Psychology 2510: Survey of Abnormal Psychology (Section 2) Fall 2015 Instructor: Julianne Gray Ludlam, Ph.D. Class Location: Psychology Building 313 Class Time: MWF, 9:00-9:50 AM CST Office Location: 25 McAlester E- mail: ludlamj@missouri.edu Office Hours: See Blackboard, under Phone: Not a good way to reach me Instructor/TA Info Course Description This course is a survey of abnormal psychology. We will discuss the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the major mental disorders, and the biological, psychological, and sociological contributing factors to disorders. We will explore various psychological disorders in- depth, and discuss how they are manifested in everyday life and clinical situations. The emphasis is on understanding psychological difficulties in order to: 1) promote knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of disorders and those affected by them; and 2) develop critical thinking skills that can serve students in any situation. Text Comer, R. J. (2015). Abnormal Psychology, 9 th Edition (9/E). Worth Publishers. ISBN: 9781464176012 (Looseleaf, includes online resources and e- Book). The textbook is required. I do not recommend trying to take the course without purchasing the textbook in some form. You are not required to have access to the online resources, so you may be able to purchase a copy of the textbook used. Be sure to purchase the 9 th edition, as important changes have been made. There is an electronic- only option, although I recommend a physical textbook for the best comprehension. Grading and Course Components GRADED ITEM POINTS PERCENTAGE OF GRADE 1. Exams (5 @ 45 points each) 225.0 72.0% 2. Blackboard Quizzes (5 @ 12.5 points each) 62.5 20.0% 3. In- class activities 25.0 8.0% Total Points Possible 312.5 100.00% This course uses weighted grades, meaning that percentages, rather than points, are used in the calculation of your Grades. Refer to the Grade Calculation page on our course Blackboard site for details.
Letter grades for the course will be determined as follows: LETTER GRADE PERCENTAGE A+ 97.00 100.00 A 93.00 96.99 A- 90.00 92.99 B+ 87.00 89.99 B 83.00 86.99 B- 80.00 82.99 C+ 77.00 79.99 C 73.00 76.99 C- 70.00 72.99 D+ 67.00 69.99 D 63.00 66.99 D- 60.00 62.99 F Below 60.00 Grading Policies: Percentages will not be rounded up at any time in the class or in the submission of final grades. Do not expect a response to emails asking me to round, adjust, or add points to your grade. Exam scores are adjusted when necessary; such adjustments are made immediately after each exam and applied to all students taking that exam. No other grade adjustments are made. 1. Examinations There will be five multiple- choice examinations. Each exam will cover material from an approximate three- week period; exams are not cumulative. Material will come from both the book and lecture. Exams will be held during class periods on the dates indicated on the Class Schedule (see last page of this Syllabus). 2. Blackboard Quizzes There will be five online quizzes available for you to take during the semester, worth 20% of your grade in this course. You will receive points simply for completing each quiz. They are not graded, but are for your own learning and exam review. These will be available on our Blackboard course site, on the Quizzes page. Be sure to follow all quiz instructions carefully to ensure you earn all points. Due dates and policies: All quizzes must be completed by the date and time indicated on the Class Schedule (see last page of this Syllabus). There are no make- ups for quizzes, and I will not respond to emails asking for an extension or points for quizzes not submitted by the deadline. Quizzes are available for extended periods of time, and it is your responsibility to complete all questions within the allotted timeframe. If you have problems with Blackboard while completing a quiz, you must contact myself or the TA to report the problem before the deadline. 2
3. In- Class Activities There will be an assortment of random in- class assignments throughout the semester, worth 8% of your total grade. These activities will include minute or reaction papers, responses to in- class questions, or quick case diagnoses. All activities will be submitted on paper, scantrons, or similar during class. No make- ups or late activities are allowed. General Course Policies Basic Classroom Guidelines To create a learning community, please be respectful and courteous to your fellow classmates and the instructor. Here are the guidelines I ask you to follow to help us learn: I start lectures on time. Be prepared to start on time as well. Try not to leave before the end of lecture so as not to distract others. Chatting and side conversations are very distracting to your fellow students, prevent them from hearing the lecture, and can negatively impact their grades. Chatting in class is also rude to the instructor and to those around you. Please turn off cell phones, ipods, etc. during class. Use of