PSYC 356: Abnormal Psychology
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Phone:
Dept. Phone:
Time:
Dr. J. Apperson
434-395-2323
434-395-2318
MWF 11-11:50
Office:
Office hours:
e-mail:
Room:
303 Ruffner
M 1-3; TR 2-3:30
appersonjm@longwood.edu
312/314 Ruffner Hall
Course Description: This course offers an examination of abnormal behavior and mental
disorders in adulthood with an emphasis on symptoms, classification, and causes. Some
treatment issues will be explored.
Required Text: Beidel, D.C., Bulik, C.M., & Stanley, M.A., 2014, Abnormal Psychology, 3nd
Ed., Boston: Pearson. ISBN-13:978-0-205-96680-6 Earlier editions will not be acceptable.
Course Objectives: Through class participation and satisfactory performance on three exams, a
class presentation and a comprehensive final exam, students will demonstrate:
1. Familiarity with the historical roots of the understanding of mental disorders and abnormal
behavior.
2. An understanding of the current diagnostic system (DSM).
3. The ability to specify symptoms associated with major mental disorders.
4. An understanding of the frequency and distribution of mental disorders in the general
population.
5. Familiarity with the most popular theories about the causes of some of the mental disorders.
6. Knowledge of the different treatment modalities for some mental disorders.
Grading: Final grades will be based on the average of 3 exams and a comprehensive final exam,
each worth 22.5%. Students will also write a brief paper or make a presentation worth 10%. A
10-point scale will be used for determining A’s, B’s, etc. (subdivided for minuses and pluses).
Class participation may be taken into account; therefore class attendance may be a factor in
determining the final grade.
There are many ways of learning information for this class. All will be important to your final
grade. One way of learning information will be attending class and paying attention to the lecture
free from distractions such as texting, e-mailing and non-related web searches. Direct feedback
from last semester’s students suggests that those who participated in such distractions felt that
their grades suffered. You professor has carefully selected the textbook for this class and you
should consider it another way of learning information. The textbook is very well written and
contains the most up-to-date information available. Because of time constraints, 20% or more of
the material on each exam will be taken from the textbook and will not be covered in class. If
you have questions about any of the material in the book, be sure to ask before the exam. The
application assignment (paper/presentation) is also intended to help you learn the information for
this class.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend class and participate in discussions of
material from class and from the textbook. Failure to attend class regularly will negatively affect
your final grade in the class. Students who are not present on exam days will not be allowed to
make up the missed exam unless arrangements are made prior to the exam (for Longwood
sponsored activities) or when a valid, documented excuse is presented.
Honor Code: The Longwood Honor Code indicates that students are on their honor not to lie,
cheat or steal. Each student is to pledge that they have not done so nor that they know of anyone
else who has done so on all work handed in to the professor. Students are encouraged to study
together but may not receive assistance during the exams. Plagiarism is a violation of the Honor
Code. The exams from this class are NOT to be taken from the building nor copied in any way.
Individual exam questions cannot be copied in any way. Possession or knowledge of the
possession of an exam is a violation of the Honor Code. The Honor Code is based on the need
for trust in an academic community.
Presentations/Papers: The intent of this assignment is to encourage students to apply what is
learned in this class to the world around them. Students are to locate in the popular media (T.V.,
movie, music video, musical selection, book, short story) a fictional example of one of the
psychological disorders studied in the class (I don't want a documentary or a real-life story but it
can be based on a real life story). In class, show a segment of the T.V. show, movie or music
video; play the musical piece; or read a passage and describe what disorder it exemplifies and
how it is or is not an accurate depiction (this will necessitate a description of the characteristics of
the disorder....which you may get from your textbook or the DSM). In the interest of time, you
may have to tell the class what led up to and follows the segment you show. The popular media
are not always correct in their depiction of mental illness; therefore, your grade will be based on
your critical analysis of how it does or does not correctly depict the disorder, so put your
emphasis here! Presentations should include PowerPoint shows with information about the
disorder and sections from the media selection. Only one presentation may be made for each
disorder studied (others must either select another disorder or write a paper). Please submit to me
a handout copy of your PowerPoint slides the day of your presentation. Be sure to review your
presentation for grammatical and spelling errors and use good presentation skills during your
presentations. Students electing to submit a paper should prepare a 2-3 page written formal
analysis meeting the same criteria as detailed above.
