Vanguard University of Southern California
PSYC 332: Abnormal Psychology Section 1
Spring 2016
Time: Monday and Wednesday 4pm-515pm
Location: Heath 109
Instructor: Elizabeth S. Powell, Psy.D.
Contact Dr. Powell:
Elizabeth.Powell@vanguard.edu
Office: Psychology Building
Office Hours:
Course Credit:
3 Undergraduate Units
Required Texts:
Lachenmeyer, N. (2000). The outsider. New York: Broadway.
Oltmanns, T. F., & Emery, R. E. (2012). Abnormal psychology (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson.
Course Description:
Abnormal psychology is a study of sociocultural, spiritual, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral
deviations with regard to description, patterns of development, measurement, and treatment
methods.
Relation to Psychology Major Requirements:
This class meets elective upper division requirements for all students, regardless of major. It also
meets the requirement for a Major or a Minor in Psychology and is strongly recommended for
students considering graduate work in counseling psychology or clinical psychology.
Prerequisites:
General Psychology (PSYC 103) and Developmental Psychology (PSYC 320)
Learning Outcomes:
Integration of Faith and Learning
1. Understand mental illness from a scientific, psychological and faith perspective.
2. Discuss the role that spirituality plays in the perception of well-being of an individual.
3. Examine the role of the church and community in providing support.
Cultural Competency and Citizenship
1. Learn to appreciate cultural diversity by considering abnormality from a multicultural
perspective.
2. Address societal myths about mental illness by understanding current scientific research
regarding mental illness.
3. Explore ways to provide treatment and interventions for those with mental illness that is
appropriate for culture and background of individual.
Communication
1. Provide written evaluations and diagnosis for case studies in abnormal psychology.
2. Explain the relationship between mental illness, culture and the legal system.
Critical Thinking
1. Critically evaluate current research on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
2. Evaluate case studies and determine appropriate differential diagnosis for each individual.
Holistic Living
1. Understand the relationship between psychological, social, cultural and spiritual functioning in
individuals.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of treatment modalities for mental illness including
biological, therapeutic, and spiritual interventions.
Information Competency
1. Understand the classification of abnormal behavior as stated in the DSM 4 and how to access
resources and information regarding diagnosis.
2. Discuss relevant organizations and online databases related to mental illness diagnosis and
treatment.
CAMPUS INFORMATION:
The Disability Services Office: The Office of Disability and Learning Services provides
reasonable accommodations for students who need assistance with learning, and for students with
disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between
you, your professor(s) and Disability and Learning Services. If you have a temporary or permanent
disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to; attention-related,
learning, mental health, vision, hearing, physical or other health conditions), please contact The
Office of Disability and Learning Services at 714-619-6550 or disabilityservices@vanguard.edu
Writing Center – Heath 214: Writing Center Consultants work with students one-on-one at any
stage of the writing process. They can help organize notes, develop outlines, revise thesis statements,
and work on various aspects of your revision. Our Christ-centered, culturally responsive,
collaborative learning environment offers constructive feedback with the long-term goals of
improved writing and critical thinking skills. The Writing Center is located in Heath 241 and is
available Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays, 9a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed during Chapel Hour.
Appointments are required.
Classroom Diversity Statement: As students and faculty at Vanguard University of Southern
California, and foremost as Christian believers, we endeavor to communicate with honesty and
confidentiality, to speak with encouraging and edifying words, and to create a safe environment
where we shelter one another with love when vulnerabilities arise. This classroom intends to foster a
Christ-centered community that promotes appreciation and respect for individuals, enhances the
potential of its members, and values differences in gender, ethnicity, race, abilities, and generation.
