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Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

Psychology 131: Abnormal Psychology


Fall 2015
Time and Place: M-W from 11:00 am 12:15 pm, Carnegie 107
Professor: Jessica Borelli, Ph.D.
Office: Lincoln 2107
Office Hours: Wednesdays from 10-11 am, 3-5 pm (booked by appointment
by visiting https://jessieborelli.youcanbook.me).
Email: Jessica.borelli@pomona.edu
Phone: 909-607-3757
Course Overview: This is an introductory survey course in psychopathology
and the scientific study of mental disorders. The main aim of the course is to
introduce you to the language and terminology of abnormal psychology
through consideration of contemporary issues in defining abnormality,
classification/assessment, the etiology or causes of mental disorders, and
treatment. After a series of organizing lectures focused on developing a
common language for talking about psychopathology, these topics will be
considered in the context of specific disorders. The emphasis of this course
is on reviewing scientific evidence (rather than discussing anecdotal or
personal experience) with the overall goal of helping you learn to think
critically about current theories, findings, and treatments of specific
disorders.
By the end of the course, you will develop an appreciation for the
description of various signs and symptoms defining specific disorders; the
continuity and discontinuity between normal and abnormal behavior; the
assessment and diagnostic process, including the criteria used to evaluate
classification systems; the national and cross-national epidemiology of
different disorders, including differences by gender and culture; the various
causal models of psychopathology, especially systemic approaches to
etiology; the ways in which research questions on psychopathology are
asked and answered; and, the different approaches to treatment with a
particular focus on interventions most beneficial for specific problems.
Further, I hope that students will leave the course with an understanding of
the phenomenology of specific disorders, or of the internal experience of an
individual who has that disorder, as well as compassion for people who
struggle with these problems.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, it is hoped the student will:
a) Develop an appreciation for the description of various signs and
symptoms defining specific disorders
b) Recognize the continuity of normal and abnormal behavior
c) Have knowledge of the national and cross-national epidemiology of
different disorders

Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

d) Apply elements of the assessment and diagnostic process,


including the criteria used within the DSM classification systems, to
real-world cases
e) Be able to evaluate the legitimacy of creating diagnoses for
particular behaviors
f) Be able to compare the various causal models of psychopathology,
especially systemic approaches to etiology; and the different
approaches to treatment with a particular focus on interventions
most beneficial for specific problems
g) Be able to synthesize primary research literature and/or popular
media to answer questions about Clinical Psychology
General Teaching Philosophy: My goal in teaching this course is to
engage you in an investigation of psychopathology and its treatment and to
help develop your ability to think critically about these issues. In general, I
believe that students learn best when allowed to engage in thoughtful
discussions, and so I will try to adjust my lecturing style to allow for open
discussion. Sometimes this may mean that I wont get all the way through
my lecture slides during a given class period in order to allow more time for
discussion within the class. So, please prepare yourself for the possibility that
I will not always finish a lecture in the class period (and may allow it to spill
over to the subsequent class or may stop lecturing about that topic and
transition to the next topic). I have allowed a catch-up and review day in my
syllabus to provide me this flexibility.
Course Readings and Materials: One text is required for this class and
one is recommended. Both may be purchased at the bookstore. Weekly
readings will be assigned from these books. In addition, other required
supplemental readings will be available on Sakai.
Textbook (Required):
Oltmanns, T.F., & Emery, R.E. (2015). Abnormal Psychology (8th Edition).
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. DENOTED BELOW AS: O/E
Recommended:
Oltmanns, T.F., Martin, M.T. Neale, J.M., Davison, G.C. (2007). Case
Studies in Abnormal Psychology. (7th Ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons. DENOTED BELOW AS: OMND
Supplementary readings will also be provided in Sakai Resources and
instructions for accessing these articles will be provided on the 1 st day of
class.
Please complete the readings before the lecture for which they are assigned.

Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

This will enable you to better contribute to our class discussion.


