Abnormal Psychology
PSY 280, Session 201
Summer 2012
BASIC COURSE INFORMATION
Time: Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, 12:40-2:30
Dates: July 3 - August 16
Location: Psychology Building, room 120
rd
th
Professor: Kate Thomas, M.A.
Office: 40b Psychology Building
Email: thomas.kate.m@gmail.com
Meeting with Me: I will come to each class 15 minutes early and stay 15 minutes late. For many of you
this may provide a good opportunity for us to discuss any questions you have related to the course. You
may also email me with questions or to schedule a meeting.
Readings: You are not required to buy a book for this course. We will read articles and book chapters
which will all be posted on Angel.
Warning: Material that we cover in class, which will often not be available through the readings, will be
included in your assignments and test questions. In class quizzes will also count for a substantial portion
of your grade. If you do not intend to attend class you are strongly advised to drop this course or switch to
the online version, which is also being offered during this session.
OBJECTIVES
Overview: The primary purpose of this course is to gain an understanding of ‘abnormal behavior’ (I prefer
to think of this as ‘problematic mental functioning’). It is hoped that by the end of this course you will have
some answers to questions such as: What are the various problems in living that people experience?
What do these problems feel like? What are the differences between ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’
experiences of a problem? How do problems in mental functioning develop? How can we understand
them? How can we best help people with these problems? How do different theories of psychopathology
give us different ways to think about the answers to these questions?
Structure: We will begin this course by learning how different ways of understanding psychopathology
(different theories) offer insight into how disorders develop, are measured, and can be treated. This will
provide a framework for thinking about the various psychological disorders we will discuss throughout the
remainder of the course. Below is a visual representation of the course structure:
Psychodynamic
Interpersonal
Behavioral
Cognitive
Biological
Etiology: How might this disorder develop?
Assessment: How can we know if a person has this disorder?
Treatment: How can we help a person with this disorder?
Personal Disclaimer: Abnormal psychology is a highly diverse field. Ten different instructors could
reasonably teach this course in ten different, non-overlapping ways and their students would likely end
the class with entirely different beliefs about psychopathology. So I want to share some of my beliefs with
you so you can know a bit more about the lens through which I will be teaching course material. My
primary interests are in personality and assessment. I believe personality always plays an important role
in psychopathology (even when personality is not the reason for a client’s problems in living). I also
believe that how we measure and interpret constructs in psychology (assessment) plays a crucial role in
our understanding of human functioning. Secondly, I believe that theory provides a guide for
understanding psychopathology and that a variety of theories can be integrated to be maximally useful in
seeking to understand people and their problems. Lastly, I do believe in psychological disorders, but not
in the way the field currently defines them. For instance, I think that most disorders lie on a spectrum of
severity ranging from normal human experience to severe psychopathology.
CLASS FORMAT
Readings: Should be completed prior to coming to class on the day they are assigned. Readings will be
posted on Angel (under Lessons). You should bring a copy of the readings (printed or electronic) with you
to class. Readings are meant to challenge and stimulate your thinking. Thus, often times they may be
complex and difficult to completely understand. The most important thing for you to do is try to understand
the main point(s) of each reading. We will discuss the readings class to try to better understand them.
Asking Questions: I hope that we will have an interactive class and learn from one another’s ideas and
interests. You are encouraged to ask any questions you have about the readings or topics we are
covering. Additionally, if you have a question about something that you would like me to discuss or
elaborate on in class, email me before 8am on the day of class and I will try to do so in class that day.
Lectures: Lectures will be posted on Angel (under Lessons) by 8am on the day of class. Lecture notes
will be in powerpoint format and will generally provide the “bare bones” of the important information we
are covering. Thus, you are encouraged to add your own additional notes to the lecture notes I present.
Getting Help: At various times throughout this course you might begin to think that you have a disorder
we learn about. It is common to recognize problematic patterns in ourselves, but this often doesn’t mean
that we have a particular disorder. However, it is possible that some of you may recognize problems in
your own day to day functioning that are consistent with a disorder we discuss. If this happens, you are
encouraged to visit the MSU Counseling Center website to learn about (free!) treatment options that
might be available to you: http://www.counseling.msu.edu/
GRADING
Assignments: - Your grade for this course will be based on your performance on 3 exams (disorders will
not be cumulitive, theories will be cumulitve), 1 written assignment, and in class quizzes about the
readings assigned for that day.
Exam 1: 25%
Exam 2: 25%
Exam 3: 25%
Written Assignment: 25%
Quizzes: 25%
*Your lowest grade will be dropped.