Academic Honesty: Academic dishonesty, either cheating or plagiarizing (presenting as one’s own, the
words or opinions of others), is regarded as a serious violation of both the academic and moral standards
of VUSC. Dishonesty in a class assignment or test may result in disciplinary action ranging from a failing
grade on the assignment or test to dismissal from the program. It is the prerogative and responsibility of
the instructor to determine if academic dishonesty has occurred and the seriousness of the infraction. The
Dean and Provost are to be notified of instances of academic dishonesty. Please also refer to the
“Statement on Plagiarism” appearing in this syllabus.
STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM from Vanguard University Academic Catalog
To plagiarize is to present someone else’s work—his or her words, line of thought, or organizational
structure—as our own. This occurs when sources are not cited properly, or when permission is not
obtained from the original author to use his or her work. By not acknowledging the sources that are
used in our work, we are wrongfully taking material that is not our own. Plagiarism is thus an
insidious and disruptive form of dishonesty. It violates relationships with known classmates and
professors, and it violates the legal rights of people we may never meet. Another person’s “work”
can take many forms: printed or electronic copies of computer programs, musical compositions,
drawings, paintings, oral presentations, papers, essays, articles or chapters, statistical data, tables or
figures, etc. In short, if any information that can be considered the intellectual property of another is
used without acknowledging the original source properly, this is plagiarism. Please see student
handbook for list of exact definitions for differing levels of plagiarism.
COURSE SPECIFICS:
Late Assignments: Late assignments are not accepted without prior approval from the professor. If
approved, they are accepted up to one week late with a deduction of 10 percent. Exams must be taken
before the rest of the class and scheduled with the professor.
Learn.vanguard.edu (Moodle): We utilize an online course management system for some aspects
of this course. Please go to http://learn.vanguard.edu and enroll in this course. Worksheets and
powerpoints from class will be available here.
Classroom Participation: This class includes some discussion. It is encouraged that students
participate in that discussion. Most participation will come from being present and listening to
lecture.
Attendance Policy -- Statement from Vanguard University Academic Catalog
Regular and punctual class attendance is expected and is essential to optimum academic
achievement. Students in lower division classes are given an “F” for any course in which they have
been absent more than one-fifth of the scheduled class meetings. Attendance requirements in upper
division classes are established by each instructor.
Use of Electronics: Students are allowed to bring laptops if it aids in note taking. In most cases
students will not need electronic devices. If any electronic device becomes disruptive, the student
will be asked to put it away during the class period. It is expected that students are able to manage
responsible use of electronic equipment.
Evaluation and Points:
3 Multiple Choice tests (100 points each)
Book report on The Outsider
Case Study 1
Case Study 2
Guest Speaker reflection
Research paper on chosen disorder
Chapter 18 response
Final Exam (Chapters 13-17)
Participation
TOTAL:
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
300
150
25
25
75
150
25
125
50
925
%_______________
93 and up
90-93
87-90
83-87
80-83
77-80
73-77
70-73
67-70
63-67
58-63
58 and lower
Description of Assignments:
Multiple Choice Exams: Each exam will cover 4 chapters of reading. Worth 100 points each.
Book Report on the Outsider: This is a 5-6 page report on the Outsider. Please use APA format
including a title page and reference page. It may help to include headers in the paper to organize
material for the following sections. 150 points.
The first section will include a reflection of the following questions. This will be 3-4 pages:
1. How has your view of schizophrenia changed or developed because of the book?
2. How do you think Charles felt at various stages of his disorder? What might his
emotional state be?
3. How has our culture criminalized the mental ill as discussed by Nathaniel?
4. What is the impact of schizophrenia on the individual, family and community?
5. How do you feel society and the field of psychology should respond to those with
schizophrenia?
The next section of the paper will include aspects of faith integration. This will be 2-3 pages. Please
respond to the following questions:
1. How did Charles’ family’s faith interact with his mental illness (his mother as well)?
2. What are some ways in which Christians might strengthen or hinder the recovery and
treatment of those with mental illness?
3. How does your faith explain the cause and treatment of schizophrenia?
4. What do you believe the Christian response should be to those with mental illness?
Case Study 1 & 2: These case studies will be completed during class in groups. Each case study will
pertain to the material from that section of the course. This will help students prepare for the exam as
well as help with classification and diagnosis skills. 25 points each.
