PSYC 430 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Transcription

1 Syllabus Objective Course Syllabus The purpose of this syllabus is to guide the participant in the requirements, demands, logistics and expectations of this course. Getting Help To receive technical assistance on issues related to Blackboard contact: Academic Instructional Technology Help Desk Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time asaitc@adams.edu To receive technical assistance on issues related to Blackboard Collaborate, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, call: 1(877) Welcome Hello, my name is Dr. Brent King and I will be your professor for Abnormal Psychology (online). I have worked at Adams State University for eleven years teaching in the Department of Psychology as a Professor. My area of specialty is Cognitive Psychology, specifically eyewitness memory, although I also do research in risk taking behaviors in online environments. I earned my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, with Cognates in Teaching and Neuroanatomy, from the University of North Dakota, where I also earned a Master's degree in Psychology. My undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees are in Psychology and Chemistry. I currently reside in Oregon with my wife of seventeen years, four children (ages 12, 10, 8, and 5), two dogs, and three cats. Read through each section of this syllabus and related general information carefully. Please refer to the information contained in this syllabus anytime you have a question regarding the basic course information. You can access a printable version of this syllabus by clicking the Print All link in the upper right corner of this page. Introduction As stated in the syllabus, Abnormal Psychology is the study of the principal forms of psychopathology. In everyday terms, this means we will be studying many of the ways that humans can become ill from the perspective of mental health. What behaviors do we consider to be "abnormal?" How do we even define "abnormal?" In this course we will look at many of the ways medical and psychological professionals investigate, diagnose, categorize, and ultimately treat mental health issues. We will discuss the limitations of the mental health field, and we will examine how that field has changed Adams State University Extended Studies Page 1 of 11 April 2016

2 over time. You will learn many of the symptoms of specific mental health conditions, and the suggested treatments for those conditions. When you leave this course it is expected that you will have a working knowledge of the basics of abnormal psychology. Instructor Information Instructor: Virtual Office Hours: Dr. Brent M. King brentking@adams.edu Office Hours subject to quarterly change. Please check Announcements for current times. Course Delivery Online, Open-Enrollment Credit Hours 3 Semester Hours Course Prerequisites PSYC 101, 204, 205, and 211 Course Time Limits The minimum course completion time for a three credit hour open-enrollment online correspondence courses is six weeks from the date of enrollment. All correspondence courses have a maximum course completion deadline of one year from the date of registration. Course Materials Textbooks can be purchased from the Adams State University Bookstore. To order textbooks or obtain information about book titles, you may go to exstudies.adams.edu and click on the "Bookstore" link. Select "DISTLEARN" from the department menu. ( Use Section Number: 1477 to order books from Bookstore site. This should provide the correct textbook information and ordering options. If you have questions, you can contact the Bookstore at , at asubookstore@adams.edu or by mail to Adams State University Bookstore, 208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3140, Alamosa, CO Adams State University Extended Studies Page 2 of 11 April 2016

3 Required Textbook: Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (7th. Ed.). Comer, R. J. (2013) Additional readings will be provided through links in assignments. ISBN-10: ; ISBN-13: Optional Textbook: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5 th. Ed.). American Psychological Association. (2013). ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Catalog Description The purpose of this course is to provide students with the historical and social background necessary to understand abnormal behavior. Students will examine the psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive approaches related to the development and treatment of mental disorders and their classifications. Topics will include schizophrenia, depression, bipolar, and personality disorders. Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: Understand the major forms of psychopathology from a variety of theoretical perspectives Evaluate the various models used to explain psychopathology Demonstrate an understanding of current and historical approaches to "abnormal behavior" Understand the meaning of "abnormal" psychology in terms of development, diagnosis and treatment of the major forms of psychopathology Identify the signs and symptoms of psychological disorders Describe the contributions and limitations of diagnosis and classification Evaluate the processes of diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of disorders Describe the legal and ethical issues involved in working with individuals who have been judged as displaying abnormal behavior Improve analytical thinking skills Improve research skills Show sensitivity towards people who suffer from psychopathology Course Requirements This course is delivered via Blackboard. You must have access to a computer that is capable of running all Blackboard programs and access to the internet in order to complete the course. You must also activate and use account. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 3 of 11 April 2016

