PSYC 3318: Abnormal Psychology
SUMMER II 2014
10:30am – 12:30pm MTWR Room LS 100
INSTRUCTORS
Erin Boyd
CAMPUS OFFICE
407 Life Science
OFFICE HOURS
Mondays 1-2
EMAIL
erin.boyd@mavs.uta.edu
Cheryl Abellanoza
513 Life Science
Wednesdays 1-2
cheryl.abellanoza@mavs.uta.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A course designed to provide information about the diagnostic assessment, major
forms of psychopathology, classification, etiology, and treatment of major disorders.
REQUIRED TEXTS: Barlow, D. H., & Durand, M. V. (2014). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative
Approach (7th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
GRADING: Two exams will be given throughout the semester. Each exam will be worth 100 points, and will
have a combination of multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and short answer/essay questions. Exam
questions will be taken from class lectures and assigned readings. The mid-term exam will be a take home
exam and the final will be given in class.
Additionally, there will be 5 pop quizzes, consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions, and 2
diagnostic description papers.
Assignment
Maximum Points
Percentage of Final Grade
Diagnostic Description (2)
100 points each
40%
Pop Quizzes (5)
25 points each
20%
Mid-Term (Take-Home)
100
20%
Final Exam
100
20%
Total
500
100%
Grades will be posted on Blackboard in the Grade Center. Final grades for the course will be assigned based
upon how many points out of the total possible points you achieve, as seen in the table below:
Letter Grade
Percentage of Points
Points Required
A
90.0 – 100
450+
B
80.0 – 89.9
400-449
C
70.0 – 79.9
350-399
1
D
60.0 – 69.9
300-349
F
0 – 59.9
0-299
MAKE UPS/LATE POLICY: Make-ups will be offered if a student needs to miss an exam for a University of
Texas at Arlington approved absence (see Catalog) or any documented catastrophic event(s). If a student
misses an examination with an approved excuse, an equivalent make-up exam will be given by the professor
during a scheduled appointment (not during class time). If a student misses an examination due to unapproved
reason(s), they will not be able to make up the examination and will receive a 0 on the examination missed.
All assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class on the assigned date, unless they have an approved
reason. For each day an assignment is late, 10% will be taken off the final grade.
Diagnostic Description Case Study
Students will also write two Diagnostic Description Case Studies. These will be written about the main
character in a movie (see list below). Students will identify possible disorders using evidence from the movie
and information from respected sources (e.g., text, websites such as the NIMH, other books, peer-reviewed
journal articles, etc.). The descriptions should discuss the biopsychosocial factors that have bearing on the
person either in creating the disorder or maintaining the disorder. Each paper should include the following:
Title Page, Hypothesized Diagnosis, Factors and Interactions of Factors using a biopsychosocial approach to
diagnosis, and Reference Page – MUST BE IN APA FORMAT.
Each Diagnostic Description Case Study will be worth 100 points and will be evaluated on the following:
 Application of biopsychosocial approach to diagnosis – 40 points
 Evidence supporting diagnosis – 35 points
 Clarity and organization of paper – 15 points
 APA style and grammatical correctness – 10 points
Students can choose from the following movie list (subject to change at instructors’ discretion):
 Leaving Las Vegas
 Girl, Interrupted
 Notes on a Scandal
 Instinct
 As Good As It Gets
 Fatal Attraction
 Good Will Hunting
 One Hour Photo
 Matchstick Men
EXTRA CREDIT: Students can earn up to a maximum of 10 points of extra credit, which equates to 2 total
points to the final grade. Students can earn these points through one of two ways:
 Sign up for studies through the UTA Sona system and earn 5 credits total
 Write 2 two-page, APA-formatted summaries of peer-reviewed journal articles on a class topic
ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to and strongly encouraged to attend all classes. Students do not do
well in this course unless they are present. However, there is no formal attendance requirement and no points
will be earned or subtracted for missing lecture. Students who miss a lecture for any reason or miss portions of
lectures due to tardiness or early departure will still be held accountable for ALL of the material that is covered
2
during those sessions, including materials presented in lecture that are not in the book. Five pop quizzes will be
given throughout the course. Each quiz will be worth 25 points and the lowest quiz will be dropped.
DROP POLICY: As per the University of Texas at Arlington:
(http://wweb.uta.edu/catalog/content/general/academic_regulations.aspx)
“Once a student registers for classes, the University commits resources to provide registered students with
instruction by qualified faculty and sufficient class space for the course. Thus, upon registration, a student
assumes full responsibility for either paying fees in full by a prescribed due date, or notifying the University in
an appropriate time frame that he/she will not attend and take all appropriate action as prescribed to drop a
course(s) and/or officially withdraw from the University.
A student’s registration is not automatically cancelled for non-attendance. A student should either pay fees in
full by the designated deadline or take the appropriate steps to withdraw. To avoid financial responsibility to the
University, this cancellation of enrollment must be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the day
before the first official University class day. Prompt notification also helps to free up class space for other
students who are interested in the same classes.
Courses in the Schedule of Classes are subject to change. Although unusual, a section may be cancelled due to
low enrollment or staffing considerations. The department that cancels the class should notify any students
already enrolled and assist with alternate arrangements. At the beginning of the semester, students should
always check for changes regarding class meeting times or classroom locations.”
