Fall, 2014; Abnormal Psychology (Psyc3140): CRN 85651
Georgia State University
Monday and Wednesday, 3:00-4:15 PM
Classroom South 104
This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
Instructor:
Jessica Morgan, M.A.
Office:
Urban Life 1020
Office Phone: 404-413-6313
Email:
jmorgan37@gsu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 12:30 –2:30 PM, or by appointment
Prerequisite: Psyc1101 with grade of C or higher, or equivalent.
Note: The GoSOLAR/Banner registration system will not allow students to register without having
completed the prerequisites. Waivers will be allowed only for Post-baccalaureates or Transient
students. Waiver requests may be completed online at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpsy/8040.html.
Required Text: Comer, Ronald J. (2014). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, Seventh
Edition. New York: Worth Publishers.
Readings from the text (chapters listed below) may be supplemented by current journal and/or
media articles on specific issues pertaining to mental illness. It is expected that you will complete
all assigned readings before each class; this will help you master material presented in lecture
more easily.
Required Materials:
You are expected to arrive at each class on time having brought your textbook, paper, and a
writing utensil. No other materials are required for this class.
Course Description
Abnormal Psychology is an overview course of the field of psychopathology using current scientific
research and theory to understand abnormal behavior within our sociocultural context.
Course Objectives:
We will address the following questions and goals in this course:
“What is abnormal behavior?”
 Understand issues related to the classification and assessment of abnormal behavior.
o Appraise the methods through which abnormal behavior is classified and assessed
o Evaluate the influence of personal bias on views of mental health conditions
 Recognize clinical presentations of psychological disorders, as defined by the DSM-V.
o Memorize the symptoms of the major mental health conditions listed in the DSM-V
o Identify the commonalities and differences across multiple mental health conditions
o Choose appropriate responses to individuals who have concerning mental health
symptoms
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“How does it develop?”
 Consider various theoretical models (e.g., biological, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic,
psychodynamic), as well as current empirical research on the development of these
disorders.
o Explain how current empirical research can enhance our understanding of how
mental health conditions are developed
o Apply theoretical models of psychopathology to each psychological disorder
“How do we treat it?”
 Learn treatment methods used by mental health professionals to address disorders.
o Match treatment methods to each psychological disorder
o Explain why some treatment methods work better than others in the treatment of
mental health conditions
Critical thinking: As you will see, some of these most basic questions are controversial, and our
answers to these questions are incomplete. But the way we ask and answer these questions has a
profound impact on how we think about ourselves, relate to others, and understand our world. So,
in addition to developing a knowledge base, we will critically evaluate why we ask the questions we
do about abnormal behavior and the methods we use in psychology to answer them. Critical
thinking will be developed through in-class discussions and learning activities, and assessed with
critical thinking questions posted on the discussion board.
Format of Course: You will be responsible for material presented in lecture as well as all required
readings and videos shown. Class time will include lecture, learning activities, and discussion.
Participation in this course includes exams, posts to the discussion board, in-class discussion and
exercises, and required reading.
This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Any
changes will be announced in class and posted on Desire2Learn. Each student is responsible for
all information related to this course, including both administrative and subject matter information. If
you miss a class or are late, you are responsible for ensuring that you obtain any missed
information. The best procedure is to arrange to get the information from another student in the
class.
Online Information (Desire2Learn): A Desire2Learn account has been established for this
course. Slides will be posted prior to each class and exam scores will be posted within 10 days (as
per college guidelines) of administration.
Desire2Learn Login Instructions: You can access Desire2Learn at https://gsu.view.usg.edu/ Use
your CampusID and password to log in to Desire2Learn. If you have difficulty, click “Support.”
Course Requirements: This is a 3-credit course. It is expected that you will spend approximately 9
hours per week outside of class time on this course, including required reading, Desire2Learn
participation and quizzes, studying for exams, etc.
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Course grades will be based on the following:
4 in-class exams, non-cumulative (each worth 100 points)
1 final exam, cumulative (worth 100 points)
Posts to discussion board
Participation points
TOTAL POINTS
400*
100*
50
50
500 (after dropping lowest exam)
* Note: Each student’s lowest exam grade will be dropped, across all five exams. If you choose to
keep all 4 in-class exam grades, then your final exam grade may be dropped or you may opt not to
take the final exam.
Exams:
Exams will cover material presented in lectures, videos, class discussions, demonstrations, as well
as the text. Exams will consist of 50 multiple choice questions (worth 2 points each). I will provide a
study guide with learning objectives for each exam. During the first part of the course, I also will
provide recommendations for getting the most out of class time and reading the text.