4 Syllabus Quiz Your course will begin with a quiz over this syllabus. The quiz is not worth any points and you may take it as often as needed, but you will not be able to access the course material until you have achieved a 100% accuracy on the quiz. The purpose of the quiz is to check that you have reviewed and understand the information in your syllabus. Academic Integrity Quiz You are required to read and accept the Adams State Academic Integrity Policy. While it is not graded, it must be completed by the end of Module 1. It is listed under Module 1 under the heading "Accept Academic Integrity Statement." Class Communications I will attempt to answer s as soon as possible. However, I will not be online at all hours of the day. You must give up to 48 hours for response time before sending a request a second time. Additionally, I will communicate with you using account. If you regularly use another account, you can set up your Adams State account to forward to this other account. You are responsible for missed communications and if you select to not activate or regularly check your ASU account, you will miss class announcements and other important information. While this is a virtual classroom, the rules of respect are the same. I, as your professor, will respond to your inquiries as soon as possible. You, as a student, will need to show an understanding of the limits of an online classroom. If for any reason I will not have internet access for an extended time I will post an announcement on Blackboard and will send s letting you know in advance. Note: If you are an international student, please remember that your instructor lives in the Pacific Time zone of the United States. Discussions For this course you will complete 6 discussions. See the course schedule located on the Syllabus and Information page for review. Each discussion will require you to respond to a specific thought question. In addition, you are asked to add a substantive comment or follow-up to one of your peers studies for each study you post. Each discussion is worth 5 points, for a total of 30 points. There are also two nongraded discussions in this course. The first is for you to write a brief introduction about yourself to your instructor and the class. The second nongraded discussion is there for you to ask questions about the course. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 4 of 11 April 2016

5 Research Assignments Many chapter will include a "research assignment" that must be completed in order to move on to the next chapter. You will follow the instructions for that assignment, save the answers as.rtf and submit it into the assignment dropbox. Please make sure and use the following format when saving the assignment (assignmentname-yourlastname) Quizzes For each chapter you will complete one 10-point quiz. You will get two chances to take each quiz and the highest grade will count. When you start the course, Quiz 1 will be open; each quiz from there on will only unlock once you have completed all assignments and quizzes for the previous chapter (e.g. when Quiz 1 and Research Assignment 1 are completed Quiz 2 will unlock). Exams There will be three, 100-point exams. Each exam will cover only the chapters that you are responsible for during that section of the course (see the course schedule for review of chapters included in each section). You will only have access to the exam once you have completed all of the quizzes and research assignments for that section of the course. Once you have completed the exam, the next section of the course will open for you. You will be given a total of 2 hours to complete the exam and may only take each exam once. Each exam will include both essay and multiple choice questions. The essay must be organized and comprehensive in their answers. Note: Please know that exams are not like quizzes. Quizzes are designed as study tools and you are allotted enough time to check your notes and text for potential answers. However, exams are designed to match the conditions of face-to-face courses. Although you will have access to your notes and text, you will not have enough time to look up every answer. It is assumed that you have read your chapters, studied your notes, completed all assignments and quizzes, and in general, have a working knowledge of the material included in the exam. Comprehensive Final You will complete one 150-point comprehensive final that will cover all material from the course. You will be given three hours to complete this exam. You may take it only once and you must complete it in a single sitting. Semester Paper You will complete one 10 to 14 page research paper that deals with a topic related to Abnormal Psychology. The paper will be APA style in format (please see an APA writing manual or "the owl" APA style guide through Purdue University). Your paper will need to include at least 8 professional/scientific sources (one of these may be your book; at Adams State University Extended Studies Page 5 of 11 April 2016

