Abnormal Psychology
Spring, 2007
Professor: Dr. Travis Langley =
Office:
McBrien Hall Room 301-F, 230-5222, langl=
et@hsu.edu
T.A. e-mail: hsu_abnormal@yahoo.com
Required textbook: Abnormal
Psychology, by Sarason & Sarason.
Optional text useful for preparing for diagnostic
final:
&nbs=
p; Quick
Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV-TR, by APA.
Website with free study guide: http://cw.prenhall.com/sarason/
OVER=
VIEW:
This course is designed to provide an overview o=
f how
the science of behavior looks at abnormal behavior. The course will emphasi=
ze
the etiology and diagnosis of mental disorders, according to DSM‑IV classification and
empirical study.
SCHE=
DULE
Chapter numbers refer to the 10th
edition’s table of contents. If you use a different edition, you are
responsible for making sure you’re reading the correct chapters. Curr=
ent
table of contents can be found at the textbook website.
UNIT 1 &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; EXAM:
Monday, February 11
Chapters
1, 2 (biological section only) 3, 5 (sleep disorders only).
&nbs=
p; =
Optional
for bonus: Quick Reference, fir=
st 50
pages and/or section on sleep disorders.
UNIT 2 &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; EXAM:
Monday, March 3
&=
nbsp; Chapters 2 (behavioral & psychodynamic sections), 4 (diss=
ociative
disorders), 6, 7.
Optional for bonus: Quick Reference or DSM-=
IV-TR
sections on anxiety disorders; factitious disorders;
&nbs=
p; =
dissociative disorders; and/or Appendix I: Glossary of
Culture-Bound Syndromes.
UNIT 3 &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; EXAM:
Wednesday, April 2
Chap=
ters
8-10.
&nbs=
p; Optional for bonus: Quick Reference or DSM-=
IV-TR
sections on personality disorders;
&nbs=
p; =
sexual & gender identity disorders; mood disorders;
and/or adjustment disorders.
UNIT 4 &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; EXAM:
Wednesday, April 23
Chap=
ters 11, 12-14.
&nbs=
p; =
Optional
for bonus: Quick Reference or DSM-IV-TR sections on schizophrenia
& other psychotic disorders;
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhoo=
d, or
adolescence; eating disorders;
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; substance-related disorders; impulse-control disorders=
not
elsewhere classified; and/or
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; delirium, dementia, and amnestic & other cognitive
disorders.
FINAL EXAM: Refer to official semester schedule.=
Refer to official schedule for last day to drop =
with
grade of W. After that date, the professor will NOT assign you a grade of W=
P if
you are failing.
INTERNET DAYS
Lectures and tests will be held in class on Mondays and Wednesdays.=
We
will NOT normally meet in class on Fridays. Friday classes will officially =
be held
over the Internet. Each week you will be given Internet-based study assignm=
ents
to be completed on Fridays, for which you will receive a grade. Unless
specifically stated otherwise, the official deadline for each assignment wi=
ll
be the end of classtime that Friday, although any assignment completed befo=
re
Your total points for these Internet assignments will be weighed at=
the
end of the semester to make them equal in value to one test. Assignments MU=
ST
be received by their stated deadlines or you will get negative credit. That negative credit will hurt more than most
students realize, so do them. They’re easy assignments.
EXAM=
S
Each unit will conclude with a 40‑item mul=
tiple
choice exam covering lecture notes, assigned readings, and class discussion.
Bring number 2 pencils for every test. If you have trouble making complete
erasures, bring Liquid Paper or similar correction fluid to cover your
erasures, or simply ask the professor for a clean answer sheet. Any answer =
marked
wrong due to an incomplete erasure is simply wrong.
On every multiple‑choice test, you can ear=
n one
extra point by spelling psychology<=
/i>
correctly on the Subject line of the answer sheet. (To get this point, you =
must
put your name and ID number on the front of the answer sheet and on =
the
back of your test.) Carefully follow all instructions when taking the test =
and
when turning it in.
The final will NOT be multiple choice.
Instead, you will read descriptions of 10 people with mental problems, diag=
nose
each of them, and explain why you chose that diagnosis as opposed to other
disorders that might have been suggested by some of their symptoms.
There will be NO makeup tests, so don't even ask=
. As
long as you do not miss any tests, your lowest test will be dropped, unl=
ess
it is the final exam. If you do miss a regular test but have an excused
absence, the missing test will be the one that gets dropped. Don't miss the
final; you can't drop it. The final will weigh the same as two tests in
figuring your grade, which means it's one third of your overall grade.
GRAD=
ING
Test questions range in difficulty to get an acc=
urate
idea of exactly how much you know and understand about the course
material. They provide a very accurate indication of how much each person d=
oes
and does not know compared to everybody else in the class. I do not feel it=
is
right to establish a curve based on the highest grade in the class, in which
case only
&nbs=
p; A
35.1 ‑‑>
B 30.1 ‑ 35.0
C 25.1 ‑ 30.0 =
D 20.1 ‑ 25.0 =
F <‑‑ 20.0
The professor also reserves the right to subtrac=
t any
number of points from the grade of someone who disrupts class, or to assign=
a
course grade of F to someone caught cheating. Anyone caught cheating will a=
lso
be referred for University disciplinary measures.
Keep track of your own grades (numerical values,=
not
just the letter grades). If you are not in class on the day when a test is
returned graded, you can learn the score on that test when the next =
test
is returned graded.
Writing Across the Curriculum: The last questi= on on every test except the final will be "What else did you learn from the current course material that was not otherwise covered by this test?" = For that question, you will need to explain concepts in complete sentences, mak= ing certain that you are not simply copying the wording as it appears in the bo= ok. Convince me you understand. There can be other essay questions to assess yo= ur understanding of material. The next to last question on each test other than the final will be a diagnostic question like those you will see on the fina= l.
ATTE=
NDANCE
The #1 correlate with poor grades in any class i=
s absenteeism.
Poor attendance, therefore, punishes itself. Anyone who who does not attend
class at all during the first week will be dropped (because apparently
they’re not really taking the class). The professor reserves the righ=
t to
drop anyone for profound absenteeism. If you aren't here when roll is taken,
the reason does not matter. Please do not tell me that you're going to miss
class or why you missed after the fact. If you miss class, you are responsi=
ble
for getting copies of the notes from fellow students.
Class participation, however, will be more likel=
y to
help your grade than signing a roll sheet. Because
doing Internet assignments counts as Friday attendance, missing an assignme=
nt
counts as missing class. People who miss three assignments could be dropped
from the class without notice.
COMMUNICATION
The best way to conta=
ct your
professor is via email at langlet@hsu.edu. If you are going to miss class, =
do
NOT tell him; ask another student what you missed instead of pointing out to
the professor that you weren't (or won't be) here. If you have a question a=
bout
the Internet grades, contact the teaching assistant about those at
hsu_abnormal@yahoo.com.
If you do not use your
reddies.hsu.edu email address, you must set it up to forward message=
s to
you because if I have to email a message to the class, that's where the sys=
tem
will send it. You are responsible for making certain you are set up to rece=
ive
messages from your professor.