A total of five exams will be given, and only four exam grades will count toward your final grade. If
you take all five exams, the lowest grade will be dropped. If you take four or fewer exams, all
grades will count toward your total grade. In effect, this means that the final exam is optional. If you
are happy with your four in-class exam grades, you may opt not to take the final exam. In this
option, all four of your in-class exam grades will count toward your total points.
All phones, PDAs, and laptops must be turned off and put away during exams. Any student who
looks at or uses one of these devices during an exam will receive a grade of 0 for that exam, which
cannot be dropped from your final grade. Any electronic device that sounds during an exam is
considered disruptive behavior, and will result in a 10 point penalty. Please remember to mute your
devices before exams start!
Make-up Exam Policy:
Given that you will have the opportunity to drop one exam, there are no opportunities for make-up
exams. Exams missed for any reason will count as the student’s dropped exam grade; no
exceptions to the make-up policy will be allowed.
Discussion Posts:
One week before each exam (including the final), a discussion question will be posted on
Desire2Learn. You are expected to respond to this discussion question using the knowledge
you’ve gained in the course so far, as well as your critical thinking skills. Each discussion post is
worth 10 points and will be graded for its thoughtfulness and accuracy. More details on the grading
of discussion posts will be given in class.
Discussion posts are due by 5pm on the night before each exam. Because you have a full week to
respond to these discussion questions online, no late discussion posts will be accepted for credit.
There is no way to “make up” a missed or late discussion post.
Participation Points:
We will do many exercises and role-plays during class. If you choose not to participate in an
activity, you may still earn points by completing a written assignment. We will do more than 5 inclass exercises – they will only count towards participation points on “participation days.” There
will be 5 “participation days” total in the semester (instructor’s discretion and she will announce it at
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the beginning of class). If you attend class and participate, you will earn 10 points. There is no way
to make up participation points. You MUST be in class to earn these points.
Conversion of Course Points to Final Grade: This course uses plus/minus grading. Final course
grades will be assigned as follows:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
> 485 points
465-484.9 points
450-464.9 points
435-449.9 points
415-434.9 points
400-414.9 points
385-399.9 points
365-384.9 points
350-364.9 points
300-349.9 points
0-299.9 points
97-100%
93-96%
90-92%
87-89%
83-86%
80-82%
77-79%
73-76%
70-72%
60-69%
< 60%
Please Note: This class is not graded on a curve. Final grades are calculated solely based on your
performance, and will adhere to the point system outlined in this syllabus. There will be no
negotiation, even if your total score falls within a fraction of a point of the cutoff for a higher grade.
Extra Credit:
The Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the Honors College, is
Thursday, October 23, 2014. Goals for the conference are to provide students with an opportunity
to present research in a professional setting, stimulate students' interest in participating in facultymentored research, and stimulate critical thinking. You may earn up to 10 points of extra credit
by either:
1. Attending a poster or oral presentation related to our course material and connecting the
presentation to a theory or concept discussed in class. (no more than 1 page, double spaced)
2. Attend a poster or oral presentation related to the course material and ask the presenter a
question. Record the question you asked, explain why you asked it, and report the presenter’s
response. (no more than 1 page, double spaced)
3. Presenting at the conference as a first author. Turn in a copy of the poster or oral presentation.
In order to receive all points, your response must be carefully thought out, relevant to the course,
and well written (no typos or grammatical errors). Responses/posters are due at the beginning
of class on October 27.
Policy on Academic Honesty: The Department of Psychology follows the University System
policy on academic honesty. This policy represents a core value of the university and all members
of the academic community are responsible for abiding by its rules. Lack of knowledge of this
policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. All members of the
academic community (students, faculty, staff) are expected to report violations of these standards
of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The minimum penalty for cheating and all other
forms of academic dishonesty in this class is a grade of “F” for the course.
For a full explanation of academic dishonesty, see the GSU student code of conduct at:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html
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The most common types of academic dishonesty are plagiarism, cheating on assessments, and
unauthorized collaboration.
GSU Department of Psychology Definition of Plagiarism
If a student uses or relies on others’ work in preparing any academic materials (e.g. written
assignments, posters, presentations) the student must cite the source correctly according to the
directions provided by the instructor. Failure to do so is plagiarism. Copying and pasting even part
of a sentence or phrase is plagiarism, even when the source is cited correctly. Paraphrasing a
source in a way that copies the phrase or sentence structure of a source is also plagiarism. To
avoid plagiarism, students are expected to properly paraphrase others’ ideas.
Quotes in scientific writing should only be used when the wording of the original source is critical to
the student’s argument. Whether quoting is appropriate in a given instance is at the discretion of
the instructor, not the student.
