PSYCH 342 - Abnormal Psychology
Outcomes
- Articulate the differences between "abnormal" and "normal" behavior.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of major psychological disorders from a historical, biological, and psychological perspective.
- Understand and engage the controversial issues and major theoretical explanations of disorders in the field of clinical and counseling psychology.
- Examine and critique current research on psychological disorders.
- Describe and compare the effectiveness of various forms of treatment.
Description
This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of the history, research methods, classification, assessment, diagnosis, causes (etiology), course, prognosis, and treatment of mental disorders. Given that there is sufficient literature to warrant a separate course on each disorder, the focus will be limited to gaining a general understanding of the current issues being faced by mental health professionals with respect to the aforementioned overview.
Learning Model Architecture
Students will prepare by reading and studying textbook chapters, and completing reading quizzes.
Students will teach one another by participating in small group discussions around chapter topics.
Students will ponder and prove by completing writing assignments related to the textbook and other book readings.
Required Materials
| Comer, R. J. (2016). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. | |||
| Miller, R. B. (2015). Not So Abnormal Psychology: A Pragmatic View of Mental Illness. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. | |||
| Brown, H. (2011). Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia. New York, NY: Harper Collins. | |||
| Saks, E. R. (2007). The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness. New York, NY: Hyperion. |
Assignments
Formative
- Studying chapter and completing Reading Quiz takes approx 2 hrs every week
- Chapter Quizzes take approx 30 mins every week
NSAP Chapter Outline
- approx. 1 hr assignment due in Lessons 02–03, 06, 08, 10–12
Gather in Small Groups
- 30 min weekly virtual meeting, led by a student
Small Groups Gathering Discussion
- weekly discussion board used to report on gathering attendance
Written Test
- Short-answer tests in Lessons 02–03, 06, 08, 10–12
Additional Readings & Responses
- Reading in Lessons 05–08 (Brave Girl Eating) and 10–13 (Center Cannot Hold)
- Brief written response in each lesson
Cumulative Exams
- Four in total, lessons 04, 07, 09, 14
Grading Policies
The grade book for this course has no weighted categories—what you see is what you get.
The grade scale for this course is as follows:
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 93–100% |
| A- | 90–92% |
| B+ | 86–89% |
| B | 83–85% |
| B- | 80–92% |
| C+ | 76–79% |
| C | 73–75% |
| C- | 70–72% |
| D+ | 66–69% |
| D | 63–65% |
| D- | 60–62% |
| F | 59% and below |
Late Work Policy
Late work is not accepted. However, your Instructor may extend deadlines if you experience extenuating circumstances. Contact your Instructor to discuss personal or emergency situations.
Help
Tutoring
Tutoring options for online students are available through the Academic Support Center. Check the details in the link provided.
Online Support Center
The Online Support Center (OSC) is available to help you with problems in online courses. If you have questions about this course, the instructor, technical difficulties, or your online learning experience, please contact the OSC:
Phone: (208) 496-1800
Toll-free Phone: (866) 672-2984
Email: onlinelearning@byui.edu
Live Chat: To access the chat feature, please visit the website
Website: Online Support Center
Disclaimers
You have the responsibility to carefully read assigned materials and instructions. Questions should be noted and directed to your instructor. You also have the responsibility to contribute to others’ learning through your participation in discussions.
This syllabus and the course schedule may be changed at any time prior to or during the semester as the need arises. You will be notified by your instructor of any changes and may view them in the course documents.
University Policies
Read the University Policies page found in the Welcome module in the course. See information there about student honor, students with disabilities, sexual harassment, complaints and grievances, and copyright policies. Students with disabilities should contact their instructor regarding many of the activities.
Academic Honesty
As followers of Christ, all BYU-Idaho students, staff, and faculty are expected to be honest in all their dealings. This honesty also applies and extends to behavior and actions related to academic work. It is critical for you to understand the seriousness of academic dishonesty and misconduct and strive to produce and submit only the results of your own effort and original work. While you are encouraged to work with one another and share ideas, the sharing of text, code, or anything like it for individual assignments is inappropriate. There is never an acceptable excuse for plagiarism or cheating. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated by the University.
Your instructor will be responsible for creating and applying policies and penalties for academic dishonesty, which may include point deductions, a score of zero on an entire assignment, and referral to the Student Honor Office. Cases will be analyzed on an individual basis and penalties applied according to the severity of the misconduct.
Copyright
Materials on BYU Idaho I-Learn and related sites may be protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). These materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.