PSY 424, Child and Family Psychopathology
Fall 2013
Tues/Thurs 8:30 – 9:50, Psychology 119
Contact information:
Emily Durbin
Office hours: Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:00 and Wednesdays 11:00 – 12:00; Psychology 110C
Phone #: 517-353-7274
Email: cdurbin@msu.edu
Required materials
Course readings will be provided to you by the instructor; please ensure that I have your
correct email address.
Course overview
This course will cover major (1) psychological disorders of childhood, including issues of
prevalence, classification, phenomenology, course, comorbidity, and major etiological theories; and
(2) important domains of family adjustment, including the marital and parent-child relationships.
Readings cover recent research in these areas.
Course goals
The goals of this course are: (1) to expose students to research problems in the domain of
childhood psychopathology and family dysfunction and the methods used to answer these
problems; (2) to increase students’ substantive understanding of the classification,
symptomatology, and etiology of major psychological disorders of childhood; (3) to facilitate
critical thinking skills by evaluating current research according to the criteria of theoretical scope
and clarity, methodological rigor, and potential usefulness for intervention and public health
policy.
Successful participation in this course will involve an active consideration of the following
themes:
1. the continuity of psychopathology across childhood to adulthood
2. processes linking normal development to psychopathological conditions
3. concepts of risk and resilience as means for understanding etiology, prevalence, and
comorbidity of childhood disorders
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Course calendar
Date
8.29.13
Reading
9.12.13
9.17.13
9.19.13
9.24.13
9.26.13
10.1.13
10.3.13
10.8.13
Topic
Introduction and
overview
Child
psychopathology
basics
Internalizing and
externalizing basics
Understanding risk
factors
ADHD
ADHD
ADHD
ODD
ODD
CD
CD
CD, substance abuse
10.10.13
Anxiety dx
Rapee et al. (2009)
File name = childhood anxiety
dx.pdf
10.15.13
10.17.13
10.22.13
10.24.13
10.29.13
Anxiety dx
Anxiety dx
Mood dx
Mood dx
Mood dx
10.31.13
11.5.13
Eating disorders
Risk for
psychopathology
Risk for
psychopathology
Autism
9.3.13
9.5.13
9.10.13
11.7.13
11.12.13
11.14.13
11.19.13
11.21.13
11.26.13
Autism
Family relationships:
Marriage
Family relationships:
Marriage
Child & partner
abuse
Assignment
Sameroff (2000)
Costello et al. (2005)
File name = epidemiology.pdf
Kraemer et al.
File name = risk factors.pdf
Barkley et al. (2002)
Granic & Patterson (2006)
Exam 1
Hicks et al.
Proposal
essay # 1 due
Bolton et al. (2002)
Jaffee et al. (2002)
Luby (2010)
File name = Luby preschool
depression
Strober (2004)
Jaffee et al. (2004); Costello et al.
(2003) (file = poverty)
Caspi (2000); Zahn-Waxler et al.
(file name = gender diff.pdf)
Baron-Cohen (2002); Volkmar et
al. (2000)
Exam 2
Proposal
essay # 2 due
Karney & Bradbury (2005)
Cicchetti & Toth (2005) – file
name = childhood
maltreatment.pdf; Slep & O’Leary
(2008) (file name = smith-slepand-oe28099leary-2005)
Class
presentations
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12.3.13
Class
presentations
Exam 3
Proposal
essay # 3 due
12.5.13
12.10.13
Course requirements
Completion of assigned readings. The assigned readings are the primary material for
stimulating class discussion and will also serve (along with lecture material) as the basis for exam
questions. You are responsible for completing the material listed for each course meeting. I will
periodically give short in-class quizzes and brief writing assignments covering material in the
readings.
Attendance and discussion. Your attendance at each class meeting is expected. Moreover, it is
anticipated that each student will contribute to classroom discussions at least occasionally by
asking questions or raising points for discussion. Your participation in discussions will contribute
to your final grade.
Exams. There will be 3 exams. Exams will include a variety of formats, including multiple choice,
brief response, and essay questions. Exams are NOT cumulative.
Quizzes. I will periodically administer brief (1-3 item) quizzes in class. These will cover the
diagnostic criteria for disorders being discussed and basic material from the assigned readings.
Some of the quiz items will cover the readings BEFORE we discuss them in class, so it is a good
idea to keep up with the reading assignments. I will drop your lowest quiz grade (i.e., it will not be
included in your average quiz score).
Written assignments. There are two types of written assignments required for this course. The
first is in-class written work and the second consists of brief research proposals. The purpose of
the research proposals is for you to develop a description of a research study (or series of studies)
designed to answer a specific question in some area of child or family psychopathology. Detailed
guidelines for these assignments will be provided to you.



