Abnormal Psychology
PSYCO 239 – A1 Winter 2020 Instructor: Jay Brinker
Office: P361
Phone: 780-492-3360
E-mail: [email protected] **Questions about the course go on eClass**
Office Hours: Tuesday 11:00 – 12:00 and Wednesday 11:00 – 12:00 Lecture Room & Time: T/R 9:30 – 10:50 Telus 150
Course Description: Nature and treatment of psychological disorders, such as cross-disciplinary perspectives and an emphasis on improving understanding of psychopathology in everyday life.
Course Prerequisites: PSYCO 104 or SCI 100, and PSYCO 105. Not open to students with credit in PSYCO 339
It is important to prepare yourself for this course through a review of the prerequisite material. Students who do not have the required prerequisites at the time of taking this course should not expect supplementary professorial tutoring from the instructor.
Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of the course students will have an introductory understanding of abnormal behavior and psychopathology. They will understand the role of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Students will also understand how we assess abnormal behavior. Finally, students will understand the importance of rigorous empirical research as it relates to our understanding of abnormal behavior.
Communication and Questions ***IMPORTANT***
All questions about course content, assessments (e.g. exams) or course processes MUST be posted on eClass with a clear title reflecting the content. Do NOT email questions of this nature -- they will not be responded to.
Check on eClass discussion forum to ensure the question has not already been asked and answered. We will not respond to duplicate questions. We will not respond to questions where the answers are available in the course syllabus, eClass
announcements, or other available instructions. If you do not receive a response to your question – check these sources for the answer.
Questions will be answered during regular business hours.
I have 2 hours of office hours per week and I am happy to discuss course content, the assessments and anything about abnormal psychology or careers in the field.
If you are having difficulties, I encourage you to come and talk to me.
Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings:
Date Topic Chapter
Jan 7 Jan 9
Introduction
History of Abnormal Psychology
Ch. 1 Ch. 1 Jan 14
Jan 16
Research in Abnormal Psychology Models of Abnormality
Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Jan 21
Jan 23
Clinical Assessment Case Conceptualization
Ch. 3 Jan 28
Jan 30
Anxiety Disorders Trauma and Stress
Ch. 7 & 9 Ch. 5 Feb 4
Feb 6
Dissociative Disorders
**Midterm 1**
Ch. 6 Feb 11
Feb 13
Depression and Bipolar
Treatment for Depression and Bipolar
Ch. 4 Ch. 4 Feb 18
Feb 20 *** Reading Week ***
No Classes No Office Hours Feb 25
Feb 27 Gender Dysphoria
Suicide Additional Reading
Mar 3 Mar 5
Somatic Disorders Eating Disorders
Ch. 8 Ch. 10 Mar 10
Mar 12
**Midterm 2**
Substance Use and Addiction Ch. 11 Mar 17
Mar 19
Schizophrenia
Treatment of Severe Mental Disorders
Ch. 12 Mar 24
Mar 26
Personality Disorders Ch. 13
Mar 31 Apr 2
Neurocognitive Disorders Ethics
Ch. 14
Apr 7 Law, Society and Mental Health Additional Reading
Required Readings:
This semester we are using chapters from an Open Source textbook with some supplemental readings.
These chapters and readings will be available on eClass.
Past or Representative Evaluative Material:
Example questions will be posted on eClass and presented during class. These are example questions, not practice questions. Please do not use the content of these questions as a guide for the content of the exams. Everything in the lectures and the required readings is examinable!
Grade Evaluation:
Grades will be assigned in percentages and will be converted to letter grades based on the below table. Your final grades will be calculated in accordance with the
University of Alberta letter grading system and will reflect your performance in relation to the rest of the class. Grades may be adjusted at the end of semester.
Letter Approximate % Pts Descriptor
A+ 92 – 100% 4.0
Excellent
A 88 – 91.99% 4.0
A- 84 – 87.99% 3.7
B+ 78 – 83.99% 3.3
Good
B 74 – 77.99% 3.0
B- 70 – 73.99% 2.7
C+ 65-69.99% 2.3
Satisfactory
C 60 – 64.99% 2.0
C- 55 – 59.99% 1.7
D+ 53 – 54.99% 1.3 Poor
D 50 – 52.99% 1.0 Minimal Pass
F or F4 0 – 49.99% 0 Failure
*See eClass for full description of letter grades Components of Course Grade
Evaluation Weighting Covers Date
Midterm #1 30% Weeks 1 – 5
Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 9
Feb 6
Midterm #2 30% Weeks 6 - 9
Ch. 4, 8 and 10 March 10 Reflection
Questions 5% See eClass See eClass
Final Exam 35% ALL
Final Exam is Cumulative **
**It is the student’s responsibility to verify the final exam date on BearTracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted.