6 least 5 must be peer-reviewed journals). You will submit your paper through the Assignment dropbox. The paper itself will be worth 100 points. However, before you can start your paper, you must have your topic preapproved by submitting your proposed topic to me before you complete Module 1 of this course. Diagnosis Hollywood You will be required to select a movie that you will view as part of this assignment. A list of movie suggestions has been provided, however, you do not need to stick to that list and are free to select a movie not included on it. You will submit your selection to me in advance for preapproval. The movie you select will need to meet two criteria. First, it will need to include at least one character that shows clear signs of an abnormal psychological disorder. Second, the movie must not outwardly discuss the character's diagnosis that you can directly copy for your assignment (i.e. you are not allowed to select "A Beautiful Mind"). Your overall assignment is to analyze the character(s) you select in the movie (it can be more than one). You will write a paper providing a DSM diagnosis for the character (or characters), describing clear evidence to support your conclusions. The paper is worth 80 points. All written work is subject to plagiarism detection software review. Identified instances of cheating or plagiarism will follow the Academic Integrity statement in the Syllabus. Additional Notes Grading Feedback For all assignments, you will be provided feedback in a timely manner. However, you must allow for a minimum of 72 hours for all submitted assignments to be graded. If you feel your assignments are not being graded fast enough, please contact me so that we may discuss the issue. Discussion Feedback For discussion, I will read all of them but will not comment on all of them. If you would like a response to your discussion or would like to draw my attention to a specific comment, please contact me and let me know. Communication with Individuals Other than You - Please note that as a faculty member of ASU, I am bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Based on the rules of this law, I will not communicate with anyone outside of this course about your enrollment, activities, or grades. This includes your parents, whether or not they pay for your enrollment in this course. As an individual enrolled in this course, it is assumed that you are a responsible adult and you will be treated as such. If you want me to communicate with someone other than you, you must give permission to do so by completing a FERPA waiver and filing it with the Extended Studies Office. FERPA Adams State University Extended Studies Page 6 of 11 April 2016

7 waivers are available online through the ASU website. If a FERPA waiver is not on file, I will not reply to any outside individual. Concerns and/or Complaints If you a have concern or complaint about the course, please contact me so that we can discuss it. If you do not feel comfortable discussing the issue with me, please contact my direct supervisor and Chair of the Psychology Department, Dr. Kim Kelso (kakelso@adams.edu). Submission of Final Grade Unfortunately, your professor is not the final stop for your grade. Your grade is submitted electronically to Extended Studies. That office then processes the grade, which can take up to five business days. Transcripts are not available until after this administrative process is done. If you have a deadline to meet, please add the time to process the grade into your timeline. An emergency on your part does not mean that the school will speed the processing of your grade. All written work is subject to plagiarism detection software review. Identified instances of cheating or plagiarism will follow the Academic Integrity statement in the Syllabus. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 7 of 11 April 2016

8 Grade Distribution and Scale In alignment with ASU academic policies, no D may apply to a major or minor field. Grade Distribution: Discussions 30 points 3% Exams 300 points 33% Final Exam 150 points 17% Paper 100 points 11% Diagnosis Hollywood 80 points 9% Research Assignments 80 points 9% Quizzes 160 points 18% Total 900 points Grade Scale: A % points A % points B % points B 83-86% points B % points C % points C 73-76% points C % points D % points D 60-66% points F 59% and below Less than 540 points ADA Statement Adams State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Adams State University is committed to achieving equal educational opportunities, providing students with documented disabilities access to university programs. In order for a course to be equally accessible to all students, different accommodations or adjustments may need to be implemented. The Office of Disability Services (ODS) is located in Richardson Hall, Suite 3-100, by mail at 208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3-100, Alamosa, CO 81101, by at odsd@adams.edu, or by calling They are your primary resource on campus to discuss the qualifying disability, help you develop an accessibility plan, and achieve success in your courses. Please communicate with them as early as possible; this can be in person, via , or by phone. The Disability Services Coordinator shall either provide you letters to give to your professors for accommodations or these letters out to you and your professors. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 8 of 11 April 2016

