Psychology 2310A 001 FW23

Psychopathology

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

Department of Psychology

Fall 2023

 

Psychology 2310A    Section 001

Psychopathology

  • CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

This theory course is designed to introduce the wide-ranging theories of psychopathology in adults. Topics will include the major DSM diagnostic categories, as well as research and treatment. The course is empirical, with an emphasis on recent research findings with this population.

 

            Antirequisite: PSYCH2030A/B, PSYCH3310F/G, PSYCH3311

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

            Prerequisite: A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits in Psychology at the 1000 level

           

Course Weight: 0.5

            Lecture: 2 hours per week

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

  • COURSE INFORMATION

 

Instructor: Eric Collins, PhD

Office and Phone Number: Virtual (via Zoom)

Office Hours: By appointment (weekends and holidays excluded)

Email: ecollin9@uwo.ca (48-hour response on weekdays and 72-hours during exams)

 

 

Time and Location of Lectures: Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in Somerville House (SH) - 3345

Time and Location of Tutorials: See Student Centre

  • Section 002: 
  • Section 003: 
  • Section 004: 
  • Section 005: 
  • Section 006: 
  • Section 007:

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca  or 519-661-2147.

 

2.1 ONLINE LEARNING NOTICE

 

Please note: For courses delivered in an online format, include an online component, or are required to pivot online, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements. Some courses may also require the use of a remote proctoring platform to ensure assessments are taken fairly in accordance with Western’s policy on Scholastic Discipline for Undergraduate Students and Scholastic Discipline for Graduate Students. Please refer to the course syllabus for further information.

 

  • TEXTBOOKS (REQUIRED)

 

Dozois, J.A., D. (2019). Abnormal Psychology: Perspectives (6th Edition). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada Inc.

  • COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

The concept of “psychological disorder” is a frequent topic in the popular media, but how realistic are these depictions? What really is a psychological disorder and what are the various types? What do we really know about their causes and treatments? How do we go about finding the answers to these questions? These are all important issues, because these types of problems touch many people’s lives, and society as a whole, either directly or indirectly. In this course, we will explore these questions with respect to some of the most common and controversial topics in the field. The general objectives of this course are to help students learn to think critically about and attain a basic level of understanding of what is known and what is not known about: 1) the definition of “abnormal” psychological functioning; 2) biological, psychological, and environmental factors that affect psychological functioning; 3) how scientists study and obtain knowledge about the occurrence, causes, and treatment of psychological disorders; 4) how we categorize psychological disorders; 5) the nature, prevalence, causes, and treatments of many of the syndromes.

 

 

  • STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes relevant to psychopathology

Recognize the general diagnostic features of adult psychological disorders within the DSM-V

Identify concepts and current states of knowledge based on scientific research in psychology

 

Lectures

Readings

Forum Questions

Forum Responses

Quizzes

Exams

Knowledge of Methodologies.

Students will improve their understanding of the various quantitative and qualitative methods and methodologies concerning psychopathology

 

Lectures

Readings

Forum Questions

Forum Responses

Quizzes

Exams

Application of Knowledge.

Students will learn to think critically psychopathology and demonstrate an ability to apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios

Lectures

Readings

Forum Questions

Forum Responses

Quizzes

Exams

Communication Skills.

Students will sharpen their writing skills and improve their ability to articulate complex concepts

Forum Questions

Forum Responses
  • EVALUATION

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

 

        Component

        Weight %

Forum

10

Tutorials

10

Quiz 1

5

Quiz 2

5

Midterm Exam 1

17.5

Midterm Exam 2

17.5

Final Exam

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forum: Ten questions will be posted to the Forum on OWL throughout the term. Questions will be generated from the PowerPoints and assigned readings. Each student is required to contribute an original response to each week’s posting and provide a response to a fellow student’s original response. Each week’s original response and response to a fellow student’s response are worth a total of 1%. There are no part marks. “I agree” or “I disagree” are insufficient responses and will not be awarded marks. Students are expected to provide thoughtful responses that demonstrate critical thinking and an understanding of theoretical concepts. Each post must include a minimum of 80 words each (160 words in total). Examples of original responses can be found on OWL in the Forum.

