PSYCHOLOGY 241
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISORDERS & NEURODIVERSITY
COURSE OUTLINE – SPRING 2024
General Description:
This course provides an introduction to psychopathology: the scientific study of mental disorders. The course begins with a brief overview of the history of abnormal psychology before reviewing the prominent theoretical perspectives and how they conceptualize psychological disorders. The course then provides an overview of classification and diagnostic systems used in the field, then leading assessment techniques relevant to clinical psychology, followed by surveying the nature, assessment, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of a series of specific psychological disorders. A strong emphasis is placed on understanding the role of scientific reasoning and research methodology in understanding psychopathology, as well as the application of research findings and scientific principles to the professional practice of psychology. Specific topics that will be covered include the major theoretical perspectives, classification and diagnosis, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, eating disorders, substance related disorders, personality disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and disorders of childhood and adolescence. The main goals of the course are to introduce students to the clinical practice of psychology and to acquaint students with the key features of a number of psychological disorders. The course generally focuses on those disorders that are most likely to affect the public. An underlying theme throughout the course will be the importance of applying scientific principles and clinical knowledge to the assessment and treatment of psychological disorders.
Prerequisites:
Students must have credit for PSYC 100 and 102 prior to taking this course.
Course Format:
Please note this course will be conducted through remote methods. Enrollment in this course acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. No exams will be conducted in-person. Remote learning for this semester requires a computer or tablet and internet access. For general assistance with remote learning see: https://www.sfu.ca/itservices/remote-study-work-resources.html
Canvas:
Canvas will be the main hub for this course. All course materials will be posted on Canvas (i.e., this syllabus, lecture slides, pre-recorded lectures, assignments, exams, and other resources). Specifically, lecture slides and pre-recorded lectures will be available each week on Canvas. Important course announcements will also be posted on Canvas. Your main interaction with the teaching team will occur through Canvas. As well, you will be able to check your grades for all course components. You are also encouraged to use the discussion board and/or chat functions to contact other students about lectures, post questions or clarifications about the course concepts, or organize study sessions with your classmates.
You can access Canvas from the SFU homepage, click on “sign in” then on “Canvas” or the following link (https://canvas.sfu.ca) and sign in with your SFU login information. Once signed in, you will see a list of the courses you are taking that are using Canvas each semester. For technical assistance with Canvas see: http://www.sfu.ca/canvas/student-guide.html
Zoom:
This course will use Zoom, specifically for office hours and other meetings. Zoom is a real-time video conferencing tool that will be used primarily to host interactive office hours. You can access links to the online office hour sessions in the Zoom tab on Canvas.
Methods of Instruction: Remote
This course is offered in remote format. Lectures will be pre-recorded and posted on Canvas on Mondays. All office hours will be hosted on Zoom at their scheduled times.
See the tables below for a breakdown of the course delivery.
Lecture
Section Day & Time Method Instructor
D100 Uploaded on Mondays Pre-recorded on Canvas Adam Blanchard
Office Hours
Section Day & Time Method Instructor
D100 Thursday 1:00 – 2:00PM Zoom Adam Blanchard
Course Materials:
Textbook:
Dozois, D. J. A. (2023). Perspectives in Psychopathology (7 th ed.). Pearson Canada.
Evaluation and Grading:
Component Percentage Deadline
Midterm Exam #1 20% January 29
Assignment #1: Case Study 5% February 12
Midterm Exam #2 25% March 11
Assignment #2: Video Analysis Draft - March 18
Assignment #2: Video Analysis Peer Review 5% March 25
Assignment #2: Video Analysis 20% April 2
Final Exam 25% April 13 – 24
Assignments:
There are two written assignments required in this course. The assignments are designed to provide you with an opportunity to practice your critical thinking skills and apply course concepts to novel circumstances. Each assignment should be typed and in APA format.
Assignment #1 involves reviewing a published case study written by an individual with a mental disorder and describing the etiology of that disorder through different psychological perspectives. See Assignment #1: Case Study on Canvas for full details.
Assignment #2 involves reviewing a movie from a designated list and writing a critical summary and analysis of the movie’s portrayal of a specific mental disorder. See Assignment #2: Video Analysis on Canvas for full details.
Exams:
There are three exams in this course: two midterm exams and a final exam. The second midterm and final exams are not cumulative, but some of the concepts in the course build upon concepts presented earlier. All material covered in the lectures and assigned readings is testable. Exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. The exams will consist of timed quizzes in Canvas. The exams are open book (i.e., you can use any resources you wish in completing the exams). See the Exam Information on Canvas for full details.
Special Arrangements and Grades:
Note that failure to complete any of the evaluative components for this course will result in a score of zero for that component and a final letter grade of N (incomplete). That is, all assignments and exams must be completed to receive a final letter grade for the course.
