Abnormal Psychology
Course Syllabus, Spring 2006
PSY-250-01
Tue/Thur 10:50-12:30 pm
Room: Bailey 300
Genius means little more than the faculty of
Too much sanity may be madness and
perceiving in an unhabitual way.
the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it
- William James (1842-1910), The Principles of Psychology
should be.
- Man of LaMancha
Professor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Cay Anderson-Hanley, Ph.D.
Bailey 301C
Tue 3:30-4:00 & Thur 12:30-1:00, and by apptmt
Email:
Phone:
andersoc@union.edu
(518) 388-6355
Reading List:
Davison, G. C., Neale, J. M., & Kring, A. (2004). Abnormal Psychology, with Case, 9th ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (Bundled
with Blackboard student access package; optional: companion Study Guide).
Jamison, K. R. (1997). An Unquiet Mind. Random House.
Beers, C. W. (1907). A Mind that Found Itself. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Press.
Cooney, E. (2003). Death in Slow Motion. Harper Collins.
Additional Resources:
www.apa.org (American Psychological Association)
www.psychologicalscience.org (American Psychological Society)
www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/disorders.html (links for info on psychological disorders)
www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/careers.html (links for info on careers in psychology)
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV). Washington, D.C.:
American Psychiatric Press.
Catalog Description from the Catalog:
Models and theories of psychology, with description and analyses of forms of abnormality and its modification. Prequisite: PSY-100.
Additional Course Description from Prof H:
We will consider definitions of abnormality and review ways of assessing and classifying abnormal behaviors. We will examine a range of
disorders from Major Depression to Schizophrenia, and ADHD to Dementia. We will explore the paradigms for understanding and treating
disorders as well as research on their efficacy. We will review the professions that attempt to offer solutions and grapple with ethical issues
raised in choosing to hospitalize or use other modalities of therapy for treating mental illness.
Text. Please note that there is a great deal of information to be covered in this course. Your text is an excellent source of information
about abnormal psychology and I will trust that you will make thorough use of it. I recommend that most students read each chapter three
times, in order to glean sufficient understanding (read once “lightly” to get a feel for the material and organization of the chapter, read a
second time “thoroughly” - outlining/highlighting/making notes, and read a third time “for review” to see what questions you still have and to
gain a better understanding of difficult concepts).
Case Material. I view class time primarily as an opportunity us to try to grasp the realities of the personal struggles facing those with
abnormal disorders by reviewing real cases and discussing them. This is accomplished through use of biographic material in assigned
books, films, and video clips introduced in class. Sometimes, seeing a few minutes of a symptom of a disorder is worth much more than a
thousand words trying to describe it.
Critical Thinking Discussions. I also view class time as an important venue for wrestling with difficult questions and issues in abnormal
psychology. Rather than trying to repeat all of the information in the field or covered in the text (which would be impossible anyway given
only 3½ hrs per week!), I will frequently review a topic briefly so that we are all on the same page, and then ask the class to think critically
about various issues related to the topic. I feel that being able to engage in informed critical thinking and discourse is a unique value of a
liberal arts education, and in fact the reason Union maintains smaller class sizes. Thus, your advance preparation and active participation
in class will yield greater success for you personally as well as for the class overall.
Ambiguity . Be aware that there is a great deal of ambiguity to tolerate in a course on this topic. I will frequently note, “It depends…”
While there is a growing base of knowledge in abnormal psychology, there remain many unanswered questions and variables that can
affect the set of answers we do have. For example, “What is the most common psychological disorder?” Well, “It depends…” on several
variables such as age, gender, etc. I am hopeful that during the course of our discussions you will learn analytical skills to help you
intelligently investigate unanswered questions and in this regard, to become an adept consumer of psychology and a life-long learner, if not
also an actual researcher. The field will continue to need more clarity in the evaluation and treatment of abnormal disorders.
Course Requirements:
You are responsible to read and understand, in full, the contents of this syllabus and to seek clarification as needed. In order to stay
informed about announcements and updates to this course you are responsible to check your Union email regularly or have your Union
email forwarded to another account that you do check routinely (check your personal email settings in Blackboard).
Quizzes: Eighteen multiple-choice, non-cumulative, open-book, open-notes, quizzes will be given on-line via Blackboard (see syllabus for
schedule). These will provide you with the opportunity to periodically evaluate your understanding of the text and lecture, and to monitor
your progress in the class. These are brief (usually 7-12 questions), but they are also challenging quizzes. Students who read the
chapters 2-3 times and make note cards traditionally perform best. Quizzes will be available on-line for one week. No make-up quizzes will
be provided so plan ahead. These quizzes are meant to provide “mastery learning” opportunities whereby you may retake a quiz in an
effort to increase your mastery of the subject and concepts. Scores > or = 80% are considered passing and do not require a retake.