Summary: The papers or presentations will likely have 3 sections. The first section will be a
discussion of the diagnostic criteria for the disorder you selected (which you can get from your
textbook or the DSM-5). The second section will be a description of the media selection (or show
us the media selection). And the third section will be your critical analysis of how your media
selection does or does not correctly depict the diagnostic criteria for the disorder (this should be
the longest part and is the basis of your grade).
Tentative Class Schedule and Reading Assignments:
Week
1
Date
0/
01/15
01/17
2
01/20
01/22
01/24
No Class/Last day to ADD/DROP classes 5PM 1/21
Research Methods in Abnormal Psyc.
2
3
01/27
01/29
01/31
Assessment & Diagnosis
3
4
02/03
02/05
Health Psychology (p.499-511)
14
Abnormal Psychology: Historical & Modern Perspectives
Chapter
1
02/07
5
02/10
02/12
02/14
6
Exam I – Chapters 1,2,3, parts of 14 and class material (grade
estimates based on 1st exam only)
Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive, & Trauma-and StressorRelated Disorders
Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Presentations Due
GAD, Panic D/O, Agoraphobia Presentations Due OCD Presentation
Due
4
02/17
02/19
02/21
PTSD Presentation Due
Somatic Symptom, Dissociative, & Factitious Disorders
5
02/24
02/26
02/28
Somatic Symptom D/O Presentation Due
Dissociative D/O Presentation Due
Feeding & Eating Disorders
7
8
03/03
03/05
03/07
Spring Break, No Classes this week
Note: last day to WITHDRAW from a class is Mar. 11, 5pm
No classes 
9
03/10
03/12
03/14
Anorexia Nervosa Presentation Due
Bulimia Nervosa Presentation Due
Exam II - Chapters 4,5,7 & class material
10
03/17
03/19
03/21
Bipolar & Depressive Disorders
03/24
03/26
03/28
Bipolar Disorder Presentation Due
Gender Dysphoria, Sexual Dysfunctions, & Paraphilic Disorders
03/31
04/02
04/04
Gender Dysphoria Presentations Due
04/07
04/09
04/11
Schizophrenia Presentation Due
04/14
04/16
04/18
Personality Disorders
7
11
12
13
14
15
Fri.
04/21
04/23
04/25
05/02
6
Major Depression Presentations Due
Schizophrenia Spectrum & Other Psychotic Disorders
8
10
Exam III - Chapters 6, 8, 10 and class material
11
Presentation on Personality Disorders, special permission only
8:00-10:30 Comprehensive Final Exam
All
Presentation & Paper Topics: Select one from the following list. Please note your selection
and the due date from the syllabus. (Dates in syllabus are subject to change. Changes will be
announced in class)
I. Anxiety Disorders, OCD, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders:
A. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
B. Panic Disorder
C. Agoraphobia
D. Specific Phobia
E. Social Anxiety Disorder
F. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
G. Body Dysmorphic Disorder
H. Hoarding Disorder
I. Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder
J. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
II. Somatic Symptom Disorder and others:
A. Somatic Symptom Disorder
B. Conversion Disorder
C. Illness Anxiety Disorder
D. Factitious Disorder
III. Dissociative Disorders:
A. Dissociative Amnesia
B. Dissociative Identity Disorder
C. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
IV. Eating Disorders:
A. Anorexia Nervosa
B. Bulimia Nervosa
C. Binge Eating Disorder
V. Mood Disorders:
A. Major Depression
B. Bipolar Disorder
VI. Gender Dysphoria:
VII. Psychotic Disorders:
A. Schizophrenia
VIII. Personality Disorders: (special permission only)