Guest Speaker Reflection: We will have several guest speakers throughout the semester. These
speakers will be sharing about their personal journey with different mental illness and diagnoses.
You are required to be present for two of those class sessions. On moodle there will a form with
questions that you will need to answer for two speakers of your choice. You will then write a 2 page
reflection about how listening to the various guest speakers has impacted your view of mental illness,
faith and recovery. Prompt is on moodle with form. Please staple the form for both speakers to your 2
page reflection. This will be due the after all speakers have shared. 75 points.
Research Paper On Chosen Disorder: Choose a mental disorder of interest and provide a 3 page
report on the disorder. You will need to research current journal articles to include (you may use
the text as well). Please have at least 3 journal articles from the last 5 years as part of your
references (online resources such as WebMD are not acceptable). Discuss the major symptoms
of the disorder, etiology, and possible treatments. Each journal article should have relevant
information regarding causes of the disorder or current treatments.
This should be written in APA format with a title page and reference page. You may do a brief
introduction and then use the headings Symptoms, Etiology and Treatment.
Finally, as part of this report, you will create a case study that highlights this disorder. Write up
2-3 paragraphs of information on a fake client with presenting issues, background information
and symptoms. This will be attached at the back of your report. 150 points.
Chapter 18 Response: Questions will be uploaded to learn.vanguard.edu for the students to
complete on chapter 18. This material will not be covered in class so students must type out
responses and turn it in on their own. 25 points.
Final Exam: This will cover material from chapters 13-17 in multiple choice format and one
final case study to examine. Students will be allowed to bring one page of notes on the different
disorders for the case study portion only. 125 points
DATE
Jan 11
Jan 13
Jan 18
Jan 20
Jan 25
Jan 27
DAY
M
W
M
W
M
W
TOPIC
Introduction and Syllabus
Abnormal Behavior
No class Martin Luther King Jr Day
Causes of Abnormal Behavior
Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Classification & Assessment of Behavior
Introduction to DSM 5
Faith and Abnormal Behavior
Exam 1
Mood Disorders
Guest Speaker 1: Mood Disorders
No Class President’s Holiday
Anxiety Disorders
Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Stress Disorders/Dissociative Disorders
Somatic Symptom Disorders
Stress and Physical Health
Video: Case Examples
Review and Case Study 1
Exam 2
Spring Break
ASSIGNMENTS
Feb 1
Feb 3
Feb 8
Feb 10
Feb 15
Feb 17
Feb 22
Feb 24
Feb 29
M
W
M
W
M
W
M
W
M
Mar 2
Mar 7
Mar 9
Mar 1418
Mar 21
Mar 23
Mar 28
Mar 30
Apr 4
W
M
W
M
W
M
W
M
Personality Disorders
Eating Disorders with Guest Speaker
Substance Related and Addictive Disorders
Paraphilic Disorders and Gender Dysphoria
Review and Case Study 2
Apr 6
Apr 11
Apr 13
Apr 18
W
M
W
M
Exam 3
Guest Speaker Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Neurocognitive Disorders
Apr 20
W
Apr 25
Apr 27
M
W
Intellectual Disabilities & Autism Spectrum
Disorders
Childhood Disorders & Adjustment Disorders
Review
Ch 9
Ch 10
Ch 11
Ch 12
Case Study 2 in class
Mental Disorder
Report Due
Chapters 9-12
Ch 13
Ch 13
Ch 14
Guest Speaker
Reflection Due
Ch 15
May 2
M
Final Exam 330pm
Ch 1
Ch 2
Ch 3
Ch 4
Chapters 1-4
Ch 5
Ch 6
Book Report Due
Ch 7
Ch 7 & 8
Case Study 1 in class
Chapters 5-8
Ch 16 &17
Chapter 18
Questions Due
Chapters 13-17