How glorious it is -- and also how painful -- to be an exception. --Louis Charles Alfred de Musset, French writer (1810 - 1857)

To do therapy we must understand what is "normal" and what is not. To be able to make that distinction we must have some basic skills. We must be able to:

• Observe behavior carefully and objectively, observing patterns in behaviors;

• Understand the behavior in context for that individual, setting and culture;

• Identify developmental and cultural norms and compare their behavior to these;

• Compare the behavior with some overarching definition of mental health.

In other words, sometimes it "makes sense" to be depressed. Sometimes it is "abnormal" to react with laughter. We will approach the goals described above using the diagnostic system developed by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-IV, learning both the strategies they use to categorize patterns of abnormal behavior as well as what those characteristic patterns are. Although this is not a "therapy course," we will also glance at accepted treatment strategies for particular diagnostic categories.

As we explore these issues we will think about the major controversies in the field. Among others: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using labels? Can people with psychiatric problems be held "responsible" for their behavior? Why are people of one gender, race, or ethnicity more likely to diagnosed with some disorders than others? Why have diagnoses been added or deleted from the DSM across time?

This exploration of context and values has led to this course being granted a Values flag within the major (S). This course is often taken fairly early during a student's academic career, but knowledge gained in other Psychology courses will be very useful in this one.

Text. To facilitate these goals we will use:

1. Hansell & Damour's Abnormal Psychology. This text has a large number of resources (quizzes, notes, flashcards, etc.) available at its website This website can be an excellent resource for preparing for exams;
2. The pocket edition of the DSM-IV-TR. This has the diagnostic criteria for all of the cases we will discuss this semester. I would strongly recommend that you bring the pocket edition of the DSM-IV-TR to class each day once we begin talking about diagnoses.
3. Websites to help you understand people and the disorders they are dealing with are posted on Blackboard.

Exams. We will have four exams that will cover material from the text, lectures and discussions, handouts, and other materials. Each exam will have a multiple choice section. Exams 2 through 4 will also have a series of cases; you will need to read these cases carefully to determine which disorder is described and why. Make-ups can be taken at a mutually convenient time up until the exam. If you miss an exam without talking to me about this beforehand, you will lose a letter grade on your make-up exam. This is fair for people who did not take the exam late and who, presumably, might have done better with several extra days prep.

Learning how to take a professor's exams is a skill. You may look at your responses to the first exam and earn 5 pts. extra credit for (a) identifying where you made a mistake on a particular question, and (b) determining a strategy for approaching the next exam that will increase your ability to be successful on it.

Critical thinking comments. You will need to turn in twenty typed thought-provoking comments throughout the semester. Your comments should show that you've read the material and that you're thinking about what you've read -- a primary goal of this course. Because this assignment is designed to encourage critical thinking about the material, and preparation before class, I will not accept this assignment outside of class or following the beginning of a class meeting.

You will get one point for each "good" comment you turn in, with a maximum of one per day and 20 for the course. What are good comments? Good comments show that you've thought about the material, whereas poor comments slough this job off on someone else. For example:

Poor Q (0 pts.)

What is a conversion disorder?

Good Q (1 pt.)

It's interesting that women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression. It seems that there are many more opportunities for women than there used to be, but there is still a gender bias in some areas, especially how emotions are expressed (women can, men can't). Will men become more depressed, but less likely to act out, when these biases in expression of emotion change? We used to see diagnoses like conversion disorder and hysteria frequently, but rarely saw DID and PTSD. I suspect that my children will see different disorders prominently discussed in their Abnormal Psychology class. I wonder, though, whether this is a difference in what we're paying attention to or how people express their emotional pain. Are alcoholism, suicidal ideation, binging and purging, and self-injury all the same emotional event, just felt and expressed differently? My friend was raped recently and won't talk about it. From reading the chapter I know this isn't a good idea. I've been trying to listen to her and she is seeming a bit more comfortable around me and less depressed. I keep thinking about one of our friends in high school who was raped who we didn't believe -- who later attempted suicide. I wonder what would have happened differently if we'd known what to say to her.