Scores < 80% will convert to a grade of zero. Your two lowest quiz grades (including up to two failed or missed quizzes) will be dropped
such that 16 quiz grades will be used to calculate your overall quiz average. Again, NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES WILL BE AVAILABLE SO
PLAN AHEAD AND SAVE YOUR MISSES FOR SIGNIFICANT REASONS (e.g., serious illness, a death in the family, etc.). Please note
that since you have a whole week to complete these quizzes, problems encountered with computer access will not be granted exceptions
either – DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST AVAILABLE HOURS TO ATTEMPT THESE QUIZZES FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Examinations: Two multiple-choice and short-answer exams will be given in class. One will occur around the middle of the term and the
other during finals week (please see schedule). The final is not necessarily cumulative; however, there are several topics, terms and
concepts that necessarily build upon one another over the course.
Comment Papers: These papers are intended to provide you with the opportunity to reflect upon, synthesize, apply, integrate and think
critically about the material presented in class and in your readings. See the syllabus for specific topics and due dates. In these papers you
are to express your thoughts and opinions about the particular issue at hand and cite how your opinions fit or disagree with the writings or
opinions of others. When referring to the writings of others, you should use APA format. For example: Experts disagree as to the causes
of schizophrenia (Davison, Neale & Kring, 2004).
These papers will be based in part upon case material from 3 books and 3 films we will watch during the course of the term. Two of
the films are longer than a regular class period. In the past, I have found problems with either cutting the film short or trying to hold class
longer (conflicts with practices, work schedules, etc…). Thus, in an effort to allow for the full viewing and to generate a more festive
environment and to foster discussions, I have made arrangements for us to view these two films on Sunday evenings (8-10 pm) in Minerva
houses (refreshments will be available). These Sunday showings should be treated as regular, required class sessions and attendance
will be taken. As such, the two Thursday classes prior to the Sunday showings will be cancelled. Even if you have seen these films before,
you should plan to attend and view the film with your “psychologist hat” on. Since you are studying abnormal psychology, you should be
able to pick up on many more psychological aspects of the films than when the film is viewed for entertainment purposes. Class members
are expected to take notes, carefully critique what they observe, and participate in the discussions to follow.
FOLLOW THIS FORMAT: Comment papers should be typed, single-spaced, a single page, with Times New Roman font, 12-point in
size, and with one-inch margins. Papers that are shorter or longer will not receive full credit. Be sure to spell-check and proofread you
paper, points will be deducted for errors in writing. The four lines of the heading (starting in the top left corner) should be as follows: your
ID# (hand-write your name on the back - top left corner), Abnormal Psychology, Professor Hanley, Date. On the 5th line, center the title of
your paper. Skip a line and begin your essay.
Do not be fooled by the apparent brevity of these papers. It is challenging to write well concisely in a limited space. Good papers will
clearly examine the applicable reading and employ critical thinking and cohesive arguments. Do NOT regurgitate the book or movie
that your paper is based upon. In 2-3 sentences, describe the text/film, frame the issue(s) you will address, and then proceed with your
thoughts. Integrating relevant case material presented in class, the text or your own life often makes for better papers. Papers should be
turned in precisely at the start of class on the date due (only hardcopy versions are acceptable – no electronic versions, no emailed
versions, etc.). NO LATE PAPERS CAN BE ACCEPTED SO PLAN AHEAD – DO NOT LEAVE PRINTING UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTES BEFORE CLASS! I highly recommend visiting the Writing Center at the library for assistance in improving writing (x6058).
To ensure thorough reading and good preparation for discussions, a brief quiz on the assigned case material (book and/or film) will be
given at the start of class, prior to our discussion and will figure into your overall paper grade (about 10%).
Comment paper #1: Inside Mental Illness – react to Beers’ book and integrate material from class and from Davison, Neale & Kring.
What do you think of Beers’ account? Can you imagine being in his position? How do you think his diagnosis and treatment would be
similar/different today? Compare terminology such as “mental illness” with other terms you’ve learned about in class and in your text.
Comment paper #2: Inside a Mood Disorder - react to Jamison’s book and integrate material from class and from Davison, Neale &
Kring. What do you think of Jamison’s account? Can you imagine being in her position? Compare her assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment with what you’ve learned about mood disorders in class and from your text. What do you think of her take on medications and
psychotherapy?