laptops in lecture: I prefer that you do not use laptops in lecture, based partly on research showing that students who use laptops tend to earn lower grades in the class. The grades of students sitting next to those with laptops are also negatively affected. Laptop screens are often a distraction for neighboring students. Please take notes on paper, or on the slides I will provide. You are likely to find this is better for recall on exams. Slides I use slides for lectures and make a slide presentation available for each topic by posting it on the Blackboard site. Slides are usually available on Blackboard a day or two prior to each lecture; I will always post an announcement when they are ready to be downloaded. I recommend that you print out the slides and take notes on them in class, for several reasons. First, I cannot move through my slides at a rate that will satisfy all students. If you have the slides in front of you, there is not a need to ask me to slow down so you can write down everything on them. Second, trying to write down everything that is on the slides, in addition to what I say about them, is not a good strategy. You should focus on listening and reading, and on writing down just important ideas, examples, and details that accompany the slide content. Attendance It is your responsibility to attend class. Assigned readings will not cover all required material, and lectures will be essential for determining what you will need to know for exams. It will be to your advantage to come to class. I do not give out notes. If you miss a lecture, get a copy of the notes from a conscientious note- taker. You do not need to inform me of your absence. 3
Make- Up Policy For this course, all make- up exams will be held during our allotted exam time during Finals Week (see Class Schedule on last page of this Syllabus). If you miss an exam, for any reason, you can make up that exam during this class period. No documentation is required. Please note that make- up exams are likely to be more difficult than the in- class exams, primarily because they are comprised of several essay questions. It will benefit you to take the in- class exams when they are given. You can take more than one make- up exam during our allotted exam time, but you will only have the specified final exam period (2 hours), in which to complete all exams. If you must take a make- up, read the chapters and review all material missed very carefully in order to obtain the best grade. No make- ups are available for in- class activities, Blackboard quizzes, or any extra credit. Study Tips On our course Blackboard site, you can download a PDF file of Study Tips (see the Syllabus and Course Info page). If you are struggling in the class, be sure to ask for help. I want you to succeed in my class and learn about psychology! Extra Credit There may be opportunities for extra credit in this course, but it is not guaranteed. Students and faculty conduct research projects and often need subjects. Depending on the time commitment involved, I may assign a small number of extra credit points for participation. Participation must be verified by the researchers; informing me that you participated is unacceptable. Alternative assignments are made available for any study. Recording Lectures In this class, you may record audio of the lectures for personal use, but you may not distribute those recordings on any website or other public forum. If you would like to record my lectures with a tape recorder, please ask my permission. University of Missouri System Executive Order No. 38 lays out principles regarding the sanctity of classroom discussions at the university. The policy is described fully in Section 200.015 of the Collected Rules and Regulations. Redistribution of audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course is prohibited without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Students found to have violated this policy are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of Section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters. Intellectual Property Notice All course materials including but not limited to the syllabus, course assignments, study guides, learning guides, online lecture videos and content, and lab book (i.e. course pack) 4