9 Academic Integrity In accordance with Academic Policy , Adams State University, to preserve academic integrity, does not tolerate academic dishonesty (misconduct). Every student is required to practice and adhere to the principle of ACADEMIC INTEGRITY while undertaking studies at Adams State University. Students and faculty at Adams State University value academic honesty as a virtue essential to the academic process. Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized possession or disposition of academic materials, or the falsification or fabrication of one s academic work will not be tolerated. Any offense may result in a zero for the exam, lesson, or exercise in question and may result in failure of the course. Please refer to the ASU Extended Studies Academic Integrity website for more information including the student handbook: Academic Integrity at Adams State University. You are required to read and accept the Adams State Academic Integrity Policy. While it is not graded, it must be completed by the end of Module 1. It is listed under Module 1 under the heading "Accept Academic Integrity Statement." All written work is subject to plagiarism detection software review. Student Identity Verification Adams State University utilizes a variety of methods to verify the identity of students enrolled in courses, including but not limited to: secure logins and pass codes, proctored exams, security questions, and other technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identity. Some of these methods may incur an extra cost to students; associated costs will be outlined in the course syllabus, other University documents, and on the University website. Adams State University reserves the right to request additional government-issued documentation of identity from students for the purpose of ensuring that the person enrolled in the course is the person completing assignments, exams, and all other course requirements. Any student engaged in incidents of student identity fraud may face reprimand, disciplinary warning, a lowered or failing grade(s), and/or probation, or suspension from the course, academic program or University, or expulsion from the University. Technical Skills To be successful in this course, students are expected to be able to: Navigate the World Wide Web and efficiently use a web browser such as Firefox Have a basic understanding of their computer operating system Use Adobe Reader to view and download.pdf documents Communicate via and attach files Play audio/video files Use a word processor such as Microsoft Office to create documents Adams State University Extended Studies Page 9 of 11 April 2016

10 Use Blackboard tools which may include Collaborate Download and open PowerPoint presentations Technical Requirements A complete overview of the technical requirements and software for this course can be found here. Blackboard tutorials are available in the Student Support Module, located in the Syllabus and Information section of this course. Information for receiving technical assistance is also included. Keep in mind that in order for Blackboard to function properly, you must allow pop-ups for the site (online.adams.edu) and have Java properly installed on your computer. For more information on these and other technical requirements, see the videos in the Student Support Module in the above mentioned location. Accessing Library Resources Students enrolled in this course can utilize the Adams State Nielsen Library from on and off campus by selecting the Nielsen Library link in the Syllabus and Information tab of the Course Menu. You will be asked to enter in your username and password. Use the same login information that you use to access Blackboard and all other Adams State information. This will bring you to a page that will provide you with login information for the different databases to which Adams State subscribes. With the login information in hand, go to Adams State Resources Adams State provides several resources to assist you and make your online learning experience a positive one. A listing of resources is available on the One Stop Student Services page on the Adams State Website ( Some of the highlights are: Records Office - Campus contacts available to help you through the registration process. Computing Services - Technical assistance. Disability Services Handbook - Student Services can arrange assistance for students with special needs or disabilities. Academic Calendar - Keep track of important dates. The Paw Print- Adams State Student Newspaper. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 10 of 11 April 2016

11 Institutional Policies All students are responsible for adhering to the expectations, policies, and procedures outlined in the Student Handbook. For Institutional policies on items such as The Americans with Disabilities Act, Academic Integrity, Student Rights and Responsibilities and The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA); please see the Student Handbook. Extended Studies Policies and Procedures To view the Extended Studies Policies and Procedures go to, Course Evaluation At the end of the course you will be asked to complete an evaluation specifically for this course. This evaluation will be reported anonymously. Your comments and recommendations will be seriously considered as the course is updated. Your input throughout the course contributes to my commitment to continually improve the quality and relevance of this course. Getting Started Refer to the information contained in this syllabus anytime you have a question regarding the basic course information. 1. Review the Student Support Module contained in the Syllabus and Information section. 2. Proceed to Module 1. Adams State University Extended Studies Page 11 of 11 April 2016