Tentative Grade Categories:
The tentative grade categories listed below reflect anticipated values for the assignment of final letter grades only. The actual values (i.e., cut-off scores for each letter grade) may vary depending on the actual performance of the class. That is, the values corresponding to each letter grade may be adjusted (up or down) based on student performance to align with departmental expectations.
A+ 95%+ C+ 65-69.9%
A 90-94.9% C 60-64.9%
A- 85-89.9% C- 55-59.9%
B+ 80-84.9% D 50-54.9%
B 75-79.9% F 0-49.9%
B- 70-74.9%
Grade Appeals:
If you wish to dispute a grade, your dispute must be presented in writing within one week of receiving the grade. You must include a specific rationale for why you are disputing your grade, including any supporting documentation as necessary (i.e., reference to class readings or lectures). Please ensure that you have a very compelling case to make and are not just trying to get a grade bumped up. We spend a great deal of time grading and the grade you are given will, except in very rare cases, reflect well your level of competence in the course. As a result, aside from errors in calculation, it is unlikely that a grade will change as a result of an appeal. However, the review may lead to higher grades, lower grades, or no changes.
Missed Exam:
Special arrangements for the taking of an exam must be made in advance. Note that it is not guaranteed that you will be granted an alternate sitting for an exam. Make-up exams will be given only in the event of a valid emergency (e.g., illness, death of a family member) or university approved conflict (e.g., approved athletic event, religious holiday). There must be a clear association between the reason provided and the inability to attend the exam as scheduled. If you must miss an examination for an emergency or other reason, you should contact the instructor prior to the scheduled exam time or as soon as possible in order to schedule a time to complete the missed exam. You may be asked to provide written documentation of the emergency or other reason to schedule a make-up exam.
Late Assignments:
All assignments are due by 11:59PM on the scheduled date as stated on Canvas and this syllabus. Assignments handed in after this will be considered late. As a general rule, late submissions will not be accepted without a penalty. Unless a prior arrangement has been made with the instructor, all late assignments will receive a 25% per day late penalty (i.e., 25% of the total marks for that assignment per day that your submission is late, including weekends and holidays). This means the maximum grade you can receive on an assignment submitted one day late is 75%, two days late is 50%, and three days late is 25%. Finally, an assignment submitted four days late will receive a grade of 0.
Extensions on assignment deadlines will be given only in the event of a valid and documented emergency (e.g., illness, death of a family member) or university approved conflict (e.g., approved athletic event, religious holiday). There must be a clear association between the reason provided and the inability to complete the assignment in a timely manner. If you are unable to complete an assignment by the deadline due to an emergency or other reason, you should contact your instructor prior to the deadline or as soon as possible to determine whether an extension will be provided.
No extensions will be allowed on Assignment #2: Video Analysis Draft and Assignment #2: Video Analysis Peer Review due to the nature of the assignments.
Academic Integrity:
Simon Fraser University is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and other forms of academic dishonesty and misconduct are very serious concerns and will not be tolerated by the university. Put simply, just don’t do it!
It is the responsibility of all students to be familiar with the policies and definitions related to academic integrity at SFU (https://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html). Evidence of a student directly engaging in academic dishonesty may result in a grade of zero on the specific course component in question (i.e., the specific assignment or examination), which may also result in that student failing the course. In all cases of academic dishonesty and misconduct, the parties involved will also be reported to the department and university who may impose additional penalties (e.g., a warning, failing the course, requirement to redo the course or some aspect of the course, temporary or permanent suspensions, notations on the student transcript, or termination of scholarships).
Examples of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to dishonest conduct on an examination (e.g., examination impersonation, unauthorized use of materials, communicating with others to obtain information, copying from another student’s work, or purposefully exposing information to others taking the test), fraudulent practices (e.g., attempting to change answers on an examination or assignment after it has been marked), or plagiarism of any kind (e.g., presenting the words of another as your own, deliberate use of an entire work prepared by another person, failure to acknowledge and document sources from which they have taken intellectual material, or resubmitting a paper which has been used to receive credit previously).
All assignments and examinations must be completed independently unless otherwise noted and produced exclusively for this course. As well, all assignment and written materials submitted in this course must use an accepted manuscript style (i.e., APA style). In order to avoid plagiarism, you are required to consult with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Publication Manual to ensure you are appropriately and correctly citing other people’s work. If you require additional resources to avoid plagiarism, please consult with the library and the following interactive tutorial (https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/academic-integrity/plagiarism-tutorial).
If you have any questions or concerns as to whether or not what you are doing may be considered even a marginal case of academic dishonesty, please consult with the instructor or tutor-marker.