are property of the instructor and University and may not be shared online or distributed in any manner to others. Students are prohibited from posting course materials or notes online and from selling notes to or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course. Doing so will constitute both an academic integrity violation and a copyright violation. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to civil penalties and criminal liability. Violations of academic integrity may subject you to disciplinary action under University policies. Academic Honesty Academic integrity is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards breaches of the academic integrity rules as extremely serious matters. Sanctions for such a breach may include academic sanctions from the instructor, including failing the course for any violation, to disciplinary sanctions ranging from probation to expulsion. In this course, cheating, or the appearance of it, will result in an automatic zero on that exam. Such actions include displaying a test for others to see, looking at another person's test paper, attempting to communicate in any manner with another student during the test, or irregularities in research participation materials. In addition, any incident of cheating will be reported to the provost s office. Ethical Behavior Smaller classes in particular require ethical and respectful behavior; this is a basic expectation of the course. By being a student in this class, you are agreeing to be respectful to me and to others in this class. Respect may involve any of the following: 1) coming to class on time and remaining in class for the entire time; 2) turning off your phone and any other electronic devices before class begins; 3) listening thoughtfully to your peers and commenting appropriately; and 4) following guidelines regarding academic integrity. Any inappropriate or disrespectful classroom behavior can result in academic discipline. MU Connect and Student Success Our course is involved in a student success early alert initiative at the University of Missouri. Throughout the term, you may receive emails from MU Connect regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. You can also login to Blackboard and click on the MU Connect tab to view academic alerts and detailed information. Please pay attention to these emails and information and consider taking the recommended actions. 5
Accommodations For Students With Disabilities If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need to make arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please let me know as soon as possible. If disability- related accommodations are necessary (for example, a note taker, extended time on exams), please register with the Office of Disability Services (http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu), S5 Memorial Union, 573-882- 4696, and then notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. For other MU resources for students with disabilities, click on "Disability Resources" on the MU homepage. Student Psychological Services The study of abnormal psychology can expose a student to a variety of issues with which many people can identify. An issue discussed or covered in class may have some personal relevance to you or to those close to you. The University offers confidential counseling services, at no charge, to registered students. These services may be acquired through the Counseling Center located at 119 Parker Hall 882-6601. Course Changes and Communication This syllabus is subject to change based on the needs of the course or on instructor judgment. It is your responsibility to check Blackboard on a frequent and regular basis for all communications about the course, including updates and changes to the syllabus. 6
Class Schedule and Assignments Week Date Topic Assignments 1 8/24 Introduction, Course Overview None 8/26 History and Background Ch 1 8/28 Models of Abnormality Ch 3 2 8/31 Models of Abnormality 9/2 Research in Abnormal Psychology Ch 2 9/4 Research in Abnormal Psychology 3 9/7 Labor Day No class 9/9 Finish/Review for Exam 1 Quiz 1 Due* 9/11 Exam 1 4 9/14 Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Ch 4 9/16 Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment 9/18 No class 5 9/21 Anxiety, OCD, and Related Disorders Ch 5 9/23 Anxiety, OCD, and Related Disorders 9/25 Disorders of Trauma and Stress Ch 6 6 9/28 Disorders of Trauma and Stress 9/30 Finish/Review for Exam 2 Quiz 2 Due* 10/2 Exam 2 7 10/5 Depressive and Bipolar Disorders Ch 7 10/7 Depressive and Bipolar Disorders 10/9 Treatments for Depressive and Bipolar Disorders Ch 8 8 10/12 Disorders Featuring Somatic Sxs Ch 10 10/14 Disorders Featuring Somatic Sxs 10/16 Eating Disorders Ch 11 9 10/19 Eating Disorders 10/21 Finish/Review for Exam 3 Quiz 3 Due* 10/23 Exam 3 10 10/26 Substance Use and Addictive Disorders Ch 12 10/28 Substance Use and Addictive Disorders 10/30 Disorders of Sex and Gender Ch 13 11 11/2 Schizophrenia Ch 14 11/4 Schizophrenia 11/6 No class (continued on next page) 7
Week Date Topic Assignments 12 11/9 Treatments for Schizophrenia Ch 15 11/11 Finish/Review for Exam 4 Quiz 4 Due* 11/13 Exam 4 13 11/16 Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence Ch 17 11/18 Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence 11/20 Disorders of Aging and Cognition Ch 18 14 11/23-27 Thanksgiving Break No class 15 11/30 Disorders of Aging and Cognition 12/2 Personality Disorders Ch 16 12/4 Personality Disorders 16 12/7 Finish/Review for Exam 5 Quiz 5 Due* 12/9 Exam 5 12/11 Reading Day No class Finals 12/14 ALL Make- up Exams: Monday, 10:00 am - noon * All quizzes must be completed by 11:59 pm CST, on date indicated. 8