The Scientific Attitude: The application of science to questions of
abnormal behavior carries with it the implicit assumption that these
problems can be studied objectively. Clinical scientists adopt an open-minded
attitude that allows them to ask empirical questions so that research data
can inform their decision-making, rather than allowing personal biases to
guide them. We are going to discuss several controversial topics, including
sexual behaviors, drug use/abuse/dependence, and definitions of normality.
In order to get the most out of this class, you are asked to have a tolerant
and open mind, and to keep in mind that intellectual (not personal) debate
will be encouraged in class. Therefore, you are encouraged to ask questions
and raise points of debate in class, provided you do so in a respectful
manner.
Personal Mental Health: It is often tempting for people to start diagnosing
themselves and/or their friends and family when they learn about the criteria
for different psychological disorders. Please remember that only
professionals with the appropriate training should make diagnoses, and that
many people can demonstrate some characteristics of a given disorder
without experiencing clinically significant impairment or distress.
Nevertheless, if you have concerns for yourself, a family member or a friend,
please contact a mental health professional. For Claremont College
students, a good first-step would be to contact Monsour Counseling and
Psychological Services (MCAPS), 621-8202.
Academic Honesty: Cheating on any exam will result severe consequences
(see Pomonas procedures for handling academic dishonesty at
http://www.pomona.edu/studentaffairs/policies/AcademicHonestyPolicy.pdf).
Any semblance of cheating will result in a formal accusation; please avoid all
behaviors that might be considered, by a reasonable judge, dishonest. In
writing assignments, please avoid plagiarism, which is defined as the
representation of someone elses work as your own. Although it usually
takes the form of word-for-word quotations without a clear indication of the
original source (author, year, publication, etc.), lengthy paraphrasing without
proper citation also constitutes plagiarism. If you are unsure about how to
cite something, please contact me or a librarian.
Email Policy: You are welcome to email me with all matters of questions
and concerns regarding the course, and during the week I will typically
respond within 24-hours (it may take me longer on the weekends). However,
if you have a lot of questions, I prefer you either come to office hours or call
me directly in my office (909-607-3757). I am happy to speak with you over
the phone any time during the workday if you have questions that need
immediate answers.

Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

Services for Students with Disabilities: To request academic


accommodations due to a disability, please contact Dean Jan Collins-Eaglin if
you are a Pomona student. She can be contacted via e-mail at jan.collinseaglin@pomona.edu or at 909 607-2147. If you attend another one of the
Claremont Colleges, please contact your home colleges disability officer:
Pitzer (Rochelle Brown), Scripps (Jill Hawthorne), Harvey Mudd (Maggie
Browning), and CMC (Julia Strong).
The Writing Center (on the ground floor of Smith Campus Center across
from the Living Room) offers students free, one-on-one consultations at any
stage of the writing process from generating a thesis and structuring an
argument to fine-tuning a draft. We also work with students on all aspects of
oral presentations. The Writing Fellows Pomona students majoring in
subjects including Economics, Computer Science, English, and History will
work with you on an assignment from any discipline. Consultations are
available by appointment, which you can make online:
http://writing.pomona.edu.The Writing Center also offers drop-in hours
Sundays through Thursdays from 8-10pm.
Evaluation:
There will be 3 non-cumulative exams. Dates of the exams are listed on the class schedule
(below). An in-class practical exam will occur during class near the end of the term.
Additionally, class participation and quizzes will factor into your final grade. Quizzes will be
announced. You will be expected to attend class, have read the appropriate material for each
lecture, and be willing to discuss the material during class time. Class participation is based
upon your contribution during class. The amount of reading and material covered has been
limited so that it will be possible for you to accomplish this.
I will post grades (and some comments) in Sakai Assignments and review tests in class, so you
should have an idea how you are doing throughout the semester. Make-up tests will not be
given unless dire circumstances arise. There will be NO oral appeals of grades! Written one
page appeals may be submitted within five days of grade postings.
1. Quizzes = 20 points (total = 100 points [~19% of final grade])
2. Each of the three exams = 100 points (total = 300 pts [~57.1% of final
grade])
3. Paper or Group Case analysis = 100 points [~19% of final grade]
4. Class participation = 25 points [~5% of final grade]
Determination of Final Grades: There is no curve for this class or
weighting of the final grade depending on the top student grade. Your
course grade is determined by the percentage of total possible points you
accumulate based on this grading rubric:
92.5% & above = A
90.0- 92.4% = A87.5%-89.9% = B+

Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

82.5%-87.4% = B
80.0% - 82.4% = B77.5%-79.9% = C+
72.5%-77.4% = C
70.0% -72.4% = C67.5%-69.9% = D+
62.5%-67.4% = D
60.0% -62.4% = D57.5%-59.9% = F+
0 - 52.5%= F
Test and Quiz Format: Tests and quizzes will primarily consist of shortanswer and fill-in-the-blank questions, but at times tests and quizzes will
require longer responses. Tests will be designed to be completed within one
hour and quizzes will be designed to be completed in 10 minutes. Material
presented in both required readings and lectures are fair game, though in
general the topics focused on in lecture are considered most important.

Paper: You have two options for your paper:


1. Select a first-person account of mental illness from popular literature or
cinema (e.g., written work by Styron, Steve Hinshaw, Kay Jamison,
Temple Grandin, or movies/tv shows like Thin, In Session, A Beautiful
Mind, Wasted; feel free to ask me for suggestions), either from the
perspective of the person with the mental illness or the close
relative/friend/spouse of the individual suffering from mental illness.
Write a 5 page paper organized in the following way: Part 1: brief
summary of the first-person account, themes presented, etc.; Part 2:
analysis of the parts of the account that have been supported by
existing research findings on the disorder/topic and the parts that have
not been supported or have not yet been examined; Part 3: suggest a
design for a research investigation that you could use to evaluate one
aspect of the account of mental illness (MI) that has not yet been
studied in empirical research. Be sure to describe the study method
and hypotheses in detail.
2. Write an Op-Ed regarding some issue related to mental disorders.
Opinion/editorial pieces can be an extremely powerful way to
communicate ideas to policymakers, business leaders, and the broader
public. For this paper, you will write an Op/Ed piece of 750 words or
less on a topic of your choice. The topic must connect to course
themes on psychopathology. Although science--based Op/Eds can
come in many forms, the best papers often share several key features:
They identify a specific problem/puzzle (e.g., Why are U.S. obesity

Abnormal Psych, Fall 2015

Borelli

rates increasing? Why does the public distrust science?), examine the
problem in light of current thinking (theory) and evidence (e.g.,
research studies) and communicate some novel insight (argument)
about the nature of the problem and/or propose an intervention, based
on evidence. The paper will be graded on whether a central thesis has
been developed, whether the thesis has been defended with
compelling evidence, and whether the piece is written in a clear,
coherent, and engaging style. In addition to submitting the Op/Ed, I
must also see proof that you have submitted the Op/Ed to a real media
outlet.
Clinical Case Analysis: This will be a group project/exam that will begin
within one class period. Students will be asked to form their own groups of 45 students and will be presented with information about a specific person
experiencing a specific type of problem. The groups will have to identify the
symptoms the person is experiencing, diagnose the person with a type (or
types) of disorder(s), and briefly outline a treatment plan for the person.
Students will then leave the class and have 24 hours to write a group clinical
assessment report on the client (format for clinical assessment report will be
provided by Prof Borelli).

Course Calendar and Reading Schedulea


Date
Sept. 2nd
Sept. 7th
Sept. 9th

Topic
Introduction, Goals of the Course
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Causes of Psychopathology

Readings

Sept. 14th

In Class Quiz
Classification and Assessment
Treatment
Mood Disorders I
Mood Disorders II

(OE Chap. 4)

Sept. 16th
Sept. 21st
Sept. 23rd
Sept. 28th
Sept. 30th
Oct. 5th
Oct. 7th
Oct. 12th
Oct. 14th
Oct. 21th
Oct. 26th
Oct. 28th
Nov. 2th
Nov. 4th

In Class Quiz
Anxiety Disorders & OCD I
Anxiety Disorders * OCD II
Catch-up and Review
Exam #1 (covers 9/2-10/5)
Traumatic Stress, Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders I
Traumatic Stress, Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders II
Schizophrenia I
In Class Quiz
Schizophrenia II
Eating Disorders I
Eating Disorders II

Nov. 9th
Nov. 11th
Nov. 16th

In Class Quiz
Eating Disorders III
Exam #2 (covers 10/12-11/4)
Personality Disorders I
Personality Disorders II

Nov. 18th

Substance Use Disorders

Nov. 23rd

In Class Quiz
Guest Lecture

Nov 25th
Nov. 30th

Optional Class: Careers in Clinical Psychology


Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders

Dec. 2nd

Childhood Disorders

OE Chap. 1
OE Chap. 2

OE Chap. 3
OE Chap. 5
Freud article
(OMND Chap. 7 & 8)
OE Chap. 6
(OMND Chap. 1 & 2)

OE Chap. 7
(OMND Chap. 3 & 6)
OE Chap. 13
(OMND Chap. 10)
OE Chap. 10
Draper & Werth
(OMND Chap. 16 &
17)
OE Chap. 9
(OMND Chap. 19 &
20)
OE Chap. 11
Owen & Fletcher

OE Chap. 12
(OMND Chap. 14)
Chap. 16
(Chapter 15, OMND
Chap. 22)

Dec. 7th
Exam #3 (covers 11/15-12/7)
th
Dec. 9
Clinical Case Analysis: From Diagnosis to Treatment
Dec. 16th
Paper Due
a
any aspect of the syllabus or schedule may change at the instructors discretion (Readings in
parentheses are optional)

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