Partner Psychological Disorders Project
Requirements:
 10 minutes in length, PowerPoint or Prezi
 Must include a film clip (Less than 3 minutes) with an example of your disorder from
TV, movie, or your own creation.
 Use at least 5 sources (not including the textbook).
Include:
 The definition of the disorder and diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV or 5, including
symptoms)
 A sample case of the disorder – this will likely be your movie clip
 Two media references to books, movies, or songs related to the disorder (e.g. A
Beautiful Mind for schizophrenia)
 Potential causes of the disorder from the various perspectives
 How the disorder affects the brain (or how defects in the brain cause the disorder).
Include specific brain parts/neurotransmitters involved
 Treatment
o What drugs are used, if any? How do they affect neurotransmitters/the
brain?
o Non-medical treatment (e.g. therapy)
o Relative effectiveness of treatments
 List of sources used (APA style)
To get an A, you should make sure that…
 The PowerPoint slides reflect professionalism. They are not too busy; there are key
points (just the skeleton of what you want to present) and no long sentences or
paragraphs
 Graphics are included; they are meaningful and help communicate the topic.
 The presentation is ORGANIZED in a creative way that makes sense.
 Your presentation is interesting and engaging. Keep it at your audience’s level of
knowledge and interest. Make it relevant and helpful. What would people need to
know if a family member was diagnosed? It is not a doctoral dissertation.
 You are giving us the big picture. Remember, less information is sometimes more.
Instead of presenting a long list of symptoms or a list of drugs to treat the disorder,
focus on the MAJOR symptoms and why these are important.
 You have done your homework! Do not just go to the first website that you find (e.g.
depression.com) and copy everything from there. Think critically! Are there differing
perspectives on the symptoms, seriousness, or even existence of the disorder? What
about treatment options?
 Your presentation is not too long or short. This requires practice.
 You go above and beyond in some way. For example, you might incorporate a short
demonstration or activity, interview someone with the disorder or a clinician who
treats it, include newly discovered information or share news about emerging
treatments.
Scoring:
____ (10)
_____(10)
_____(5)
_____(10)
_____(10)
_____(5)
_____(5)
_____(10)
_____(10)
_____(75)
Definition & description with DSM criteria
Case study of disorder
Two media examples
Causes (different perspectives)
Treatment methods (different perspectives)
Time (10 minutes)
Teamwork (equal time is evident)
Presentation of material
APA sources
Total
Helpful sites:
http://allpsych.com/disorders/disorders_alpha.html
http://www.behavenet.com/apa-diagnostic-classification-dsm-iv-tr (has lists of movies and books that
feature the disorder)