Psych 220

Office hours: M - Th 12:30 p.m.

Fri 10 a.m.

I’m also available at other times, by appointment.

Texts

Required: Hansell, J. & Damour, L. (2008) Abnormal Psychology (2^nd ed.) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons

Optional: Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM-IV-TR

Course Objectives:

Provide an understanding of how abnormal psychology is researched.
Provide an overview of causes, diagnosis and treatment of abnormal behavior and psychopathology.
Give students an opportunity to become more aware of what it means to have a mental illness and the effect that mental illnesses have on people’s lives.
Give students an understanding of the challenges and issues involved in diagnosing and treating mental illness.

Course Requirements

Assignments: In general the assignments are meant to give you greater understanding of how disorders are studied and how they affect the person who has them. Also, some assignments are an opportunity for you to express your experience of learning about abnormal behavior and psychopathology. Detailed assignment instructions and due dates can be found later in the syllabus.

Learning Journal:

I ask that you keep a journal as we go through the quarter. Even just once a week write down what in class or your reading really engaged you, caught your attention or kept you focused in learning about abnormal psychology. You need to turn in 5 of those entries for 10 points each, 50 points total. If you choose to turn in more than that, you may earn 2 points for each additional entry, for a maximum of 10 bonus points. Mark your entries as to whether they are for bonus points or not.

Annotated Bibliography/Biography/Journal:

After choosing a disorder of interest to you, you will read four different research articles related to the disorder and write an annotated bibliography entry for each one. Also, you will create a biography and journal of a person with the disorder you’ve chosen. This journal is from the perspective of the person with the disorder, not an external or clinical view. You’ll write 3 entries.

The bibliography, biography and journal entries will be submitted as one major assignment, with an APA style cover sheet including all necessary components. This assignment is worth 170 points.

Disorder of interest/Trial bibliography entry:

This mini-assignment is designed to ensure that you’ve identified the disorder you’re going to research and that you’re on track with the research for the bibliography and are clear about the structure of an annotated entry. There are two possible due dates for this trial bibliography entry and you must choose just one. This assignment is worth 15 points (plus you get invaluable feedback to make your full bibliography really strong).

Exams: There will be 4 exams over the course of the quarter, each worth 60 points. Each test will include a multiple choice, short answer section to be completed in class and at least one take-home essay question. As the quarter proceeds, the essay questions will be worth more points.

Course Policies

Make-up Exams:

If some grave misfortune occurs and you are unable to take one of the tests, you may make up that test at the end of the quarter. Make up exams are all essay questions, and the maximum score you can earn is the average of all your other tests. I assume that no one really wants to miss a test, but if it’s absolutely unavoidable you’ve got an out.

Due dates:

Assignments & take-home exam questions are due at the start of class on the date that they are due. Late assignments will be docked 10% for every day that they are late, including week-end days. If you turn it in after class begins, it’s one day late. If you turn it in before the start of class the next day, it’s still just one day late…you get the drift.

Academic Integrity:

All the work you do in this class (or any other) must be your own. Plagiarism and/or cheating of any type will result in a zero for the assignment, at a minimum. Additionally, the incident will be reported in writing to the Associate Dean for Students. More than one instance of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the course.

Some students have not been educated as to what constitutes plagiarism and thus continue to plagiarize. That is not an acceptable excuse in this course. You have a responsibility to go to my website and access any or all of several documents which explain plagiarism and give examples. If, after reading this information, you are still uncertain or confused about what constitutes plagiarism please come to me with your questions.

Assignment Basics:

All assignments must be typed, double spaced with one inch margins on all sides.

You may submit a hard copy or send it electronically. If you do send it electronically it must be in MS Word format or Rich Text Format. It may not be in the body of the email. If you do not get a return message from me within 24 hours, assume that I didn’t get it.

Spelling, grammar, syntax etc. are important, and count toward your grade.

APA format is required for citations, reference pages and cover sheets.

Grading

Final grades will be based on the following point distribution:

4 Exams 240 points (51%)

5 Personal Journals 50 points (10%)

Trial Biblio entry 15 points ( 3%)

Annotated Bibliography/

Biography/Journal 170 points (36%)

__________

Total 475 points

Grade Scale:

The total number of points you earn will be converted to a percentage of the total points possible. Your final grade will be assigned in accordance with Highline's decimal grading scale as shown below.

% Decimal % Decimal % Decimal % Decimal

Grade Grade Grade Grade

95-100% 4.0 83 2.8 69 1.8 59 0.8

94 3.9 82 2.7 68 1.7 58 0.7

81 2.6 67 1.6

93 3.8 80 2.5 66 1.5 57 0.6

92 3.7

91 3.6 79 2.4 65 1.4

90 3.5 78 2.3 64 1.3

77 2.2 63 1.2

89 3.4

88 3.3 75 2.1 62 1.1

87 3.2 73 2.0 61 1.0

71 1.9 60 0.9

86 3.1

85 3.0

84 2.9

Grades below 0.7 do not satisfy the minimum requirement for course credit.

Other Important Stuff

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability; or you have emergency medical information to share with the instructor; or you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated please provide me with the Letter of Accommodation you have received from the Office of Access Services. The Office of Access Services is located in Building 99.

Withdrawal

The last day to complete official withdrawal is May 29. If you choose to stop attending class, you will need to complete an official withdrawal or risk receiving a failing grade. Instructors cannot withdraw students.

Credit/No credit option

The last day to request "CR" in lieu of a decimal grade is April 18. This option is processed by the Registrar's Office in Building 6.

Honors Option

This course may be taken as an honors class. If you are interested in this option, see me before April 14 to discuss an acceptable project and timeline. You can find information about my expectations for honors projects at my website. More information on the Highline Honors Program is available at: flightline.highline.edu/honors/program_description.htm

Classroom courtesies

Come on time and stay the entire period. If you can’t avoid being late, come in quietly and find a seat quickly. Chronic lateness isn’t acceptable. If you absolutely must leave early, let me know ahead of time.
Cell phones: arrggh. Please turn your cell phone off when you come into class and keep it in your bag or pocket. If you have some sort of pending emergency and need to leave it on, let me know ahead of time and sit near the door so you can easily leave the room if you have to take a call.

Side conversations: arrggh, again. Even if your side comments are on topic, it’s disrespectful and distracting to me and your fellow students. Plus, the comment or question you have may very well be the one that helps others understand the concept, so share!

Tips for success

As always, don’t just memorize…understand. Read and reread your text and take notes in your own words while you read.

Quiz yourself! Do this without your book and notes. If you take a test in class without having done this, you are being very unfair to yourself. You’re asking yourself to do something you haven’t practiced, and no one who is skilled ever does that. Athletes, musicians and professionals of all types practice. As a student you need to practice testing.

Attend class and participate. Higher grades are strongly correlated with attendance. Participating in class by asking questions and expressing thoughts will make class so much more interesting.

Do some work on the class every day. If you read over your notes and merge your class notes with reading notes you eliminate the need to ‘cram’, which doesn’t work anyway. Remember that your brain needs time to make the physical changes involved in memory!

Connect with other students to study together or at least know someone that you can get notes from if you have to (tragically) miss class.

Use the textbook website for study support.