Key Information about this Class Clinical Psychology Syllabus 1 (400:166) Fall 2008 Classroom Location: 315 Baker Hours: 3 hours Time: Tues, Thurs 12:30 1:45 p.m. University of Northern Iowa Instructor ame: Sundé Nesbit, Ph.D. Instructor Room: 439 Baker e-mail: sunde.nesbit@uni.edu Telephone: 273-6776 Office Hrs: Wednesdays and Fridays, 1:00 2:00 (also by appointment) Clinical Psychology (PSYCH 166) is a 3-unit course designed to give students an overview of the field of clinical psychology. This course will use readings, small group work, class discussion, lectures, and videos to describe the field of clinical psychology. What You Will Need for this Course Trull, J. T. (2005). Clinical Psychology, 7 th Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Students will also need to have access to this course online through the WebCT system (http://elearning.uni.edu). If you have been officially enrolled in this class, then you should have access to this course by the end of the first week of class (or as noted by the professor). If you do not have access, then please let me know. 1 This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from this class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent.
Course Goals and Primary Learning Outcomes The general goal of this course is to introduce students to the various concepts and issues surrounding the field of clinical psychology. Once this course is completed, students are expected to be able to: 1. Identify the similarities and differences between different mental health professions in terms of philosophy, amount and content of training, typical duties, typical pay, and licensure requirements. 2. Identify, describe, and understand how research is used to address important issues in diagnosing mental disorders. 3. Identify, describe, and understand how research is used to address important issues in clinical assessment and the use of clinical judgment to make decisions about diagnosis and treatment. 4. Identify and describe different schools of thought in conceptualizing and treating psychological problems. 6. Apply the ideas of a famous clinical psychologist to the conceptualization and treatment of a fictitious patient. 5. Describe the impetus for and current status of the movement for setting standards for psychotherapeutic treatment. 6. Describe and state your opinion about important professional and ethical issues in clinical psychology. 7. Identify and describe the scientist-practitioner, professional, scholar-clinician, and clinical scientist training models in clinical psychology and describe how they are operationalized in training programs. Prerequisites Students are expected to have taken PSYCH 001 (Introductory Psychology) prior to enrolling in this course. Students who are having difficulty completing writing assignments may want to seek additional assistance from the UNI Academic Learning Center (www.uni.edu/unialc). Class Format Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned chapters and prepared for class discussion. Although a substantial portion of this class will consist of lecture, there will also be films, experiments, demonstrations, guest presentations, and expected class participation in discussion. In addition, a writing assignment will be required of all students in this class (see details below). The course will include assigned readings in your textbooks that should be completed outside of the class period. During any given class period, there may be small group discussions, class discussions, videos, and lectures. In order to facilitate your understanding of assigned readings, lectures may review portions of the assigned readings, but they will not serve as a substitute for reading these materials. Important additional information will also be presented during lectures which may be included on the test.
Examinations There will be four exams in this class. All exams are multiple choice and short answer questions designed to measure each student s knowledge, understanding, and application of textbook, lecture, and handout material. Each exam is worth 100 points. They are scheduled at various points in the first half of the semester, as indicated by the course schedule (noted at the end of the syllabus). There will be no makeup exams in this class, and missed exams will be counted as a zero. Students are allowed to drop their lowest exam score, such that only three of the four exams in this class will count toward your final grade. Thus, under no circumstances are students allowed to make up a missed exam. Class Readings Required readings are listed in the course schedule included in the syllabus. It is expected (and strongly recommended) that readings be completed prior to lecture. The readings are designed to get you to think about the topics lectured on in class. Readings will also help you understand the material covered in class and participate in class discussions. Class Assignments You will be required to write a statement of purpose similar to those that are required for graduate school applications. You will be required to conduct this assignment twice during the semester. One draft (worth 15 points) will be due on September 30; the second draft (worth 35 points) will be due on the last lecture day of the semester (December 11). The reason that two drafts of this assignment are due is twofold. First, this will give students an opportunity to receive feedback from the instructor on their writing and the content of their statements, so that they can turn in a more polished second draft. Second, it is probable that many students will have an opportunity, by participating in this course, to refine and potentially revise their statements. For example, some students may develop a clearer sense of why they want to pursue graduate training in clinical psychology; other students may decide to change their focus in psychology. This second draft will give each student an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and incorporate that into the statement. The two drafts combined comprise a total of 50 points. Final Paper For the final paper, you will be required to write a paper describing the life and contributions of a famous clinical psychologist and apply his/her ideas to a clinical case. The final paper is designed to make you think critically about the concept of clinical psychology, and conceptually tie in what you know about the history and specific orientations within the field to applied, reallife scenarios (as is the case with the clinical case). The paper is worth 100 points, and will be due on the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving break (November 20). Papers accepted after 12:45 p.m. of that day will be considered late. Papers will be due via Turnitin.com, through WebCT. Late assignments will be penalized one letter grade for each day after the due date and time.