Policy on Late Work: If you arrive late to exam, you can still take the exam but will not receive extra time
and must turn in your exam by the end of the class period. Ten points will be deducted from your final
grade for your written assignment for each day it is late (e.g., if you turn the assignment in two days late
and receive a 90%, your grade will be deducted to 70%). If you are late to class and miss a quiz, you may
complete the quiz at the end of class. If you miss a quiz, you cannot make it up (but, your 3 lowest quiz
grades will be dropped).
Grading Policy: Percentages in the class will correspond to the following final grades:
4.0 = above 90%
3.5 = 85-89%
3.0 = 80-84%
2.5 = 75-79%
2.0 = 70-74%
1.5 = 65-69%
1.0 = 60-64%
0.0 = below 60%
It is not expected that final grades in this class will be curved. However, there will be opportunities to earn
extra credit.
Extra Credit: Students can earn credit by participating in the HPR psychology subject pool. In
accordance with HPR policy, thirty-minutes of credit counts as 1 point. Students will be able to earn up to
15 points extra credit (7.5 HPR study hours). These points will be added to your lowest (not dropped)
exam grade. The last day to participate in the HPR subject pool will be August 15th. For more information
on how to participate, please see the “Human Student Instructions 2012” document available on Angel
(Lessons -> Course Materials). Note that you cannot participate in HPR studies if you are not at least 18
years old. If this applies to you, contact the HPR administrator for alternative opportunities to earn
equivalent credit [Leslie Baldwin: lbaldwin@msu.edu].
Alternative: Participation in HPR research, though encouraged, is voluntary. If you do
not wish to participate in research studies, you can write a paper review of a research
study as an alternative. Please contact me to obtain additional information if you would like to
pursue this option.
Note: You cannot earn double extra credit by participating in research and writing a paper review.
Cheating/Plagiarism: Integrity is one of your greatest academic resources. If you cheat or are
academically dishonest, you may receive a failing grade for the course and I reserve the right to pursue
university-wide action, including expulsion. See the university policies regarding academic integrity:
http://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/RegsOrdsPolicies.html#General
Accommodations: Please let me know as soon as possible if you need accommodations and I will do
my best to make the appropriate arrangements. If you will be taking your exams with the RCPD office, the
“Alternative Testing Site Authorization” form is available on ANGEL (Lessons -> Course Materials). It is
your responsibility to call RCPD (517-353-9642) to schedule your testing, download this form, fill it out,
and bring it to me. RCPD requires that you bring the form to their office at least one week prior to class
exams.
SCHEDULE
This is a tentative schedule of the semester’s topics and readings. It is subject to change based on our
course goals. Any changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and posted on Angel.
Date
Topic(s)
Reading(s)
7/3
Course Introduction & Overview
Key Course Concepts
Theoretical & Diagnostic History
Rosenhan (1973) - optional
Spitzer (1975) - optional
7/4
No Class
7/5
Psychoanalytic Theories
Westen (1998)
7/10
Interpersonal Theory
Leary (1957), Chap 1
Pincus, Lukowitsky, & Wright (2010)
7/11
Behavioral & Cognitive Theories
Goldfried & Davison (1994), Chap 1
Beck (1991)
7/12
Biological Models
Plomin et al. (2008), Chap 5
7/17
Mood Disorders
(Depression)
Klein (2010)
Wallace (The Depressed Person) - optional
7/18
Mood Disorders
(Bipolar, Suicide)
McWilliams (1994), Chap 11
Klomek et al. (2007)
7/19
Exam 1
7/24
Anxiety Disorders
(GAD, OCD, Phobias)
Coles, Mennin, & Heimberg (2001)
Davey et al. (1993)
May (1950), Chap 6 - optional
7/25
Anxiety Disorders
(Panic, PTSD)
Herman (1992)
Breslau et al. (1998)
7/26
Body-Related Disorders
(Somatoform, Eating)
Mayou et al. (2005)
Keel & Klump (2003)
7/31
Psychotic Disorders (Schizophrenia)
Goldberg & Green (1995)
Strakowski et al. (1997)
8/1
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
(Autism): Guest Lecturer
Ozonoff & Rogers
Park, Yelland, Taffe, & Gray (2012)
8/2
Exam 2
8/7
Disruptive Behavior Disorders
(ADHD, ODD, CD)
D’Onofrio et al. (2007)
Faraone et al. (2003)
8/8
Personality Disorders in the DSMs
Hopwood & Thomas (2012)
Wright et al. (2012)
8/9
Personality Disorders
(Borderline & Narcissistic)
Cain, Pincus, & Ansell (2008)
Linehan & Dexter-Mazza (2008), pp. 365-377; 405-417
8/14
Externalizing Disorders
(Substance Use, Sexual)
Written Assignment Due
Sapolski (2004), Chapter 16
8/15
TBD
8/16
Exam 3