College of the Siskiyous

SPRING 2007

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Course:  PSY 2 (Abnormal Psychology) 3 Units AA, UC, CSU

W0522 MWF  10:00-10:50  McHall 3

 

Abnormal Psychology Instructor: Denis Hagarty

 

Office Hours: 

 

My office hours for the Spring 2007 Semester are Monday-Wednesday, 8:00 - 9:00 AM or by appointment. My office is located in the Welcome Center in the John Mantle Student Center.  You can call me or leave a voice mail message at 938-5340 or E-Mail me at hagarty@siskiyous.edu.  In any case I will get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Required Text:

 

1.  Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, 6th Edition  by Ronald J. Comer, published by Worth Publishers, New York.

 

Advisories:

 

Students can read at a 10th grade level

Students can use a computer for word processing

Students have completed an introduction to psychology course

 

Objectives of the Course:

 

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1.       Identify a variety of Biological, Psychological, Sociocultural, Cognitive, and Behavioral factors, which contribute to problems of adjustment.

2.       Recognize assessment techniques utilized to identify problems of adjustment.

3.       Recognize the differences between mild problems of adjustment and profound disorganization and disintegration of personality.

4.       Identify some of the major symptoms, which characterize problems of adjustment.

5.       Identify a variety of therapeutic techniques, which can assist people who are experiencing problems of adjustment.

6.       Identify resources that are available to assist those experiencing problems of adjustment.

7.       Appreciate the status and experiences of those who are experiencing problems of adjustment.

8.       Identify current issues facing the field in regard to laws, society, and the profession itself.

 

Detailed Course Content and Scope:

                  

History of Abnormal Psychology

Models of Abnormality

Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Anxiety Disorders

Stress Disorders

Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders

Mood Disorders

Suicide

Eating Disorders

Substance-Related Disorders

Sexual Disorders and Gender Identity Disorder

Schizophrenia

Personality Disorders

Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence

Disorders of Aging and Cognition

Law, Society, and the Mental Health Professional

 

 

Critical Thinking:

 

Students will be able to understand and analyze the problems of adjustment from mild social and personal stress to profound disorganization and disintegration of personality. Students will be able to describe various approaches to maladjustment and offer rationale for prospective treatment given current understanding of therapeutic gains from each major model of abnormality and achieved outcomes.

 

 

Requirements / Grading:

 

Students are expected to attend class, do the reading, and to bring questions to class to be discussed. Each student will be graded on both active and informed participation and performance on:

 

GRADED EVENTS:

 

Assessment in the Course will be based on:

        

Research paper/project                                                          50  

Active and informed participation                                      100

Chapter Quizzes                                                                    100

Comprehensive Exams                                                         150

Total                                                                                       400 points

 

Assessment Examples:

 

Research paper/project: 

Each student will be required to either write a 5-6-page research paper with a minimum of four sources that critically analyzes some aspect of abnormal behavior.

OR

Each student will be required to present a twenty-minute presentation with a minimum of four sources that critically analyzes some aspect of abnormal behavior.

 

Active and informed participation: 

Students will be evaluated on the quality of their preparation for and participation in classroom assignments, projects, and discussions, their responses to questions posed by the instructor, and their willingness to participate in extemporaneous classroom activities. If you are not in class you cannot receive credit for this graded area, nor will you receive credit for simply showing up for class and not actively participating.

 

Chapter Quizzes: 

A quiz will be given to assess a student’s knowledge of the material in each chapter as well as the application of the material to healthy psychological functioning.

 

Example:  Incoherent speech, loose associations, irrationality, and emotional responses that are inappropriate, unpredictable, and often grossly exaggerated, characterize which type of schizophrenia?

1.       Paranoid,

2.       Catatonic

3.       Disorganized

4.       Undifferentiated

 

 

Honesty:

 

I expect and demand integrity and honesty in all of our dealings.  I have the right to drop anyone that I feel violates this trust. 

 

Attendance and Late Work Policy:

 

I expect people to be on time.  I expect students to attend all classes. I reserve the right to drop any student that has missed three or more class meetings.  If you have an emergency that comes up and requires you to miss class, I will deal with it on an individual basis. You can assume that you will be given outside work to make up for each missed class session. It is your responsibility to understand and follow these guidelines. They are not negotiable!

 

Student Sensitivity Issues:

 

Some of the topics discussed in class will generate intense emotional responses. I demand that each of you treat one another with respect and are sensitive various viewpoints and experiences. I will not hesitate to remove any student who has difficulty with this policy.

 

Students, Staff and Faculty at the College the Siskiyous may have allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity, or related disabilities.  Please keep this in mind when selecting and applying personal care products.

 

Academic Accommodations:

 

Students have the right to request reasonable modifications to college requirements, services, facilities or programs if their documented disability imposes an educational limitation or impedes access to requirements, services, facilities or programs.  A student with a disability who requests a modification, accommodation, or adjustment is responsible for requesting necessary accommodations by identifying himself/herself to the instructor and, if desired, to the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) office Eddy Hall 1. 

 

Students with a print disability--a visual limitation or reading difficulty that limits access to traditional print materials--may request printed materials in alternate media.  Examples of alternate media formats include electronic format (e.g., text on CD), Braille, tactile graphics, audiotape, and/or large print. Students can make alternate media requests through the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) Eddy Hall 1, 938-5297.

 

Students who consult or request assistance from DSPS regarding specific modifications, accommodations, adjustments, alternate text or use of auxiliary aids will be required to meet timelines and procedural requirements established by the DSPS office.