WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
<<INSERT CAMPUS NAME>>
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically
challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, and service to God
and humankind.
Course Title, Number, and Section: JUAD/PSYC 4311 VC 01 - Abnormal Psychology
Term: Fall 2015
Instructor: Jeremy J. Berry, PhD, LPC-S, NCC
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: 806-281-8400 jeremy.berry@wayland.wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: online
Class Meeting Time and Location: online
Catalog Description: Symptoms and causes of major psychosis and neuroses together with an introduction to
principles of psychotherapy.
Prerequisite: PSYC 1301, 2301; or consent of instructor.
Required Textbook(s) and/or Required Material(s):
Abnormal Psychology
Barlow
Cengage
7th
2015
9781285755618
Optional Materials: <<List optional materials recommended to enhance student learning>>
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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recognize all major disorders listed in the DSM-V;
recognize and diagnose the major symptoms of selected disorders;
use diagnostic resources to recognize and diagnose symptoms of all major disorders;
be familiar with and evaluate criteria and treatment of all major disorders listed in the DSM-V;
understand & discuss the various legal and ethical issues involved in the diagnosis of mental illness
Attendance Requirements:
Virtual Campus
Students are expected to participate in all required instructional activities in their courses. Online courses are no
different in this regard; however, participation must be defined in a different manner. Student “attendance” in an
online course is defined as active participation in the course as described in the course syllabus. Instructors in
online courses are responsible for providing students with clear instructions for how they are required to participate
in the course. Additionally, instructors are responsible for incorporating specific instructional activities within their
course and will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for documenting student participation. These mechanisms
may include, but are not limited to, participating in a weekly discussion board, submitting/completing assignments
in Blackboard, or communicating with the instructor. Students aware of necessary absences must inform the
professor with as much advance notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent
25 percent or more of the online course, i.e., non-participatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may
receive an F for that course. Instructors may also file a Report of Unsatisfactory Progress for students with
excessive non-participation. Any student who has not actively participated in an online class prior to the census
date for any given term is considered a “no-show” and will be administratively withdrawn from the class without
record. To be counted as actively participating, it is not sufficient to log in and view the course. The student must
be submitting work as described in the course syllabus. Additional attendance and participation policies for each
course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the university’s attendance
policy.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Wayland Baptist University observes a zero tolerance
policy regarding academic dishonesty. Per university policy as described in the academic catalog, all cases of
academic dishonesty will be reported and second offenses will result in suspension from the university.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the
university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and
should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Homework Assignments, Class Participation and Attendance: (20% total of final grade)
Psychological Report: (10% of final grade) You will be expected to write up a psychological evaluation.
This will consist of comprehensively describing a case of an individual with a psychological disorder
including the demographics, presenting problem and reason for referral, and pertinent background
information such as family history, medical history, psychological/psychiatric history, legal history,
educational and occupational history, etc. The report should be descriptive enough for a professional
clinician to be able to arrive at a hard diagnosis from reading your description of the patient. Your case
study should include a multi-axial diagnosis and conclude with a discussion of all appropriate differential
diagnoses and why they were ruled out. The report should be at least 5 pages in length. Be as creative
and realistic as possible and don’t copy from the DSM but you may use it as a guide. This assignment
will be evaluated on clinical soundness and grammatical style. No two papers in the class should be on
the same disorder. You will lose 10 points for each class period your case study is turned in late. You
will also lose points for grammar errors and spelling.
