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  2. Abnormal Psychology [PSY3343]

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Psychology and Social Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Abnormal Psychology

  • Unit Code

    PSY3343

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit aims to provide students with an overview of two main areas; the causes of psychopathology and treatment strategies that have been developed to assist clients with psychological problems. There is a focus on paradigms and the valuing of both experimental and clinical findings to the understanding and treatment of psychopathology. Rather than one paradigm, for example, behaviourism, different psychological problems are amenable to understanding and treatment within different frameworks.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 unit from PSY1101

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded PSY4207

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse and distinguish the experimental and clinical methodologies.
  2. Apply knowledge of legislative framework.
  3. Classify main psychopathologies and give accurate information about main psychopathologies.
  4. Discuss the aetiology of psychopathology and the main paradigms used as a framework to understand psychopathology.
  5. Evaluate psychologists behaviour in various professional contexts in relation to the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines, and in relation to the Australian National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce.
  6. Identify and explain how the main psychopathologies are treated.
  7. Use the research literature to obtain information on etiology and effectiveness of treatments of a specific disorder.
  8. Write a standard report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and formatting conventions.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction and basic issues, including historical and scientific considerations; current paradigms; classification and diagnosis; clinical assessment, and research methods.
  2. Emotional disorders and reaction to stress, including anxiety disorders; somatic and dissociative disorders; psycho-physiological disorders, and mood disorders.
  3. Psychotic disorders, including current research status of theories.
  4. Social problems, including main disorders of personality and of addictive disorders. Sexual and relationship problems may be included.
  5. Life-span developmental disorders, including disorders of childhood, ageing and psychological disorders
  6. Intervention, including various therapies.
  7. Legal, ethical issues, and the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The material in this unit will be presented in a series of formal lectures, tutorials, readings and group discussion.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewPsychological disorders50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewPsychological disorders50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

Text References

  • ^ Rieger, E. (2014). Abnormal psychology: Leading researcher perspectives (3rd ed.). North Ryde, NSW: McGraw-Hill (Australia) Pty Limited..
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th Edition). Washington, DC: Author.
  • Corey, G. (2012). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
  • Gotlib, I.H., & Hammen, C.L. (2009). Handbook of depression. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
  • Leslie, J. C., & O'Reilly, M. F. (1999). Behavior analysis: Foundations and applications to psychology. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic.
  • Spiegler, M. D., & Guevremont, D. C. (2009). Contemporary behavior therapy (5th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

PSY3343|1|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Psychology and Social Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Abnormal Psychology

  • Unit Code

    PSY3343

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit aims to provide students with an overview of two main areas; the causes of psychopathology and treatment strategies that have been developed to assist clients with psychological problems. There is a focus on paradigms and the valuing of both experimental and clinical findings to the understanding and treatment of psychopathology. Rather than one paradigm, for example, behaviourism, different psychological problems are amenable to understanding and treatment within different frameworks.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 unit from PSY1101

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded PSY4207

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse and distinguish the experimental and clinical methodologies.
  2. Apply knowledge of legislative framework.
  3. Classify main psychopathologies and give accurate information about main psychopathologies.
  4. Discuss the aetiology of psychopathology and the main paradigms used as a framework to understand psychopathology.
  5. Evaluate psychologists behaviour in various professional contexts in relation to the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines, and in relation to the Australian National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce.
  6. Identify and explain how the main psychopathologies are treated.
  7. Use the research literature to obtain information on etiology and effectiveness of treatments of a specific disorder.
  8. Write a standard report using American Psychological Association (APA) structure and formatting conventions.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction and basic issues, including historical and scientific considerations; current paradigms; classification and diagnosis; clinical assessment, and research methods.
  2. Emotional disorders and reaction to stress, including anxiety disorders; somatic and dissociative disorders; psycho-physiological disorders, and mood disorders.
  3. Psychotic disorders, including current research status of theories.
  4. Social problems, including main disorders of personality and of addictive disorders. Sexual and relationship problems may be included.
  5. Life-span developmental disorders, including disorders of childhood, ageing and psychological disorders
  6. Intervention, including various therapies.
  7. Legal, ethical issues, and the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics.

Additional Learning Experience Information

The material in this unit will be presented in a series of formal lectures, tutorials, readings and group discussion.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewPsychological disorders50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewPsychological disorders50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

Text References

  • ^ Rieger, E. (2014). Abnormal psychology: Leading researcher perspectives (3rd ed.). North Ryde, NSW: McGraw-Hill (Australia) Pty Limited..
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th Edition). Washington, DC: Author.
  • Corey, G. (2012). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (9th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
  • Gotlib, I.H., & Hammen, C.L. (2009). Handbook of depression. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
  • Leslie, J. C., & O'Reilly, M. F. (1999). Behavior analysis: Foundations and applications to psychology. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic.
  • Spiegler, M. D., & Guevremont, D. C. (2009). Contemporary behavior therapy (5th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

PSY3343|1|2