Your comments should help you stay caught up with the material and learn more from the course.

Case analysis. The diagnostic process is better understood and integrated when you use it. Although I will give you a longer handout to explain this project, in brief, I will ask you to read a memoir and think about it from the viewpoint of this course. What diagnoses might you think about for the writer? Why? What else do you need to know in order to give a diagnosis? How does the character's culture affect your interpretation of this book?

I will give you a bibliography to help you identify some appropriate books. You may, of course, use a book that is not on this list. This paper is optional but you can not earn an A in this course if you do not do a paper, regardless of the balance of your performance.My criteria for grading are included here.

I will not read papers that do not meet professional writing standards of spellchecking, grammar checking, and organization. If your paper does not meet college-level standards for writing, I will return it to you with a 10% penalty and ask you to rewrite it. I will, however, read your paper if you bring it to my office several days before the due date. Late papers will receive a 10% penalty.

Clarion University is mandated by federal and state laws to report crimes occurring on campus or in campus-related functions. In order to help Clarion University comply with these laws, I am required to report information about university-related crimes to Public Safety. If you tell me of a crime that meets university criteria (especially assaults, sexual assaults, robbery, or hate crimes), I will report it. I am not required to identify either victims or witnesses by name. I will, of course, inform you before making a report.

Grades will be determined as the percentage of the available points earned. These will come from four sources: (a) the sum of the percentages from your tests (400 possible); (b) the number of points earned from your case analysis (100 pts, optional); (c) the number of points earned from your comments (20 pts.); and (d) extra credit.

Note that the case analysis is optional -- although you cannot earn an A without a paper. If you choose not to do the paper, compare your points earned with the following scale:

I do not expect that a certain number students fail and I would be happy if the class received only As and Bs. To meet this goal I will be happy to help you when you need it. If you want more help, make an appointment with the Academic Support Center (2249). If you have test anxiety or if this course raises issues which you want to work on, call the Counseling Center (2255).

Setting the stage:

8/28-9/6	What is abnormal behavior?	Chs. 1,2 "Think people first"
9/8-9/13	What causes problem behaviors? Various viewpoints.	Ch. 3
9/15-9/18	Assessing behavior	Ch. 4

American Psychological Association. (2005). Mind/body health: Interactive. Retrieved on June 22, 2006, from http://www.apahelpcenter.org/

Gaviria, M. (Director), & Smith, M. (Producer). (2001, April 10). Medicating kids. Frontline. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/

HealthyPlace.com. (n.d.). Best things to say to someone who is depressed. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/related/support_5.asp

Jamison, K. R. (1995). An unquiet mind: A memoir of moods and madness (excerpt). New York: Vintage Books. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pendulum.org/writings/writings_essays_kayquote.html

Kingsley, E. P. (1987). Welcome to Holland. Down Syndrome WWW. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.nas.com/downsyn/holland.html

MacLowry, R., (Producer), & Samels, M. (Director). (2002). A brilliant madness: An Interview with John Nash. American Experience. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/nash/sfeature/sf_nash.html

Marrou, C. (1996, June 26). Let me tell you a secret. Newsweek. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pendulum.org/articles/articles_bipolar_myturn.html

McPhee, L. (2000, December 12). Dying to be thin. Nova. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thin/

Public Images Network. (n.d.). Think people first. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.publicimagesnetwork.org/first.html

Reagan, R. (1994, November 5). President Reagan courageously announces his illness. Retrieved on June 23, 2006, http://www.presidentreagan.info/alz.cfm

Simpson, D. E., Hanley, J. J., & Quinn, G. (2002, July 16). Refrigerator mothers. POV. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2002/refrigeratormothers/

Townsend, L. (2006). Leslie Townsend's story. Retrieved on May 12, 2006, from http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TSsuccesses/LeslieTownsend.html

Page by jms
URL= http://psy1.clarion.edu/jms/syllabn.html

Last modified August 23, 2006

A total of people have accessed this page since August 8, 1998.