PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
Instructor:
Class Meetings:
Office Hours:
Course News,
Documents etc.
Mark J. Sciutto, Ph.D.
TR 9:30 - 10:45; Moyer Hall, Room 302
WF 9:45-10:45, TR 1:00-2:00, or by appointment.
Room 217 Moyer (Phone: Ext. 3649)
E-Mail: sciutto@muhlenberg.edu
Blackboard.com ( http://blackboard3.muhlenberg.edu/ ). This link is also available from the MuhlNet Start Page.
Required Texts:
Barlow, D.H. & Durand, (2009). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (5th Edition).
Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Textbook Website (contains practice quizzes, web links, and other resources). Go to http://www.cengage.com/pubco/search.html
, and search for Barlow and Durand.
Additional Readings:
Additional readings will be made available via Blackboard.
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
Course Objectives:
 To develop a greater understanding of the nature, causes and treatment of abnormal behavior.
 To critically evaluate theories, research and treatments of abnormal behavior.
 To foster empathy and sensitivity toward people suffering from psychological disorders
Consistent with mission of the Psychology department at Muhlenberg, this course aims to emphasize the following skills:

Critical thinking skills

Oral and written communication skills

Ability to review, analyze, and synthesize an existing body of research

Appropriate use of library and electronic resources

Professionalism
For a detailed description of the goals and skills emphasized by the psychology major at
Muhlenberg, go to http://www.muhlenberg.edu/depts/psychology/mission.htm
Grading Procedures:
The final course grade will be determined as follows:
Exam 1
Exam 2
20%
20%
Exam 3 20%
Application Assignment 15%
Research Paper 25%
Research In Psychology REQ
Exam and assignment grades will be assigned according to the following numerical equivalents:
93 - 100 A
90 - 92 A-
87 - 89 B+
83 - 86 B
80 - 82 B-
77 - 79 C+
73 - 76 C
70 - 72 C-
65 - 69 D
Below 65 F
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
Course Requirements:
In-Class Examinations: (60%) Three in-class examinations will be administered. The exam format will include multiple choice, true/false, short answer (3-4 sentences) and essay questions. If you have a conflict with any exam, you must notify me at least 48 hours in advance. Make-up exams will only be given for the following reasons, (1) sickness—you must bring me appropriate documentation verifying your illness, (2) a family emergency/crisis/death—must be verified by the Dean of Students. If an exam is missed for reasons other than those listed above and I am not notified ahead of time, you will receive a zero for that exam.
Research Paper: (25%) The goal of this assignment is to enhance research and writing skills by critically evaluating a specific contemporary issue in abnormal psychology (e.g., controlled drinking therapy, "overdiagnosis of ADHD"). Specifically, you will be asked to (a) gather
"evidence" on this issue from a variety of sources , (b) critically evaluate that evidence and
(c) formulate a clear, concise argument based on your analysis of the evidence.
Specific guidelines will be distributed near the beginning of the semester. All papers should use APA format. Preliminary drafts will be due throughout the semester. You are strongly encouraged to seek feedback frequently throughout the semester.
Application Assignments: (15%) The primary goals of the application assignment are to
(a) reinforce material covered in class (and the readings) by applying a specific concept to a specific person, observation or event, and (b) stimulate reflection and critical analysis beyond the classroom. The topics covered in this course are very likely to affect each and every one of us in some way or another. Mental health issues are prominent in the media as well as in our own lives. During this course, there will surely be moments that you encounter mental health issues in one way or another. These are prime opportunities for the application assignment. You are required to complete one of these assignments. There are several possible ways to complete this assignment. A list of examples will be distributed near the beginning of the semester. You may choose any assignment from this list or arrange for a comparable alternate assignment with the instructor. The content of the assignments should coincide with the material covered in class. Each assignment will involve a 15 minute oral presentation to the class (see schedule). Some presentations may be scheduled during the final examination period. Attendance at these presentations is required for all students, even if you are not presenting. If you do not attend the final period, you will receive an “Incomplete” for the class. You are then subjected to College procedures regarding an incomplete grade (see student handbook).
Research in Psychology.* Research is the foundation of the information you learn in class and being an active participant in this arena allows you to better understand the field of psychology. Therefore, the Psychology Department has adopted a policy for its courses that requires students to interact with psychological research inside and outside of the classroom.
You may satisfy the research requirement for this course in one of two ways:
(a) Participate in Research Studies: Give back to the research community through participation in studies being conducted by psychology peers and faculty members.
Students must participate in two studies to satisfy the requirement for this class. You
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto) can find studies that qualify for this requirement by looking on the Research Board just outside the Psychology Department Office (Moyer 227). or
(b) Analyze Psychology Research in the Popular Press: Students who do not wish to participate in studies or are unable to find studies with sign-up times that match their schedules, may complete an alternative research assignment (see me for details).
*Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in up to a 2-point deduction from your final course grade.
Attendance: Although attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. Attendance records will be used in determining borderline courses grades (e.g., Johnny has a 92.9 average and has only missed one class--he gets an A; Jimmy also has a 92.9 average and he has missed 10 classes--he gets an A-). A word of caution: In the past, students who have missed multiple classes have not done very well. Your presence and active participation are essential to learning in this course.
Academic Integrity: You are expected to conduct yourself in accordance with the
