Main Content
Syllabus
PSYCH 270: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
Overview of assessment, causes, and treatments of psychological disorders.
Prerequisite: PSYCH 100
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accomodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
This course focuses on some of the topics and questions people most commonly ask about psychology: What are the different psychological disorders, and what are they like? How do clinicians diagnose someone with a disorder? What do therapists actually do in therapy?
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
- examine historical and current conceptions of normal and abnormal behavior,
- survey the origins, symptoms, and characteristics of several adult psychological disorders, and
- introduce the main treatment approaches for psychological disorders.
The course is designed to be accessible to both Psychology majors and others. Psychology B.A. and Psychology B.S. majors may use the course toward the 200-level breadth requirement of the major. Students will be assessed primarily with objective exams.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Activities
- Discussion Forums: For each lesson you will be asked to participate in a specific number of discussion forums. For example, in Lesson 3 you must participate in at least 2 out of the 3 discussion forums of your choice. You are welcome to participate in more than the number required for each lesson, but you will not receive additional points for participating in more than the required number of discussion forums for each lesson. You will be excused from participating in the additional discussion forums that you did not participate in for the lesson. The gradebook will reflect an EX for the excused discussion forum. Each discussion forum is worth 4 points. To get the 4 points per discussion forum you must make a substantive post or reply (you may make a post in direct response to one of the questions, or you may make a substantive reply to another student's post); "substantive" means that your post is scholarly and/or refers to class material. For our example you have the possibility of earning 8 points total by participating in the Lesson 3 discussion forums (2 discussion forums at 4 points each).
- Exams: There will be three exams throughout the course valued at 100 points each (50 questions at 2 points per question). You will have 1 hour to take each exam. Exam 1 covers information from Lessons 1-5, Exam 2 covers information from Lesson 6-10, and Exam 3 covers information from Lessons 11-15.
- Depression: Out of the Shadows: This assignment is worth 10 points. You will watch the 12 part documentary Depression: Out of the Shadows and participate in a discussion forum answering the instructor's questions.
- Mental Health and the Media: This assignment is worth 10 points and will challenge you to locate material from pop culture that is related to a DSM-5 diagnosis/disorder or a mental health related issue. You will then write a critique and be graded using a rubric.
| Assignment | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Forums (24 @ 4 points each) | 100 |
| Exams (3 @ 100 points each) | 300 |
| Depression: Out of the Shadows | 10 |
| Mental Health and the Media | 10 |
| Total Points | 420 |
| Percent | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 93.00-100.00% | A |
| 90.00-92.99% | A- |
| 88.00- 89.99% | B+ |
| 83.00-87.99% | B |
| 80.00-82.99% | B- |
| 78.00-79.99% | C+ |
| 70.00-77.99% | C |
| 60.00-69.99% | D |
| 0-59.99% | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies. If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
- Course begins:
- Course ends:
- Course length: 16 weeks
Lesson 1: Abnormal Behavior
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
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Lesson 2: Ethical and Legal Issues
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
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Lesson 3: Assessment and Diagnosis
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 4: Anxiety Disorders (Part 1)
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 5: Anxiety Disorders (Part 2)
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 6: Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 7: Somatic and Facititious Disorders
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 8: Dissociative Disorders
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 9: Depressive Disorders
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Readings: | Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 10: Bipolar Disorders
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 11: Suicide
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
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Lesson 12: Schizophrenia Spectrum (Part 1)
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 13: Schizophrenia Spectrum (Part 2)
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 14: Traumatic Brain Injury
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Lesson 15: Sleep-Wake Disorders
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Textbook (Understanding Abnormal Behavior)
Textbook (Mini DSM-5)
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Final Exam
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Readings |
None |
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Assignments: |
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
The purpose of course communication tools is to provide students with a quick method for contacting faculty, teaching assistants, and other students of the class, in regards to course related questions, comments, and concerns. Please note that, according to University policy AD95/AD96, course communication tools may not be used as a method for emailing unauthorized content including but not limited to: solicitation for businesses, advertisements, selling or distributing personal or class materials, transmitting offensive, obscene, or harassing materials, chain letters, news posts, or other forms of “spam” email. Doing so will be considered a violation of course and/or University policies, and might also violate the student code of conduct and the expectations expressed in the Penn State Principles. Resulting penalties might include the suspension or termination of system access, as well as disciplinary or academic sanctions. When appropriate, information about violators will be passed on to University Police Services. If you have any questions in regards to whether or not a particular email you wish to send would violate University policies, please check with your instructor before sending messages to others through the University system.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.