Major Disorder Paper: (10% of final grade) You will be expected to write a paper on one of the major
disorders. No two papers in the class can be on the same disorder. The body of the paper (not including
cover sheet and abstract) is to be at least six pages long and at least 8 references from recent scholarly
journals (within the last 3 years) should be included. The paper is to be APA style and of university
quality work. You will lose 10 points for each class period your paper is turned in late. The paper will be
graded for content as well as for grammatical style and spelling. For an APA reference guide & sample
paper in APA format, check out the following Internet sites or you can use your google search engine for
other sites:
http://ldl.net/~bill/aparev.htm
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
http://www.psychwww.com/resource/apacrib.htm
Discussion Boards: (10% of final grade) Assigned readings are to be completed prior to the class session for
which they are assigned. Students should read the section at a time prior to any online discussion boards so that
they can participate in class discussions as well as ask and answer questions. Postings are due no later than
Midnight the Sunday of each module week. This gives others time to respond to your discussion board postings
before Monday. Each week you will need to be involved in the online discussion threads. Spread out your
responses so that not all responses are on the same day. These responses will be tallied at the end of the semester
and also count for your attendance in your total grade. Make sure that you respond appropriately please.
*I will read every exchange in the discussion forum and keep track of your participation, effort and
depth of thought, though there are no “wrong answers.” While I certainly expect you to respond to
every discussion topic with your own input, I do not expect you to comment on every post from every
other student, but rather, to choose at least one other student’s post per discussion on which to
comment. I will occasionally comment on some of your posts, but this forum is primarily for students
to interact with each other and replaces what would be a class discussion in a face to face class.
On any of the following assignments: From time to time, the Internet, in all its majesty, can let us down. I
understand this, and will work with you to ensure assignments are completed in a timely fashion.
Exams: (60% total of final grade) Four exams (3 unit exams and a final exam) will be administered
during the course of the semester. The exams may consist of objective questions such as multiple choice
or “fill-in-the-blank” questions, or may also include “expressive” questions such as short answer or essay
questions which will allow you to write your own responses and will allow students the maximum
opportunity to demonstrate what they know and that they can analyze information and reach defensible
conclusions. The tests may consists of items from either the textbook(s) or from material discussed in
class as well as from handouts given out in class. Bring a #2 pencil with eraser and a green scan-tron
(form #882-ES) on the dates of the exams. I don’t drop the lowest test grade so study hard on every
exam.
The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew passing, WF =
withdrew failing, I = incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within
the last two days of a microterm to a student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or
other required work for reasons beyond the student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work
required is completed prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an
earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to an F.
Student grade appeals:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. A
student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or
appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process
described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any
stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive
Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty
Assembly Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more
proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule:
Module #1
*Read Syllabus
*Introduce yourself in the Discussion Board under the forum "Introductions" Post a photo if you
would like!
*Read Chapter 1
*Read Chapter 2
*Discussion Assignment #1
Week #1:
Module #2
*Read Chapter 3
*Read Chapter 4
*Discussion Assignment #2
Week #2:
Module #3
*Read Chapter 5
*Discussion Assignment #3
*Exam #1 (chapters 1-5; due Sunday, by 11:59pm CST)
Week #3:
Module #4
*Read Chapter 6
*Read Chapter 7
*Discussion Assignment #4
Week #4:
Module #5
*Read Chapter 8
*Discussion Assignment #5
*Psychological Report Due (due Saturday by 11:59pm CST/ NO LATE PAPERS)
Week #5:
Module 6
*Read Chapter 9
*Discussion Assignment #6
*Exam #2 (chapters 6-9; due Sunday by 11:59pm CST)
Week #6:
Module #7
*Read Chapter 10
*Read Chapter 11
Week #7:
*Discussion Assignment #7
Module #8
*Read Chapter 12
*Read Chapter 13
*Discussion Assignment #8
*Exam #3 (chapters 10-13; due Sunday by 11:59pm CST)
Week #8:
Week #9:
Module #9
*Read Chapter 14
*Read Chapter 15
*Discussion Assignment #9
Module #10
*Read Chapter 16 - Cognitive Development in Adolescence
*Discussion Assignment #10 (one discussion question)
*Major Disorder Paper
Week #10:
Module #11
*Final Exam (chapters 1- 16 due Saturday by 11:59pm CST)
Week #11:
Additional Information: <<Optional>>
http://catalog.wbu.edu