Abnormal Psychology

Instructor: Dr. David W. Alfano

Office: Rm. 3094, Warwick

Psychology Department Phone: 825-2222

Office Hours: TBA

My office hours will be posted outside my office in the Psychology Department. On other campuses, I will be available one half hour before class starts. You may also schedule an appointment at a mutually convenient time. You may reach me by email at dalfano@ccri.edu.

Prerequisite: PSYC 2010 General Psychology or its equivalent. General Psychology should be successfully completed prior to taking this course.

Text: Ronald J. Comer, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, fourth edition.

Text web site: http://whfreeman.com/abnormalpsychology

Course Objectives

This is a survey course covering the main areas of abnormal psychology. It is meant to acquaint the student with the major areas of abnormal psychology both for general understanding and as a basis for more advanced study. At the end of the course the student should be able to describe the causes, descriptions, and the treatment of behavior disorders, demonstrate how different theoretical perspectives affect or determine the research and applications that arise from them. The course will involve lecture, READING, discussion and independent study. As psychology is much more interesting to talk about or even argue about than it is to listen to, it is important that the student keep up with the reading. It is difficult to talk intelligently about something with which you are unfamiliar.

Also, as you are responsible for what is in the book, whether or not it is discussed in class, by reading ahead you will identify areas of confusion before class so that questions can be asked. REMEMBER, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION except, of course, if you have one and do not ask it.

Evaluation

Quizzes

After the first few weeks of the course there will be a short quiz covering recent material. Subsequently there will be three more quizzes covering specific recent material. The format of the quizzes will be multiple choice with possible extra credit. There will be no surprise quizzes. The week of each quiz is marked on your syllabus.

Make-up tests will be given if the student has an appropriate reason for missing a test. Make-up tests must be taken within one week of the scheduled quiz. There will be no extra credit questions on any make-up quiz. Any quiz missed and not made up in the required time will receive a grade of zero (0).

There is take-home final consisting of 100 multiple choice questions. The final will be comprehensive and cover the entire book. The grade obtained on the final will replace the lowest quiz grade. A test must be taken in order to have its grade replaced.

Grades

Grades will be based on quiz averages. Each quiz will count for one-fourth of the total grade. If the take-home final is the lowest quiz grade it will be discounted and the in class quiz grades will remain.

Grading is as follows: A=90–100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F= below 60