PSY 301/LECT/1-2023/FALL/1 - Abnormal Psychology

This course will provide students with an opportunity to learn about and understand abnormal behavior through the lens of psychopathology. Students will learn how to define and analyze psychological disorders, describe psychological dysfunction, distress, and atypical cultural responses. This course will be organized according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -5th Edition (DSM-5).

We will use an integrated approach when discussing and learning about psychological disorders in that we will examine the interaction between cultural, social, biological, and developmental factors. Specific disorders to be reviewed include mood, anxiety, substance use, eating, sexual, psychotic, and child spectrum disorders We will examine and apply psychological theory and findings from empirical studies when examining psychopathology.

 

RATIONALE

This is an elective course that counts towards the requirements in the psychology minor, major and combined major.

 

COURSE GOALS

The goals of this course are as follows:

 

1.   Define and analyze abnormal behavior and describe psychopathology in relation to cultural, social, biological, and developmental factors;

2.   Demonstrate understanding of assessment, etiology, symptoms, and treatments of the major psychological disorders in the DSM-5;

3.   Demonstrate familiarity with research methods and ethical considerations appropriate for the study of psychopathology;

4.   Identify and apply major psychological theories and findings from empirical studies to the explanation of psychopathology;

5.   Enhance writing skills in conjunction with APA format.

 

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

 

Comprehensively review psychological, biological, and sociocultural theoretical perspectives of abnormal behavior;

Examine multiple probable causes and correlates of behavior;

Review current research findings and trends relative to the development and description of maladaptive behavior;

Understand benefits, critiques, limitations, and implications of diagnosis and classification;

Provide an overview of current empirically supported psychotherapeutic treatments.