disorders Readings: Chapter 6; Article on Carmen: Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. T, 10/10 Mood Disorders Readings: Chapter 7 (page 220 252, up to Treatments and Outcomes ); Article on Carmen: History of depression R, 10/12 Fall break no class T, 10/17 Mood Disorders (continued) R, 10/19 T, 10/24 Treatment of Mood Disorders Readings: Chapter 7 (page 252 258, starting at Treatments and Outcomes ); Article on Carmen: Cognitive therapy of depression (no classes 3/14 or 3/16 Spring Break) R, 10/26 Suicide Readings: Chapter 7 (page 259 268, starting at Treatments and Outcomes ) T, 10/31 Somatic symptom and dissociative disorders Readings: Chapter 8 R, 11/2 Exam 3 T, 11/7 No class Dr. Strunk is away for a conference R, 11/9 Eating disorders and obesity Readings: Chapter 9 T, 11/14 Personality disorders Readings: Chapter 10 R, 11/16 No class Dr. Strunk away at a conference Page 4 of 5
Date / Day of Week Course Schedule (continued) Topics / Readings (Assigned readings are to be completed prior to first class meeting for which they are listed; Additional readings from outside the text will be announced in class and made available on the Carmen course website.) T, 11/21 Substance-related disorders; Sexual variants, abuse, and dysfunctions Readings: Chapter 11; Chapter 12; Article on Carmen: Should recreational drugs be legalized? Article on Carmen: Is gender identity disorder a mental illness? Papers due: 11/22 R, 11/23 Thanksgiving no class T, 11/28 Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders Readings: Chapter 13 Article on Carmen: Is forced treatment of seriously mentally ill individuals justifiable? R, 11/30 Selected topics: Disorders of childhood and adolescence; Legal issues Readings: Chapter 15 (page 532 540, up to Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorder ) Chapter 15 (page 545 552, from Neurodevelopmental disorders up to Tic Disorders ) Chapter 15 (page 563 566, from Special considerations in the treatment of children and adolescents up to Child advocacy programs ) Chapter 17 (page 617 627, from Controversial legal issues and the mentally ill up to Organized efforts for mental health ) T, 12/5 Finish up any topics as needed; Review for final exam T, 12/12 Final Exam Page 5 of 5