Abnormal Psychology
The concepts of normality, abnormality, and psychopathology; symptom syndromes; theory and research in psychopathology and psychotherapy
Abnormal Psychology
Fall Semester 2007
Stiteler B6
Instructor: Dr. Marna S. Barrett
Office: Rm. 672, 3535 Market St.
E-mail: msb@mail.med.upenn.edu
Office Hours: By appointment only
TA: Rebecca Stewart, restewar@psych.upenn.edu
Office: Solomon B7
Office Hours: Tuesday from 1:30-2:30 or by appointment
Nuwan Jayawickreme, nuwanj@psych.upenn.edu
Office: 3535 Market Street, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety,
6th floor, office #632
Office Hours: Mondays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm or by appointment
Stephen Schueller, sschuel@psych.upenn.edu
Office: Positive Psychology Center, 2nd floor, 3701 Market Street, Room 207
Office Hours: Fridays 4:30-5:30 or by appointment
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NOTE: Details of this syllabus may change at the discretion of the instructor. Any changes will be announced during class and posted on Blackboard. You are responsible for recording such changes if and when they occur.
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COURSE OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the field of psychology studying the continuum of normal to abnormal human behavior. We will discuss the history, theories, diagnoses, behaviors, and implications of abnormality with particular emphasis on the importance of context.
REQUIRED TEXT
Hansell, J., & Damour, L. (2005). Abnormal Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A hardcover version of the text (packaged with the WileyPlus computer access code) is available through the Penn Bookstore. However, a CD or on-line copy of the text can be purchased directly from http://www.wiley.com/college/buywileyplus at a substantial savings. Be sure to purchase the WileyPlus option in order to access support materials, videos, and practice exams. The course syllabus, lecture slides (after each lecture), readings, essay submission, and grades will be available on the WileyPlus site as well as Blackboard at www.courseweb.upenn.edu.
REQUIRED READINGS & ESSAYS
Throughout the semester, several articles (as indicated in the syllabus) will be assigned relevant to class discussions. You are responsible for reading these articles and writing a critical essay about the content for eight of them. A question specific to each assigned article will be provided to guide the writing of your essay. Essays are to be no more than 1 page in length and will be given as indicated on the class calendar. Each essay is worth 3% of the final grade. Articles and questions related to the articles will be available on-line through WileyPlus and Blackboard. Responses are to be submitted on-line through Blackboard by midnight of the due date as indicated on the syllabus.
Articles: (readings will be available on the WileyPlus and Blackboard websites)
Ainsworth, M.D.S. & Bowlby, J. (1991). An ethological approach to personality development. American Psychologist, 46, 333-341.
Bowlby, J. (1988). Developmental psychiatry comes of age. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 1-10.
Lilienfeld, S. (2007). Psychological treatments that cause harm. Perspective on Psychological Science, 2, 53-70.
Nasrallah, H.A., & White, R.A. (2006). Treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Medscape.
Rosenhan, D.L. (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179, 250-258.
Seligman, M.E.P. (1995). The effectiveness of psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports Study. American Psychologist, 50, 965-974.
Stuart, H. (2006). Mental illness and employment discrimination. Current Opinions in Psychiatry, 19, 522-526
Szasz, T. (1959). The myth of mental illness. American Psychologist, 15, 113-118.
Szasz, T. (1959). The case against suicide prevention. American Psychologist, 41, 806-812.
EVALUATION
The semester grade will be determined by the following:
Class exams: 75% of the final grade
Essay questions: 25% of the final grade
You are strongly encouraged to not miss exams. However, if you are unable to take a scheduled exam, Dr. Barrett must be notified prior to the exam and a make-up scheduled within one week. Make-up exams will be given at the discretion of the instructor and will differ from that given in class, i.e., all essay questions.
GRADING
Grades are based on the total points earned in a semester and follow the recommendations of the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
A top 25% of the class or at least 90% of the material (A+: >/= 98%, A-: 90-92%)
B next 40% of the class or at least 80% of material (B+: >/= 88%, B-: 80-82%)
C next 25% of the class or at least 70% of material (C+: >/= 78%, C-: 70-72%)
D next 5% of the class or at least 60% of the material
F less than 5% of the class or less than 60% of the material
ATTENDANCE
You are responsible for all material presented in class and all material covered in the textbook and assigned readings. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to remedy any problems caused by your absence. A large portion of the material covered in class will not be covered in the text. Therefore, it is in your best interest to attend all classes. Neither Dr. Barrett nor the TAs will provide class notes although any slides used in lectures will be made available on-line following the class in which it was presented.
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Additional readings of interest:
Styron, W. (1990). Darkness Visible. New York: Vintage Books.
Wisechild, L.M. (1988). The Obsidian Mirror: An Adult Healing From Incest. Seattle: Seal Press.
Schiller, L., & Bennett, A. (1994). The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness. New York: Warner Books.
Jamison, K.R. (1997). An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. Vintage Books.
Sacks, O. (1998). The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Touchstone.
Yalom, I. (2000). Love's Executioner & Other Tales of Psychotherapy. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
COURSE OUTLINE
Topics Chapter Dates
Core Concepts 1 9/6, 9/11
Lecture by Dr. Carol Weingarten: A developmental approach to diagnosis. 9/18
Readings: An ethological approach to personality development.
Developmental psychiatry comes of age.
Defining Abnormality 2 9/13
Essay Question #1: The myth of mental illness. Due 9/20
Theories of Abnormality 3 9/20, 9/25
Essay Question #2: The effectiveness of psychotherapy Due 9/28
Diagnosis & Assessment 4 9/27, 10/2
Essay Question #3: Psychological treatments that cause harm. Due 10/11
EXAM 1: October 4
Mood Disorders 6 10/9, 10/11 10/18
Essay Question #4: The case against suicide prevention. Due 10/23
NO CLASS: OCTOBER BREAK 10/16
Anxiety Disorders 5 10/23, 10/25
Eating Disorders 8 10/30
Essay Question #5: Mental illness and employment discrimination. Due 11/2
Dissociative Disorders 7 11/1
Lecture by Dr. Delane Casiano: Cultural psychiatry and psychoparmacology 11/6
Readings: TBA
EXAM 2: November 8
Personality 11 11/13, 11/15
Essay Question #6: Treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Due 11/15
Psychosis & Schizophrenia 12 11/20, 11/27
Essay Question #7: On being sane in insane places. Due 11/27
NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING 11/22
Developmental Disorders 13 11/29, 12/4
Essay Question #8: Developmental psychiatry comes of age. Due 12/6
Mind-Body Disorders 14 12/6
EXAM 3: December