Comment paper #3: Reality vs. Hollywood: Psych Disorders and Psych Wards – react to the film, Girl Interrupted, and integrate
material from class and from Davison, Neale & Kring. Critique the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the main character based on
what you have learned in class and in your text. Try to identify the diagnoses of a few other characters in the film. Comment on
Hollywood’s accuracy/inaccuracy of these portrayals of psychological disorders. How do you think the main character’s treatment would be
similar/different today?
Comment paper #4: Reality vs. Hollywood: Dementia and Caregiving – react to both the film, Iris, and to the book, Death in Slow
Motion. Be sure to also integrate material from class and from Davison, Neale & Kring. Critique the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of
the main characters based on what you have learned in class and in your text. What are the issues that both the “patient” and the
“caregiver” must face? Can you imagine being in either person’s position? Comment on the “graying of America” and the growing needs
of our population and note ways in which you think psychologists can contribute to such situations (e.g., clinically, through research,
education, etc.).
Final Paper: Differential Diagnoses & Treatment Issues – while in the same vein as the above comment papers, this paper
provides an opportunity to integrate material from across the term in greater depth. This paper should be 7 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt
Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, with the same 5-line headings as above.
• React to the film, K-Pax, and provide perspectives on possible differential diagnoses for the main character and a few supporting
roles. Defend your diagnostic impressions with observations from the film. Integrate material from the text, class, and be sure to
compare/contrast with relevant cases cited in Davison, Neale & Kring.
• Comment on various psychological/psychiatric interventions in the film as well as the legal and ethical issues embedded in the
story.
• What paradigms does Prot’s doctor demonstrate in his treatment of Prot? What do you think of Prot’s treatment? Could Prot’s
decline into a worsened psychological state have been avoided? Defend your position citing findings discussed in class and the
text.
• Prot’s doctor clearly cares about him, yet this doesn’t seem to be enough. If Prot’s doctor were to have chosen what the research
literature reports as the most effective treatment for Prot’s condition, he would have chosen what type of treatment/paradigm?
Describe and defend.
• Compare Prot’s treatment with what you read about in Beer’s and Jamison’s accounts.
• The film tries to make a point that Prot might have been better off than the “normals” around him. He is calm and helps others
catch a zest for life. Defend the position that Prot should be “cured” by being brought back to reality and also defend the position
that he should be allowed to remain in “his own world.”
• Prot seems to indicate that he is going to commit suicide at an appointment time. What would you have done if you were his
therapist?
• What can you imagine would have been the best outcome for Prot? What alternative ending to his story could you envision and
how could it have been reached?
Participation/Attendance Policy: Attendance at every class is in your best interest for a number of reasons, not the least of which is
your educational experience! Class time will incorporate lecture, exercises, demonstrations, and discussions that should not only facilitate
your learning, but should also be quite interesting. There is traditionally a strong relationship between class attendance and grades. That
is, students who attend class regularly tend to achieve higher grades. Prolonged personal illness or family crises should be brought to my
attention and for special accommodations will require documentation from appropriate officials. I will take attendance to aid in my
understanding of each student’s progress in the course, and attendance will be a component of participation which figures into the final
grade (>2 absences will often result in a lower grade, such as B+ to B). Students who score well in participation typically have excellent
attendance, have completed the readings, ask informed questions, make thoughtful comments about readings and other material, and have
positive interactions with other students in the class (e.g., respect differing opinions, have constructive debates, etc.).
Academic Honesty and Integrity:
The policies of Union College regarding academic honesty and integrity will be upheld and enforced as necessary. This includes policies
regarding: cheating (dishonesty in a test situation), plagiarism (dishonesty in presentation of materials in a paper or report, the extensive
use of quotations and paraphrasing should not be used), and other abuses (see the college catalog for more details).
Grading:
Percent
20%
10%
20%
20%
20%
10%
100%
4 Comment Papers
16 of 18 Quizzes
Midterm
Final Paper
Final Exam
Attendance/Participation
The final course grade will be based on the cumulative percent score earned by each student as follows:
A+
A
A-
100à
96à
93à
superior work
B+
B
B-
C+
89à
86à
83à
79à
satisfactory work
C
C-
D+
76à
73à
69à
poor quality work
D
F
66à
63à
no credit
Final notes: Please do not hesitate to speak with me regarding any aspect of the course material or other topics of interest to you. Remember
that as your instructor, I am here to help facilitate your learning. If you do not let me know how things are going, I will be less able to assist you.
It is your responsibility to prepare yourself to learn (be rested, fed and read ahead of class), and to speak up if you are having some difficulty.
Remember, there are no “dumb” questions in college – you are here to learn! What you get out of this course and college in general has a lot to
do with what you put into it, so “Carpe diem!” That is, “Seize the day!”