Research proposal essays: a brief (2-4 page) overview of a research question, and a
specific design, methods, and analyses that could answer this question
In-class response assignments: You will be asked to turn in 2 reaction comments or
questions at the end of each class. The purpose of these assignments is to help you
organize the material that is presented during class, and to provide the instructor with
feedback for answering student questions and clarifying difficult material. You will be
given feedback from the instructor on these comments/questions.
In class essays: I will occasionally ask you to write a brief essay (1-2 paragraphs) on the
topics being covered in class. The purpose of these assignments is to encourage you to
think critically about the material as we cover it, and to provide you with some feedback
on your writing.
Brief presentation. You will give a brief (5 minute) presentation to the class in which you will
briefly describe and critically analyze a popular media representation of some topic addressed in
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the class (i.e., child psychopathology, family dysfunction). Details regarding this presentation will
be provided to you in class.
Grading
Exams (Total = 35%)
Exam 1: 10%
Exam 2: 12.5%
Exam 3: 12.5%
Quizzes (Total = 15%)
Written assignments (Total = 40%)
In-class response assignments: 7 %
Research proposals: 33%
Attendance and participation = 5%
Presentation = 5%
Grading scale
90-100
4.0
85-89
3.5
80-84
3.0
75-79
2.5
70-74
2.0
65-69
1.5
60-64
1.0
<60
Fail
DISCLAIMER. Elements of this syllabus are subject to change per the discretion of
the instructor. Any changes to this syllabus will be provided to the students in
writing.
Policy regarding attendance. Attendance is mandatory. The instructor will record instances of
non-excused absences, and points will be deducted from the participation portion of your grade.
You may also miss unscheduled quizzes if you fail to attend class, for which you will receive a grade
of 0.
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Policy regarding missed exams and late assignments. Excused absences from exams may
be granted by the instructor in cases of medical or other emergencies. Proper documentation will
be necessary, and granting of make-up exams is solely at the discretion of the instructor. Late
assignments will be penalized 20% for each day following the deadline (20% for 0-24 hours after
the deadline, 40% for 25-48 hours after the deadline, etc.).
Policy regarding academic integrity. Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that
“The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship,
grades, and professional standards”. In addition, the Department of Psychology adheres to the
policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of
Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and
Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. (See Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide and/or
the MSU website: www.msu.edu).
Therefore, unless authorized by your instructor, you are expected to complete all course
assignments, including homework, lab work, quizzes, tests, and exams, without assistance from any
source. You are expected to develop original work for this course; therefore, you may not submit
course work you completed for another course to satisfy the requirements for this course. Also, you
are not authorized to use the http://www.allmsu.com web site to complete any course work in PSY
424. Students who violate MSU rules may receive a penalty grade, including – but not limited to –
a failing grade on the assignment or in the course. Contact your instructor if you are unsure about
the appropriateness of your coursework. (See also
http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/honestylinks.html).
Policy regarding extra credit. There will be no extra credit opportunities given under any
circumstances.
Americans with Disabilities Act. Michigan State University is committed to providing equal
opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. Requests for
accommodations by persons with disabilities may be made by contacting the Resource Center for
Persons with Disabilities at 517-884-RCPD or on the web at www.rcpd.msu.edu. Once your
eligibility for an accommodation has been determined, you will be issued a verified individual
services accommodation (“VISA”) form. Please present this form to me at the start of the term
and/or two weeks prior to the accommodation date (test, project, etc.). Requests received after this
date will be honored whenever possible.
Limits to confidentiality. Essays and other materials submitted for this class are generally
considered confidential pursuant to the University’s student record policies. However, students
should be aware that University employees, including instructors, may not be able to maintain
confidentiality when it conflicts with their responsibility to report certain issues based on external
legal obligations or that relate to the health and safety of MSU community members and others. As
the instructors, I must report the following information to other University offices if you share it
with me:
1. suspected child abuse/neglect, even if this maltreatment happened when you were a
child
2. allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment when they involve MSU students,
faculty, or staff
3. credible threats of harm to oneself or to others
These reports may trigger contacts from a campus official who will want to talk with you about the
incident that you have shared. In almost all cases, it will be your decision whether you wish to
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speak with that individual. If you would like to talk about these events in a more confidential
setting you are encouraged to make an appointment with the MSU Counseling Center.
Policy regarding use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. I
encourage you to structure your in-class environment in a way that will maximize your attention to
and engagement with the material and with class discussion. In my experience teaching this
course, students whose attention is divided because they are checking email, the internet, texts, etc.
perform more poorly on quizzes, often fail to hear or remember important information delivered in
class (such as requirements for papers, changes to assignments, reminders about topics that will
appear on exams, etc.), and can frequently distract other students (and me). I will not ban these
materials from the classroom, but I will very much appreciate your attempts to eliminate or limit
your use of them.
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