There is no possibility of a reexamination in this course.
Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course. Grades may be adjusted at the end of semester to better reflect the meaning of the letter grades. See eClass for letter grade descriptions.
Reflective Journal Questions:
Read ALL of the instructions carefully.
Students will complete 7 journal entries over the course of the term and receive the grade for the best five entries for a total of 5% of your final grade.
Each journal entry will be different. Please read the questions carefully to ensure you are responding appropriately.
Entries must be completed and submitted by 11:55pm on the given due date.
Late entries will not be accepted for any reason. The submission port will close at 11:56.
Entries will be assessed on an excellent (1), pass (0.5), and fail (0) basis.
**There are 7 entries, but students will be given marks for the best five. This means students can miss 2 entries (for whatever reason) without their grades being affected.
It also means that if they receive a poor mark on one entry, they will have the opportunity to make it up with other entries. The best 5 entries for each student will be counted towards the 5% of their grade.
To complete the journal entry, click on the "Add submission” button on the bottom of the assignment page. Then type (or copy and paste from a document) into the space provided.
**Journal entries must be no longer than 100 words in length; anything over this limit will be given a grade of 0. We will use the eClass approximate word count at the bottom of the text box you submit into. Please keep your responses brief and to the point!
Once you have typed in your response, click on "Save changes” at the bottom of the screen. Your "Submission status” will now say "Submitted for grading”.
To make changes, click on the "Edit my submission” button at the bottom of the page.
** Please note, the due dates have been spaced out across the semester, but the topics they relate to may be earlier in the semester. I encourage you to complete the journal entries as we cover the topics. Because you will be given marks for the best 5, you will not be given extensions or special consideration for missed entries for any reason. No extensions, no exceptions.
Exams:
ü Format of exams will be multiple choice.
ü Exams will cover anything in the lectures and the readings.
Your student photo I.D. is required at exams to verify your identity. Students will not be allowed to begin an examination after it has been in progress for 30 minutes.
Students must remain in the exam room until at least 30 minutes has elapsed.
Electronic equipment cannot be brought into examination rooms.
Cell Phones: Cell phones are to be turned off during lectures, labs and seminars.
Cell phones are not to be brought to exams.
Missed Term Exams:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within 2 days. If you miss a midterm exam for excusable reasons, you may transfer the grade weight of the missed midterm to the weighting of the final exam. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult §23.3(1) and §23.5.6 of the University Calendar.
Deferred Final Examination: For information on how to apply for a deferred exam see “I Missed my Final Exam, Now What?”
**Deferred final exams will be held on Wednesday May 6 @ 10am**
Student Responsibilities:
Academic Integrity: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect.
Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
All students should consult the Academic Integrity website. If you have any questions, ask your instructor.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process .
Recording of Lectures: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Disclaimer: Any typographical errors in this syllabus are subject to change and will be announced in class and posted on eClass. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Student Resources:
The best all-purpose website for student services is: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students.
Accessibility Resources: (1 – 80 SUB)
The University of Alberta is committed to creating work and learning communities that inspire and enable all people to reach their full potential. Accessibility Resources promotes an accessible, inclusive, and universally designed environment. For general information to register for services visit the Accessibility Resources webpage.
The Academic Success Centre: (1-80 SUB)
The Academic Success Centre offers a variety of workshops on effective study and exam strategies. There are in-person and online sessions available for a modest fee.
The Centre for Writers: (1-42 Assiniboia Hall)
The Centre for Writers offers free one-on-one writing support to students, faculty, and staff.
Students can request consultation for a writing project at any stage of development. Instructors can request class visits and presentations.
Health and Wellness Support: There are many health and community services available to current students. For more information visit the Health and Wellness Support webpage.
Office of the Student Ombuds:
The Office of the Student Ombuds offers confidential interviews, advice and support to students facing academic, discipline, interpersonal and financial difficulties.
Learning and working environment:
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
Copyright: Jay Brinker, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta (2020)