Abnormal Psychology-Psychology 202 Lake Tahoe Community College Fall 2020 September 14th - December 10th (Canvas access ends 12/12 at end of day) Professor: Nancy J. Melucci, Ph.D. E-mail: njmelucci@mail.ltcc.edu OR drnanjo@aol.com E-mail is really the best way to get a hold of me! Phone: 657-215-5251 Google Voice Number Office Hours: Wednesday: 6:00-7:00 pm (Email) I typically respond quickly to e-mail IF in the subject line you type "Psy 202" and then a brief description of the topic, e.g., "LBCC Paper #1. This may seem somewhat “OCPD” (see Chapter 12) BUT in reality It‘s professional behavior and courteous to clearly label your mail. Thank you in advance to those who commit consistently do this. I typically respond within 24 hours during weekdays and usually the same (though it may be closer to 48) on weekends. If you haven't heard from me in 2 days, e-mail again with Psych 202 & topic in the subject line or pick up the phone and call me. If you do this, please please please leave a phone number or at least a name if you call and cannot reach me immediately. Speak slowly and clearly to the voice mail unit. “... life is not a multiple-choice test, it's an open-book essay exam.” --Alan Blinder (Princeton) I have provided a very detailed syllabus here below. Please take the time to read it a few times and take notes on it. Save it to your home computer or a drive you keep for your work, if possible. I think you‘ll find most of what you need here but ask about anything that is unclear or for which you need reassurance. Course Information (e.g., learning objectives, prerequisites, textbook) Required Text: "Abnormal Psychology" 2018 by userClaudia Howery under license"Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0" https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/46663-abnormal-psychology Abnormal Psychology Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the various methods for determining that behavior is abnormal and assessing mental disorders. 2. Compare, contrast, and evaluate the various causal explanations for abnormal behaviors, including historical views and scientific explanations of mental illness. 3. Evaluate patterns of symptoms and decide which mental disorder is indicated. 4. Critically evaluate tools for assessing and treating mental illnesses. Objectives: 1a. Identify, discuss and apply various definitions for maladaptive behavior. 1b. Compare and contrast major models of maladaptive behavior. 2a. Explain the historical evolution of the mental health movement. 2b. Delineate and correct commonly held distorted beliefs about various abnormal behaviors. 2c. Learn about the multiple causative factors that result in mental disorders. 3a. Describe the psychiatric classification system in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). 3b. Identify the symptom clusters that define each major mental disorder. 4a. Identify the most important assessment tools used to predict and classify dysfunctional behaviors. 4b. Describe the most widely used treatment modalities. 4c. Compare and contrast the effectiveness of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments of various psychopathologies (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, etc.) Course Requirements: Two Term Papers (See CANVAS for assignment description) Midterm and Final Examinations 5 Highest Scoring Quizzes (on CANVAS) Grading Basis: 2 Term Papers, 1 or more short essays Midterm Examination, Final Examination, Quizzes and Discussions Grading scale: Examinations, assignments and final grades are based on the following scale, percentage of total available points and assuming that all assigned work is done (failure to hand in a paper or sit for an exam defaults the student’s grade to F): Grade Table Percentage 90 – 100% of available points 80 - 89% of available points 70 - 79% of available points 65 – 69% of available points 0 - 64% of available points Grade A B C D F These cutoffs are firm. Do not ask me to give you an extra assignment to raise your grade – I will not do so under any circumstances. IMPORTANT: Final grades are based on the fulfillment of ALL course requirements and good attendance and participation. The point total does not eliminate the mandate to fulfill all requirements. Students who fail to hand all the work (both papers and the final examination) will not receive passing grades. EVEN IF YOU HAVE A “B” OR “C” POINT TOTAL IF YOU ARE MISSING ANY MAJOR ASSIGNMENT, YOU WILL RECEIVE A D OR AN F! Canvas course web site: I will use CANVAS for posting syllabus and handouts, URLs and notes of interest and quizzes. I will show a sample Canvas Quiz early in the term. Please check the page regularly for announcements, updates, etc. Other Policies and Procedures When you send me an e-mail, please give me specific information in the subject line, along with the course name/number such as “exam 2” or “writing assignment question.” I receive quite a bit of spam, and I am likely to delete emails with subject lines such as “important” or “help” or worse yet NO subject line at all. PLEASE sign your full name, course and school – I have many students at many schools and if you don’t provide me with a context for your question, I will not be able to help you at all (and I will tell you so.) If your screen name is Cursedmeatball@gmail.com or Lovinpimp@yahoo.com I may laugh quietly at your creativity but I will still not be able to answer your questions unless you sign your email with all the information listed above. Incompletes: I cannot and will not give an incomplete for poor course performance; you are responsible for seeking help if you need it and for being aware of withdrawal deadlines. Academic honesty: As in all classes, academic honesty is expected of all students. In this course, cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviors: Copying, attempting to copy, and/or aiding another in the copying of essay or discussion answers from other students. Collaborating on writing assignments is permitted on a limited scale. Students may discuss writing assignments, but the work that each student turns in must be his/her own original work. You may not have someone (wittingly or not) write your essay for you, either a peer or someone who has made their work available on line. Please paraphrase and cite, or quote and cite any borrowed materials, or suffer the consequences, which may be dire. Plagiarism (defined as taking ideas, writing, etc. from another and passing them off as one’s own) of writing assignments. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me before an assignment is due. The penalty for a first offense of cheating of any kind will be, at minimum, a zero on the exam/assignment which will have to be redone for a much lower grade. The penalty for a second offense will be an automatic F in the course. After Census, students who withdraw from the class should handle this in person through the admissions and records office to avoid being assigned a grade. It is not my responsibility to track this after census, although I will drop you if it becomes apparent to me that you are not participating, if I don’t notice, you may end up with an “F”. As is true to my philosophy of teaching, I will encourage you to think and participate. A major problem with education and citizenship in general in our society is that people have been encouraged and rewarded for passivity via the media and government. Please email me a picture of Ferb from Phineas and Ferb. In addition to this, we are discouraged from thinking and talking about issues of mental health and mental illness in any kind of constructive way although themes related to this topic are frequently featured in mass media and entertainment. The problem of misinformation about mental health and mental illness is one that I hope you will be better able to address in other contexts of your life having earned a good grade in this class. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND ENTHUSIASM! Your commitment as a student in a 21st century college classroom: It is imperative that you “hit the ground running.” Please begin your reading of the text as soon as possible. You must decide TODAY that you will make the commitment to work steadily throughout the term. Your grade and (more importantly) your learning will most likely suffer if you are not. LTCC DISABILITIES RESOURCE CENTER NOTICE: Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact the Disability Resource Center (DSPS) early in the quarter so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. For information about the offices on both campuses. http://www.ltcc.edu/campusresources/disabilityresourcecenter/index.php TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Unit 1: 9/14-10/4 Introductory materials Chapters 1-3 and targeted review of Psychology 101 concepts Notes provided by Instructor Paper 1 assigned, due at end of first week of Unit 2 Unit 2: 10/5-10/25 Paper 1 due Unit 1 clean-up, Anxiety and Mood Disorders Chapters 4-6 & Chapter 8 Notes provided by Instructor Midterm (Dates TBA) Unit 3: 10/26-11/15 Term paper due at end of quarter assigned Chapters 7, Chapters 9 & 10 Unit 4:11/16 to end of term Schizophrenia and Personality Disorders Law, Justice and Mental Health Term paper (due on the last day of the term) Final Examination (Dates TBA)