Cheating and Unauthorized Collaboration
Cheating includes the use or sharing of any unauthorized materials and/or assistance before,
during, or after an assessment (e.g. exams, tests, quizzes). Unless otherwise specified by your
instructor, you may not discuss an assessment or share materials or information with any other
student at any time. Unauthorized collaboration occurs under the same circumstances as cheating,
but involves assignments outside of the classroom (e.g. papers, projects, presentations) rather
than assessments.
Policy on Disruptive Behavior: Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students should refer to
the Code of Conduct available at http://deanofstudents.gsu.edu/faculty-staffresources/disruptive-student-conduct/. Each incident of disruptive behavior will result in a
5-point penalty on participation score for the course. Examples of disruptive behavior include:
 cell phones/pagers ringing during class (a double penalty of 10 points will apply during all
exams)
 attending to personal hygiene during class (e.g., brushing hair, clipping finger nails)
 talking during class
 behavior that is disrespectful to instructor or classmates
 use of laptop computers for anything other than viewing slides or taking lecture notes
 use of phones, smart phones, PDAs, or other electronic devices during class time. This
means no texting, emailing, internet browsing, making or accepting phone calls, etc.
 any other behavior that causes the instructor to interrupt the lecture
In addition to the penalty on your grade, any student engaging in disruptive behavior may be asked
to leave the class. Please see exam section above regarding use of phones, PDAs, and laptops
during exams.
Attendance Policy: Although attendance is not taken formally, students are highly encouraged to
attend every class to maximize learning and performance. Students are responsible for obtaining
all information presented during missed classes, including notes and announcements, from
classmates.
Veterans’ Attendance. The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that institutions of higher
learning immediately report to them when a student discontinues attendance. Veterans who are
receiving benefits to fund their education will be reported to the DVA if they do not attend class for
a period of two weeks or more.
Withdrawal Date: A student may voluntarily withdraw from a class on or before the midpoint of the
semester. Undergraduate students are allowed to withdraw with a grade of W a maximum of six
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times. If you exceed your limit of six, you will receive a grade of WF, which will count toward your
GPA. Withdrawals before the Fall Semester 2006 are not included in the W count. Hardship
withdrawals, military withdrawals, or withdrawals at other institutions do not count against your
limit. Please note that students may drop a course during the first week of class using GoSOLAR,
which is not a withdrawal and does not affect your grade.
Email Contact: Email is a good way to communicate with me. However, given the high degree of
junk mail and viruses floating around on the internet, I will not read mail I cannot identify. It is
essential that you include PSYC3140 in the subject line of EVERY email you send. You must send
email from your GSU student email account. I will not open or read email from a non-student
email account – it will be deleted.
Policy Regarding Students with Disabilities: Georgia State University complies with Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who wish to request
accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services.
Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a
signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of
all classes in which an accommodation is sought.
Feedback to your Instructor: Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable
role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out
the online course evaluation.
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Schedule*
Date
08/25
Readings
Ch. 1
10/29
Topic
Go over syllabus, introductory exercises
Definitions of psychopathology & mental
illness
Defining abnormality
Labor day, no class
Mental heath stigma
Models of Abnormality
Assessment and Treatment
Assessment and Treatment & Review
EXAM 1
Anxiety, OCD & Related Disorders
Anxiety, OCD & Related Disorders
Disorders of Trauma & Stress
Disorders of Trauma & Stress
Mood Disorders
Mood Disorders
EXAM 2
Suicide
Last day to withdraw and potentially be eligible
for “W”
Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders
Substance Use & Addictive Disorders -extra
credit due at beginning of class
Substance Use & Addictive Disorders
11/03
11/05
11/10
11/12
11/17
11/19
11/24
11/26
12/01
EXAM 3
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders
EXAM 4
Thanksgiving Break – no class
Thanksgiving Break – no class
Final Exam Review
(Ch. 7, 9, 10)
Ch. 12
Ch. 12
Ch. 13
Ch. 13
(Ch. 12, 13)
Discussion 3 Due
Ch. 1-6,
7,9,10,12,13
Discussion 5 Due
08/27
09/01
09/03
09/08
09/10
09/15
09/17
09/22
09/24
09/29
10/01
10/06
10/08
10/13
10/15
10/20
10/22
10/27
12/03
12/10
Final Exam Review
CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM
1:30-2:45
pm
*Deviations from this schedule may be necessary
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Assignment
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
(Ch. 1, 2, 3)
Ch. 4
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
(Ch. 4, 5, 6)
Ch. 7
Discussion 1 Due
Discussion 2 Due
Ch. 9
Ch. 9
Ch. 10
Ch. 10
Discussion 4 Due