AP PSYCHOLOGY
ESSENTIAL UNIT 9 (E09)
(Abnormal Behavior and Treatment of Abnormal Behavior)
(JULY 2012)
Unit Statement: The student will examine the nature of common challenges to adaptive
functioning, as well as conventions that guide psychologists’ judgments about diagnosis
and problem severity. The student will then look at empirically based treatments of
psychological disorders, emphasizing treatment based on various orientations in
psychology.
Essential Outcomes:
1. The Student Will describe contemporary and historical conceptions of what
constitutes psychological disorders.
2. TSW recognize the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association as the
primary reference for making diagnostic judgments.
3. TSW discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform
disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality
disorders, and dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
4. TSW evaluate the strengths and limitations of various approaches to explaining
psychological disorders: medical model, psychoanalytic, humanistic,
cognitive, biological and sociocultural.
5. TSW identify the positive and negative consequences of diagnostic labels (e.g., the
Rosenhan study).
6. TSW discuss the intersection between psychology and the legal system (e.g.,
confidentiality, insanity defense).
7. TSW describe the central characteristics of psycho-therapeutic intervention.
8. TSW describe the major treatment orientations used in therapy (e.g., behavioral,
cognitive, humanistic) and how those orientations influence therapeutic
planning.
9. TSW compare and contrast different treatment formats (e.g., individual, group).
10. TSW summarize effectiveness of specific treatments used to address specific
problems.
11. TSW discuss how cultural and ethnic context influence choice and success of
treatment (e.g., factors that lead to premature termination of treatment).
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E09
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12. TSW describe prevention strategies that build resilience and promote competence.
13. TSW identify major figures in psychological treatment (e.g., Aaron Beck, Albert
Ellise, Sigmund Freud, Mary Cover Jones, Carl Rogers, B.F. Skinner,
Joseph Wolpe).
Materials:
Basic Resource:
Exploring Psychology In Modules, Modules 36-42
Experience Psychology, Chapters 12 & 13
Additional Resources:
Myers and/or King Powerpoint Presentations
Myers and/or King Testbanks
Videos identified in the Course Outcomes
Applicable Textbook website
Websites:
In addition to the websites identified in the Course Outcomes, the following websites may
be helpful.
1. King - The Science of Psychology
2. Myers 7e in Modules
3. HippoCampus Psychology - Homework Help
4. Course-notes for Psychology
5. Psychology Home
6. Encyclopedia of Psychology - Psychology Websites
7. Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents
8. What Really Causes Autism? § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM
9. The Insanity Virus | Mental Health | DISCOVER Magazine
10. Mathionaire General Math Quiz
11. Redefining “Mental Illness” § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM
12. Psychopathy: Socially challenging | The Economist
13. Hacking the Minds of Terrorists | Big Questions Online
14. YouTube - Neuroscience and Free Will
15. Inside the bullied brain - The Boston Globe
16. The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction
17. Psychology Unit 8 Psychological Disorder Ppt Presentation
18. frontline: crime of insanity | PBS
19. Schizophrenia
20. Diagnostic Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder
21. frontline: the soldier's heart | PBS
22. AUTISM FACT SHEET
23. Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet
24. frontline: the new asylums | PBS
25. Slideshow: From Drugs to Mugs - KDVR
26. Mental Disorders and Symptoms Index: A Guide to Symptoms and Diagnostic
Criteria
27. Good - Psychological Disorders in Psychology: Symptoms, Treatments, &
Statistics of Psychological Problems
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E09
Copyright © 1988-2012
28. Schizophrenia Janssen: Exclusively Dedicated to Mental Health
29. Technology Review
30. YouTube - Overview of Autism, Prof. Fred Volkmar
Mandatory Assessments:
1. AP style multiple-choice exams must be used. The majority of the
questions should require students to use higher order thinking skills such as
synthesis and evaluation in which the student must combine knowledge and
skills across the unit.
2. Students must be required to complete the Examination Analysis form that
is contained as an attachment to the Course Outcomes. Students who have
taken the class report the value in helping them properly learn the TSWs.
3. Teacher generated or AP published free-response questions. Free response
questions can be taken directly from the AP Central site with rubrics
already created to use as an assessment tool.
Optional Assessments:
1. Create flash cards for the unit. Students have reported after the AP Exam
that they wish this was mandatory. Teachers may want to take this student
feedback into account in designing their teaching for this and all other
essential units.
2. Students present their approach to a free-response question to the class.
This holds students accountable demonstrating the ability to dissect freeresponse questions and for developing an outline to answer the question.
The focus is on students’ learning to answer the question asked.
3. Have students use the interactive diagnostic website to practice skills of diagnostic
analysis for cases of abnormal psychologyhttp://www.abacon.com/carson/case/index.html Their assessment consists of the
oral presentation of their diagnostic analysis, regardless of their success.
4. Students can create their own case studies to challenge peers-- team challenges or
simulated hospital “staffing” meetings can provide a structure for application.
5. Refer to Dibs in Search of Self to describe the therapeutic decisions made by Dr.
Axline. Students should demonstrate their understanding of play therapy when they
explain these decisions.
6. Taking a famous case such as Genie, Sybil (*discuss controversy), or Gloria and
using available videos, students describe the diagnosis and either analyze or design
a treatment plan.
7. Debate the use of pharmacological treatments for abnormal behavior. Have a
specific rubric designed and shared prior to this assessment.
Teacher to Teacher:
1. Caution students to refrain from diagnosing themselves or others as they
work through this unit. Teach the conditions for abnormal behavioral
diagnosis (DSM-IV/V-TR) in contrast to symptomatic behavior that does
not result in a diagnosis-- i.e. degree of impact on normal functioning is an
important point for your students to understand.
2. There are many famous case studies with controversy surrounding them
(e.g. Genie, Sybil) and many have been uncovered as fraud or partial fraud.
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E09
Copyright © 1988-2012
Students can still benefit from these case studies but it is our ethical
responsibility to present the controversy as well as the case study.
3. This unit can be upsetting for students as many will have diagnosed mental
illness in their family or among their community. In addition, some cultures
(national or religious) either deny or reject the concept of mental illness and
you may have students who find this unit fraught with personal cognitive
dissonance. Remain aware of this and address it as you deem necessary. As
always, we present the curricular information and have expectations for
mastery but we remain respectful of other viewpoints.
4. This unit is an especially good time to discuss the issue of suicide and the
connection to mental illness. It is a sensitive topic, however, and the points
mentioned in #3 apply.
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QSI AP PSYCHOLOGY SEC E09
Copyright © 1988-2012