Be aware that it is quite common, when taking a psychology course, to find that the material “stirs” something in you. For example, I often
warn students that it may seem that they or their parent or their roommate has a one of the disorders being studied. Most times, this is not the
case, but sometimes a hunch is worth following up on. Please feel free to speak with me if you have any concerns while studying various topics;
I may be able to direct you to additional readings or other resources. Students should also feel free to take advantage of the Counseling Center
available on campus in Silliman Hall (x6161).
I am also available if you would like to discuss careers in psychology or if would like to discuss my clinical or research work in more detail.
My masters’ degree is in school counseling and my doctorate is in counseling psychology. I have worked as a clinician and a researcher in the
areas of geropsychology, health psychology and neuropsychology. I’d be happy to discuss any of these areas of psychology or help point you
toward resources for other aspects of psychology. In addition to office hours, email is usually a very reliable way to reach me and you are also
welcome to leave a message any time of day at my number above. Let’s have a great term!
Tentative Course Outline
Week
Day
Date
Topic for Class
1
T
3/28
R
T
2
3
Readings
Quizzes Available:
Defining Abnormality
1
3/30
History & Paradigms
2
4/4
Assessment & Diagnosis
3,4
Mon 3/27-Mon 4/3
6pm
Mon 3/27-Mon 4/3
6pm
Wed 4/5-Wed 4/12
6pm
R
Class Discussion on Papers/Quiz
M
(last day to drop)
T
11
6,7,10
4/18
Anxiety Disorders
Dissociative & Somatoform Dxs
Mood Disorders
Class Discussion on Papers/Quiz
class to be held Sunday instead…
Sun
4/23
View: Girl Interrupted (127 min)
8-10pm Beuth House
T
4/25
Class Discussion on Papers/Quiz
Review
Midterm Exam
Comment paper #3:
Reality vs. Hollywood?
5/2
Disorders of Aging
T
R
6
T
R
7
T
T
11
16
Mon 5/1-Mon 5/8
6pm
Comment paper #4:
Dementia & Caregiving
Cooney
15
8
Wed 5/10-Wed 5/17
6pm
Wed 5/10-Wed 5/17
6pm
Mon 5/15-Mon 5/22
6pm
Mon 5/15-Mon 5/22
6pm
Substance-Related Disorders
Eating Disorders
Personality Disorders
Sexual/Gender Identity Dxs
(last day to withdraw)
12,9
Interventions & Outcomes
17
Wed 5/24-Wed 5/31
6pm
18, 5
Wed 5/24-Wed 5/31
6pm
5/23
13,14
class to be held Sunday instead…
Sun
5/28
View: K-Pax (120 min)
T
5/30
Legal & Ethical Issues
R
6/1
Research Methods & Efficacy
Class Discussion on Papers
Final Exam
TBD
and pgs 413-416 &
Case Study 13
5/16
R
10
all readings
to date…
Class Discussion on Papers/Quiz
Disorders of Childhood
Psychophysiological Disorders
M
T
Jamison
5/9
R
9
Comment paper #2:
Inside a Mood Disorder
Mon 4/10-Mon 4/17
6pm
Mon 4/10-Mon 4/17
6pm
View: Iris (90 min)
R
8
Beers
Schizophrenia
R
5
Comment paper #1:
Inside Mental Illness
4/11
R
4
Assignments Due
8-10pm Golub House
Final Paper:
Differential Diagnoses & Tx
(Note: tentative schedule - changes in required readings, topics, assignments, or exams may be made)
Abnormal Psychology (PSY-250)
Professor Hanley
Union College
Grading outline for Comment Papers
3
4
5
6
7
FINAL GRADE
95-100 = 3 superior ratings
90-95 = 2 superior ratings
80-89 = 1 superior rating
70-79 = average ratings
<70 = 1 or more deficiencies
Grading shorthand key:
sp = spelling
awk = awkward
ro = run-on sentence
¶ = make paragraph
inc = incomplete
punc = punctuation
^ = insert/something’s missing
un = unclear
pf = proofread
superior
2
paper follows syllabus formatting (1 page, margins, font, name-back/top/left, etc.)
well-written, reads well… (proofread, no “awk”, only 1-2 quotes per 1 page…)
spelling errors, grammatical errors, incomplete or run-on sentences, etc.
addresses assignment points raised in syllabus
thorough - shows understanding of specific topic and relevant readings/film
demonstrates cohesive arguments and critical thinking
innovation, scientific merit, creativity, compare cases, linking with other realms…
complete/average
deficient
1
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx