Note: Attendance is also important as I will not be emailing the overheads that I use in class.

VI.     Policies

A.  Professionalism.  Students are expected to be organized and professional enough to: 

1)      come to class prepared and on time.

2)      complete and turn in assignments as indicated by the course calendar. (Assignments handed in late will receive partial credit)

3)      take tests at the scheduled time.  Make-up exams will only be given when arrangements have been made prior to the scheduled testing date.

B.     Plagiarism/Cheating:  Students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity.  Any student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will be assigned a failing grade and reported to the vice president for academic affairs.  Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, and forgery or alteration of documents (see the student handbook for definitions and descriptions of each of these). 

C.     All cell phones and pagers should be turned off during class sessions.

D.    Laptops can be a useful aid for note taking but also can be a distraction to other students.  If you bring a laptop to class, please choose a seat along the sides or back of the class to minimize distractions.

E.     Americans With Disabilities Statement:  Any student needing academic accommodations for a physical, mental or learning disability should notify student services and the course instructor within the first two weeks of the semester so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged.

Article Review Outline

Select an article that relates to the field of Abnormal Psychology from an academic journal.  Read, summarize, and react to the article.  Your article review should include the following components:

Bibliography:  Supply the appropriate bibliographic citation using APA format.

Summary:        In your own words summarize the following:

§  Introduction/review of literature

§  hypothesis(es)

§  procedures/methods

§  results and discussion

                         (Use appropriate in text citations to identify this information)

Integration:     Integrate the information from the article with information from your text or class discussions. (Use appropriate in text citations to identify this information)

Reaction:         Provide your personal reaction to the article.  How can you use this information on a personal or professional level?  What kind of contribution does this make to the field of clinical research?

Your summary will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Content:

Correct bibliographic and in-text citation format                               5 points

                        Effectively summarized the main concepts of the article                   15 points

                        Identified and integrated relevant information from class/text          10 points

                        Thoughtful, insightful reaction                                                           10 points

Style:

Well organized, clearly and concisely stated using standard

   rules of grammar                                                                              10 points

                                                                                                total     50 points

Case Study Outline—Group project

• Choose a psychological disorder that is of interest to you.  Research the disorder by reading current literature on the disorder and by reviewing the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV.  As a group, write and present a case study centered on a fictional character who has this disorder.  Your case study should display biographical information, clinical history, suggested treatment approach and prognosis for recovery.  The case study should be consistent with current research data. 

Biographical

Sketch:            Provide demographic and background information on your character including name, age, marital status, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, family history, educational history, and general health.

Clinical

history:            Describe the development of symptoms, intensity of symptoms, likely etiology (causes), past treatment history, and current level of functioning.

Diagnosis:       Provide a DSM-IV, 5 axis, Diagnosis.

Treatment

Approach:       Discuss the treatment approach that has the greatest likelihood of success. 

Prognosis for

Recovery:        Based on the literature in the field, discuss this individual’s prognosis for returning to a “normal” lifestyle.  What factors are most crucial for treatment?  What permanent lifestyle modifications or adjustments will likely be necessary?

• Submit an annotated bibliography of works used to develop the case study (10 sources minimum)

• Prepare a one-page handout for class members that provides relevant information about the disorder (not the case study) that you are presenting to the class.  The handout should provide information about symptoms and treatment, and should identify sources of additional information.

The project will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Clear representation (oral and written) of the disorder and relevant factors…    50 points

Annotated bibliography (APA style)………………………….……………..     15 points

Handout……………………………………………………………………        10 points

                                                                              Total                                        75 points

Abnormal Psychology—Tentative Schedule-Fall 2009