Academic Behavior Code of Muhlenberg College
( http://www.muhlenberg.edu/mgt/provost/academic/abc.html
). Honesty is an essential aspect of academic integrity. Individual students are responsible for doing their own work and for not taking credit for the effort and ideas of others. This includes plagiarism, cheating and not contributing to group projects. This obligation is based on mutual trust and is essential to meeting the goals of this course. Academic dishonesty of any type on exams, quizzes or other graded work will not be tolerated.
Some important points about academic integrity:
1.
Unless collaboration is explicitly permitted, you should assume that every course assignment or assessment (i.e., exams) is to be completed individually. This means that you are to work on course assignments by yourself – not with your friend, roommate or anyone else. Any violation of this restriction will be considered a violation of the Academic Behavior Code and will result in an automatic failure for the assignment. If you are struggling with an assignment, you should consult with me during office hours or make an appointment.
2.
You are responsible for keeping drafts, references/sources, disk copies, and backup copies of all of your written assignments, to turn in upon my request until final grades are completed.
3.
You should begin your work early. An unforeseen event arising the night before a paper is due is not a legitimate reason for a paper extension. When submitting assignments electronically, you should request confirmation that your assignment has been received or you should save some form of confirmation that your e-mail was sent (each e-mail program differs in how to do this).
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
4.
You are responsible for taking precautions that your work (especially written work that paraphrases another written source). If I determine that you have copied all or part of an exam or paper from another source (including another student, a web page, a textbook, or other published source), you will receive a failing grade in this course. If your written work includes material that is paraphrased unacceptably from the original source, I will ask you to re-submit the written work and I will lower the assignment grade by 10%.
5.
On all work submitted for a grade, you must write and sign the following pledge: “I pledge that I have complied with the Academic Behavior Code in this work.”
Students with Disabilities. Students with disabilities requesting classroom or course accommodations must complete a multi-faceted application/approval process through the
Office of Disability Services prior to the development and implementation of an
Accommodation Plan. Each Plan is individually and collaboratively developed with the directors or other staff of the following Departments, as appropriate: Academic Resource
Center, Counseling Services, Student Health Services, and the Office of Disability Services.
If you have not already done so, please contact the appropriate Department to begin a dialogue regarding your academic needs and recommended accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. Students with disabilities who may need disability-related accommodations are encouraged to make an appointment to see me during the first two weeks of class.
Important Note about Information Technology:
In this course, you will be required to make extensive use of the information technology available at Muhlenberg. You will be using a software program called Blackboard © to exchange documents electronically, communicate outside of class, and stay updated on class events. Students who are less comfortable with information technology should schedule an appointment with me so that I can help orient you to the various tools we will be using.
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
Course Outline
Date
8/31 (T)
9/2 (R)
9/7 (T)
9/9 (R)
9/14 (T)
9/16 (R)
9/21 (T)
9/23 (R)
9/28 (T)
9/30 (R)
Topic
Introduction; Normal vs. Abnormal Behavior
Case Example (Ron); Abnormal Behavior in Historical
Context:
Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context (cont.)
The Integrative Approach to Psychopathology: Biological,
Behavioral and Social Influences
The Integrative Approach to Psychopathology: Cognitive and Emotional Influences
Introduction to Assessment & Diagnosis
Psychological Assessment and Diagnosis (cont.); Discussion
Group: Are Psychiatric Diagnoses Valid and/or Useful?
Research Issues in the Study of Abnormality
Exam 1
Readings
Barlow: Chpt. 1
Case: Ron
Barlow: Chpt. 2; Handouts
Barlow: Chpt. 3
Rosenhan (1973)
Spitzer (1975)
Barlow Chpt 4.
Anxiety Disorders: Understanding Anxiety; Focus on Panic
Disorder
Barlow Chpt 5
10/5 (T) Anxiety Disorders: Focus on OCD
10/7 (R) Anxiety Disorders: Presentations
10/12 (T) Mood Disorders: Depressive Disorders (Unipolar)
10/14 (R) Mood Disorders: Bipolar Depression
10/21 (R) Mood Disorders: Treatment Approaches
(1 or 2 Presentations)
Barlow Chpt. 7
Handouts
(1 or 2 Presentations)
10/26 (T) Anger Disorders
10/28 (R) Anger Disorders (cont.)
11/2 (T) Presentations
Case: Dave
DiGiuseppe & Tafrate
(2007)
(2 Presentations)
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
11/4 (R)
11/9 (T)
Anger Disorders (cont.)
Exam 2
11/11 (R) Disorders of Childhood: ADHD and Disruptive Behavior
Disorders (DBD)
11/16 (T) Disorders of Childhood: Pervasive Developmental
Disorders
11/18 (R) Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders
11/23 (T) Schizophrenia; Etiology; Personality Disorders
11/30 (T) Personality Disorders
12/2 (R) Presentations
12/7 (T)
12/9 (R)
12/13 -
12/17
Substance Use Disorders
Discussion: Abstinence vs. Controlled Drinking
Exam 3 (Date TBD)
Barlow Chpt. 14
Barlow Chpt. 13
Barlow Chpt. 12
(3 Presentations)
Barlow Chpt. 11
Peele (1992)
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PSY213 Syllabus (Sciutto)
Additional Readings
DiGiuseppe, R. & Tafrate, R.C. (2007). Understanding Anger Disorders. Oxford University
Press (pp. 18 – 58)
Peele, S. (1989, 1995), What Is Addiction, and How Do People Get It? Values, Intentions,
Self-Restraint, and Environments. In Diseasing of America: How we allowed recovery zealots and the
treatment industry to convince us we are out of control. Lexington, MA/San Francisco: Lexington
Books/Jossey-Bass. http://www.peele.net/lib/diseasing6.html
Rosenhan, D.L. (1973). On being sane in insane places, Science, 179, 250-258.
Spitzer, R.L. (1975). On pseudoscience in science, logic in remission, and psychiatric diagnosis: A critique of Rosenhan's "On being sane in insane places." Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 84, 442-452.
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