 

Tutorials: There are ten tutorials. The full schedule can be found in the resources tool on OWL. Attendance and participation are mandatory. Each tutorial is worth 1%. You must attend and participate to earn the mark. Tutorials cover course material and give you an opportunity to engage with your peers in person and develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of psychopathology.

 

Quizzes: There are two quizzes to be completed online. Each quiz contains 15 questions, which are taken from the PowerPoints and assigned readings. These assessments are asynchronous, open book, and non-proctored. However, there will be a 20-minute time limit for each quiz (unless you have approved academic accommodations for extra time). Quiz 1 takes place on October 1, covers lectures 1-2, and is worth 5%. Quiz 2 takes place on October 22, covers lectures 5-6, and is worth 5%. Quizzes are formatted as multiple-choice, true or false, matching, and fill-in-the-blanks.

 

Exams: There are three exams in this course. Exams are in person and proctored. These assessments cover material from the PowerPoints and assigned readings. Midterm Exam 1 takes place on October 14 (time TBA). This assessment contains 30 questions, covers lectures 1-4, and is worth 17.5%. Midterm Exam 2 takes place on November 12 (time TBA). This assessment contains 30 questions, covers lectures 5-8, and is worth 17.5%. The final exam date and time are TBA. This assessment is cumulative, contains 75 questions, covers lectures 1-12, and is worth 45%. All exams are formatted as multiple-choice, true or false, matching, and fill-in-the-blanks.

 

5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

Unless you receive academic accommodations for missed course work, you receive a grade of zero for that component. The weight of accommodated missed course work is re-distributed to an assessment of equal weighting. Alternatively, you are permitted a re-write for missed course work, as long as it is within one week of the original closing date. There are no extra assessments for missed course work without accommodations.

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

        

70%   1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%   2100-2999-level courses

75%   3000-level courses

80%   4000-level courses

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

 

 

 

A+     90-100  One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A       80-89    Superior work that is clearly above average

B       70-79    Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C       60-69    Competent work, meeting requirements

D       50-59    Fair work, minimally acceptable

F        < 50     Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

 

  • ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

Open Date

Due Date

Assessment

Sep 12

Sep 19

Forum Posting 1

Sep 19

Sep 26

Forum Posting 2

Oct 1

Oct 1

Quiz 1

Sep 26

Oct 3

Forum Posting 3

Oct 3

Oct 10

Forum Posting 4

Oct 14

Oct 14

Midterm Exam 1

Oct 10

Oct 17

Forum Posting 5

Oct 17

Oct 24

Forum Posting 6

Oct 22

Oct 22

Quiz 2

Oct 24

Oct 29

Forum Posting 7

Nov 7

Nov 14

Forum Posting 8

Nov 12

Nov 12

Midterm Exam 2

Nov 14

Nov 21

Forum Posting 9

Nov 21

Nov 28

Forum Posting 10

TBA

TBA

Final Exam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Week

Date

Lecture Topic

Readings (Chapters)

1

Sep 12

Concepts of Abnormality Throughout History

1

2

Sep 19

Theoretical Perspectives on Abnormal Behaviour

2

3

Sep 26

Classification and Diagnosis

3

4

Oct 3

Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Trauma-Related Disorders

5

5

 Oct 10

Dissociative and Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

6

6

Oct 17

Mood Disorders and Suicide

8

7

Oct 24

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

9

8

Nov 7

Eating Disorders

10

9

Nov 14

Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

11

10

Nov 21

The Personality Disorders

12

11

Nov 28

Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders

13

12

Dec 5

Prevention and Mental Health Promotion in the Community

18

 

8.0  LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Chonnonton Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

  • STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

10.0  POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

 

Tests and examinations for online courses will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.

In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance.

 

11.0  POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  2. For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.

 

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

12.0  CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR RETURN TO LOCKDOWN: IN-PERSON & BLENDED CLASSES

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the term that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

13.0  STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0  OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

 

Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.