Class Attendance Attendance is required. Although I will not take attendance every day, on random days I will award extra credit points for attendance in the form of in-class quizzes. You will not lose points for failing to attend class, but you may miss important lecture materials and important discussion activities. You may also miss important announcements and meetings related to your group project. I am not responsible for making sure that you get the important information you miss by failing to attend class. Rather, you should be responsible for contacting me about what you might have missed. Grading Grades will be assigned on the basis of the following criteria: Three exams (out of four possible exams; 100 points each, 300 points total); statements of purpose drafts (50 points total); and final paper assignment (100 points). The total possible score for the class is 450 points. Course grades will be calculated as a percentage, by the number of points earned in the class divided by 450 (then multiplied by 100). Course grades will then be assigned as follows: A 90% - 100% B 80% - 89% C 70% - 79% D 60% - 69% F under 60% Grades will be rounded up to the nearest whole number in order to determine the assignment of course grades. For example, if a student receives an 89.51% in the course, then they will receive an A for this course. If the student receives an 89.49% in the course, then this constitutes a B for the course. o exceptions will be made with this grading policy. Course Policies Deadlines. Deadlines are firm. Extensions for assignments and/or exams will only be granted in cases of extenuating circumstances. All work must be completed by the end of the course or the student will receive an F for the course. Policy on Lecture otes. I do not supply lecture notes; however, lecture guide handouts are available on WebCT. If you have to miss class, arrange for someone to take notes for you. University Policies Students with Disabilities. Students with documented disabilities who may need academic accommodations should discuss these needs with me during the first two weeks of class. Students should also contact Services Disability Services (273-2676). Honor Code. According to the UNI Policies and Procedures (http://www.uni.edu/pres/policies/301.shtml), members of the UNI academic community (including students and faculty) must adhere to the principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities. Students are expected to abide by the university policies associated with academic integrity. This includes: Understanding and seeking clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course (this includes no cheating, plagiarism, and inappropriate collaboration). Neither giving nor receiving unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that
is used by the instructor as the basis of grading. Taking responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the instructor or other appropriate official for action. Any violation of this will be dealt with according to university procedures. Cheating and Plagiarism. Academic dishonesty in any form (e.g., cheating, plagiarism, lying) will result in an F for the course. Moreover, all cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean and could potentially result in expulsion from the university. SO DO T DO IT!!! For more information on the University s policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the UNI Policies and Procedures document (http://www.uni.edu/pres/policies/301.shtml). Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas, words, or other intellectual property of another as one s own. The use of other people s work must be properly acknowledged and referenced in all written material. The use of material without acknowledgment is an offense. Bear in mind that allowing another to copy one s work is an academic offense just as is copying from someone else. Furthermore, submitting the same paper for two courses without arrangement is also an academic offense. Use of Computers. All students are expected to have his/her own computer or have personal access to a workstation, along with a modem, a printer, and all recommended software. It is expected that you will have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University s information resources. Disruptive Behavior. The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the right of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. Student behavior that disrupts the classroom will not be tolerated. Disruptive behavior includes speech and behavior that are clearly disrespectful of either the instructor or other students. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to, physically or verbally abusive behavior, interruptions of the instructor or other students, failure to adhere to the instructor s rules or instructions, vulgar or obscene language, clear disregard by the student of the instructor s lecture (such as reading a newspaper or writing personal notes to other classmates), slurs and other forms of intimidation. As the instructor, it is my responsibility to inform the department head in Psychology and the Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences of any incident of disruptive classroom behavior. Student conduct which disrupts the learning process will not be tolerated, and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from the classroom. University Copyright Policy. Please refer to http://www.uni.edu/osp/ip/copyright/format.htm for information regarding copyright and fair use policies held by UNI.
Tentative Course Schedule 1 Day Date Assignment Chapter(s) 2 Course Obligation (Assignments) Tuesday 08/26 Introduction to class, syllabus Thursday 08/28 Introduction to field, Overview of 1 (pp. 4-18) Activities of a Clinical Psychologist Tuesday 09/02 History of field 2 Thursday 09/04 Scientific Foundations 4 Tuesday 09/09 Ethics Thursday 09/11 Multicultural issues 5 (p. 121-box) Tuesday 09/16 Training in Clinical Psychology 3 (pp. 58-64) Thursday 09/18 Exam #1 1,2,3,4 EXAM Tuesday 09/23 Definition of abnormal behavior, 5 Diagnosis and classification Thursday 09/25 Assessment interview 6 Tuesday 09/30 Intellectual assessment 7 Statement of Purpose, Draft #1 due on WebCT Thursday 10/02 Intellectual assessment 7 Tuesday 10/07 Personality assessment 8 Thursday 10/09 Personality assessment 8 Tuesday 10/14 Exam #2 5,6,7,8 EXAM Thursday 10/16 Clinical judgment 11 (pp. 292-306) Tuesday 10/21 Clinical intervention 11 (pp. 306-321) Thursday 10/23 Psychodynamic perspective on treatment 12 Tuesday 10/28 Humanistic perspective on treatment 13 Thursday 10/30 Behavioral perspective on treatment 9, 14 (pp. 374-387) Tuesday 11/04 Cognitive-behavioral perspective on 14 treatment Thursday 11/06 Clinical efficacy and effectiveness Tuesday 11/11 Exam #3 9,11,12,13,14 EXAM Thursday 11/13 ABCT CO FERE CE- O CLASS Tuesday 11/18 Translational research Thursday 11/20 Specialties: Neuropsychology, Health Psychology, Behavioral Medicine Tuesday 11/25 THA KSGIVI G BREAK- O CLASS Thursday 11/27 THA KSGIVI G BREAK- O CLASS 17, 18 FINAL PAPER DUE on WebCT (12:30 p.m.)
Tuesday 12/02 Specialties: Community Psychology, 16, 20 Clinical Child Psychology Thursday 12/04 Specialties: Forensic Psychology 19 Tuesday 12/09 Professional Issues Thursday 12/11 TBA Statement of Purpose, Draft #2 due on WebCT Thursday 12/18 FI AL EXAM 3:00 4:50 p.m. 16,17,18,19,20 EXAM 1 This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from this class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent. 2 It is expected that students will have read the assigned chapters prior to attending class, unless noted otherwise by the professor.