For more information and other resources on the impact of dropping on financial aid and scholarships, contact
the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (http://wweb.uta.edu/ses/fao).
E-CULTURE POLICY: The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an
official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide
students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important
information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students
through email. All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is
available at www.uta.edu/email. New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their email account
24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it
remains active as long as a student is enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their
email regularly. I will only use your UTA email account when sending you information.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: If you are a student who requires special accommodations in
compliance with the ADA, please contact me, the instructor, of the course at the beginning of the semester. All
instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with
disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for
this course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in
the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially
documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic
criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at
www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.
OBSERVANCE OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS: Students who must miss an examination, work assignment
or other project because of an observance of a religious holy day will be given the opportunity to complete the
work missed within a reasonable time after the absence (19 Texas Administrative Code §4.4).
3
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: As per the University of Texas at Arlington: “All students are expected to
pursue their academic careers with honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on a test or other course work, plagiarism (offering the work of another as one’s own) and
unauthorized collaboration with another person. Students found responsible for dishonesty in their academic
pursuits are subject to penalties that may range from disciplinary probation to suspension or expulsion from the
University.
In accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System (Rule
50101), institutional procedures regarding allegations of academic dishonesty are outlined in Part Two, Chapter
2, of the UT Arlington Handbook of Operating Procedures. This information may be obtained by accessing the
Student Judicial Affairs Web site at www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/conduct/.”
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES: The University supports a variety of student success programs to help
you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance,
developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs.
Students requiring assistance academically, personally or socially should contact the Office of Student Success
Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
BOMB THREATS: If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA will attempt to trace the
phone call and prosecute all responsible parties. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation of
presentations/tests caused by the bomb threat. Unannounced alternate sites will be available for these classes.
Your instructor will make you aware of alternate class sites in the event that your classroom is not available.
RIGHT TO GRIEVANCE: As per the University of Texas at Arlington: It is the obligation of the student, in
attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter
with the instructor with whom the grievance originated. Individual instructors retain primary responsibility for
assigning grades. The instructor’s judgment is final unless compelling evidence shows preferential treatment or
procedural irregularities. If students wish to appeal, their requests must be submitted in writing on an Academic
Grievance Form available in departmental or program offices to the department chair or program director.
Before considering a grievance, the department chair or program director will refer the issue to a departmental
or program committee of graduate faculty. If the committee cannot reach a decision acceptable to the parties
involved, the department chair or program director will issue a decision on the grievance. If students are
dissatisfied with the chair or director’s decision, they may appeal the case to the academic dean. If they are
dissatisfied with the academic dean’s decision, they may appeal it to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students
have one year from the day grades are posted to initiate a grievance concerning a grade.” (For grievances other
than those related to grades, please see below.)
As per the University of Texas at Arlington: “In attempting to resolve graduate student grievances, the student
must first make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the individual with whom the grievance originated.
Grievances involving matters other than grades are appealed to the department chair or office director, then to
the Dean of Graduate Studies (except in personnel matters, in which cases the appeal is to the Provost unless
questions regarding a graduate assistant or graduate associate are involved), Vice President for Business Affairs,
or Vice President for Undergraduate Academic and Student Affairs, as determined by the nature of the
grievance. If the matter remains unresolved at this level, the student may appeal to the Provost. The decision of
the Provost is final.”
4
COURSE SCHEDULE
Please note the schedule is subject to change at the instructors’ discretion.
Week
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Date
7/8 T
Topic
Introduction/Syllabus/Historical Context
Reading
Chapter 1
7/9 W
Integrative Approach to Psychopathology
Chapter 2
7/10 R
Clinical Assessment, Diagnosis, Research Methods
Chapter 3/4
7/14 M
Anxiety, Trauma, Stress, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Chapter 5
7/15 T
Anxiety, Trauma, Stress, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Chapter 5
7/16 W
Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders
Chapter 6
7/17 R
Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders, handout midterm
Chapter 6
7/21 M
Mood Disorders & Suicide
Chapter 7
7/22 T
Mood Disorders & Suicide
Chapter 7
7/23 W
Eating and Sleep-Wake Disorders
Chapter 8
7/24 R
Eating and Sleep-Wake Disorders; Midterm DUE
Chapter 8
7/28 M
Physical Disorders and Health Psychology
Chapter 9
7/29 T
Sexual & Gender Identity Disorders
Chapter 10
7/30 W
Substance Related & Impulse Control; Case Study #1 DUE
Chapter 11
7/31 R
Personality Disorders
Chapter 12
8/4 M
Personality Disorders
Chapter 12
8/5 T
Schizophrenia & Psychotic Disorders
Chapter 13
8/6 W
Schizophrenia & Psychotic Disorders
Chapter 13
8/7 R
(Movie/Review day); Case study #2 DUE
8/11 M
Final Exam
Important Dates:
 Take home mid-term handout: Thursday July 17th
 Take home mid-term due: Thursday July 24th
 Diagnostic Description Case Study due: Thursday July 30th and August 7th
 FINAL EXAM: Monday August 11th
5