Modesto Junior College Course Outline of Record PSYCH 105 I. OVERVIEW The following information will appear in the 2010-2011 catalog PSYCH 105 Abnormal Psychology 3 Units Recommended for Success: Before enrolling in this course, students are strongly advised to satisfactorily complete PSYCH 101 and be familiar with the theories of personality, experimental design,introductory information on diagnostic categories, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.. An examination of the broad questions of normality in the context of biological, psychological, sociological, and cultural factors; including major theoretical, diagnostic and treatment approaches. Field trips are require (A-F or P/NP - Student choice) Lecture Transfer: (CSU, UC) General Education: (MJC-GE: B ) (CSU-GE: D9 ) (IGETC: 4I ) II. LEARNING CONTEXT Given the following learning context, the student who satisfactorily completes this course should be able to achieve the goals specified in Section III, Desired Learning: COURSE CONTENT Required Content: Definitions and criteria of "abnormal" behavior i ii Violates current social norms Statistically infrequent Maladaptive to self or others Source of personal distress Cultural factors in evaluating normality of behavior Social - who gets labeled "abnormal"? Gender Ethnicity Age Socioeconomic status i ii Political - political dissident or psychiatric patient? Economic - private vs. public mental health systems Western vs. nonwestern assumptions Individualism vs. collective identity Division: Business, Behavioral & Social Sciences 1 of 5
Internal vs. external explanations of behavior Social mobility and change vs. stability Classification systems for diagnosis i ii Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders International Classification of Disease System Limitations of classification systems Reliability Cross-cultural applications The problem of labeling Historical perspectives i ii Demonology Early asylums Humanitarian reform e. Causal factors in abnormal behavior i ii Biological Psychosocial Sociocultural f. Types of psychological disorders i ii v. v vi vii ix. x. x Stress and adjustment disorders Anxiety based disorders Psychological factors and physical illness Personality disorders Substance abuse and other addictive disorders Sexual disorders Mood disorders and suicide The schizophrenias and delusional disorders Organic mental disorders Mental retardation and developmental disorders Behavior disorders of childhood and adolescence Division: Business, Behavioral & Social Sciences 2 of 5
g. Treatment methods i ii Biologically based therapies Psychologically base d therapies Evaluation of success in therapy h. Contemporary issues in abnormal psychology i ii The insanity defense Commitment process Deinstitutionalization Prevention ENROLLMENT RESTRICTIONS Advisories Before enrolling in this course, students are strongly advised to satisfactorily complete PSYCH 101 and be familiar with the theories of personality, experimental design,introductory information on diagnostic categories, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.. Requisite Skills Before entering the course, the student will be able to: Explain theories of personality. Identify experimental design, diagnostic categories, diagnosis and treatments. C. HOURS AND UNITS 3 Units INST METHOD TERM HOURS UNITS Lect 54 3.00 Lab 0 0 Disc 0 0 D. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION (TYPICAL) Instructors of the course might conduct the course using the following method: 3. 4. Lecture, discussion, reading, and writing Videotapes, films, handouts, and demonstrations, internet Assigned writing assignments to analyze psychological theories, methods and publications Assigned student projects such as experiments and research papers to apply course concepts to particular human problems E. ASSIGNMENTS (TYPICAL) Division: Business, Behavioral & Social Sciences 3 of 5
EVIDENCE OF APPROPRIATE WORKLOAD FOR COURSE UNITS Time spent on coursework in addition to hours of instruction (lecture hours) Daily reading to prepare for exams. Study for major exams. Prepare presentation and research paper on a mental disorder. Write cases of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and schizophreni EVIDENCE OF CRITICAL THINKING Assignments require the appropriate level of critical thinking After listening to each student presentation on a mental disorder, you will write three insights you gained from the presentation. Adopt the mindset of a mentally ill person and describe the symptoms, causes and treatment of the mental illness from the first person perspective. Typical exam queston: Create the ideal mental health facility focusing on treatment for a mental disorder of your choice. F. TEXTS AND OTHER READINGS (TYPICAL) Book: Ronald Comer (2007). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (5th/e). Worth Publishers. III. DESIRED LEARNING COURSE GOAL As a result of satisfactory completion of this course, the student should be prepared to: describe the mental health diagnostic process, specific mental health diagnoses, the causes of these disorders and the variety of treatment approaches. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS Mastery of the following learning goals will enable the student to achieve the overall course goal. Required Learning Goals Upon satisfactory completion of this course, the student will be able to: e. Describe and evaluate basic criteria for defining behavior as "normal" or "abnormal". Analyze economic, political, and social influences in cultural assumptions about abnormal behavior. Describe and analyze causal factors in abnormal behavior. Compare and contrast treatment methods and evaluate their effectiveness. Identify and evaluate historial and contemporary issues in abnormal psychology. IV. METHODS OF ASSESSMENT (TYPICAL) Division: Business, Behavioral & Social Sciences 4 of 5
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Writing and analytic assignments Objective exams SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 3. 4. Research paper Student projects, such as oral presentations Objective exams Writing and analytical assignments Division: Business, Behavioral & Social Sciences 5 of 5