Psychology 4321

Abnormal Psychology

Spring, 2004

Dale L. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor

Telephone: 505 758 7962; e-mail: dljohnson@uh.edu

After a long career at UH I am in semi-retirement and live in Taos, New Mexico. This is a distance learning course and will be taught with my web site (www.uh.edu/~psycp2) and e-mail. I will be in my office on campus from time to time and will let you know when. I will be available for conferences at those times, but let's use the e-mail or telephone for must things that coome up or that you would just like to talk about.

Class Time: Open

Required Textbook:

Durand, V. M. & Barlow, D. H. (2002). Abnormal psychology,3rd Ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth

DATE TOPIC AND ASSIGNED TEXTBOOK CHAPTER AND LECTURE

Note each assignment period will also include a lecture prepared by the instructor. Lectures may be found at my website: www.uh.edu/~psycp2. With regard to lectures, be guided by the topic rather than the lecture number. In addition I will e-mail notes to you from time to time on current issues.

The dates below indicate when an assignment is due.

1/17 Orientation meeting at the Student Center. It will be brief.

1/23 History of abnormal behavior: Ch. 1; lecture 1

1/30 An integrative approach to psychopathology: Ch. 2l lecture 2

2/6 Clinical assessment, diagnosis and research methods: Ch. 3 & 4; lecture 3

2/13 Anxiety disorders: Ch. 5, lecture 4

2/20 Somatoform and dissociative disorders: Ch. 6; lecture 5

2/27 Mood disorders, Ch. 7; lecture 6

3/5 Eating disorders and Sleep disorders: Ch. 8: lecture 7

3/12 Physical disorders and health psychology: Ch. 9; lecture 8

3/19 Spring Break

3/26 Sexual and gender identity disorders: Ch. 10; lecture 9

4/2 Substance-related disorders: Ch. 11; lecture 10

4/6 Last day to drop class

4/9 Personality disorders: Ch. 12; lecture 11

4/16 Schizophrenia: Ch. 13; lecture 12

4/23 Developmental and cognitive disorders: Ch 14 & 15; lecture 13

4/30 Mental health services: legal and professional issues: Ch. 16; lecture 14

5/3 Last class day; make-up late assignments. All must be in today or an incomplete will be given.

Grading System

Essays

Each week I will assign a chapter to read in textbook and a lecture on my website. I will send you questions on these readings for you to answer by the assigned date. I will read them, point out errors, misunderstandings, and praise the positive features and return them to you by return e-mail. Each set of answers will be worth as much as 20 points, and as there will be 14 assignments, the total is 280 points. There will also be an observation report that will count for 10 points. Thus, the grand total is 290 points. Grades will be distributed as follows:

A 261-290

B 232-260

C 198-231

D 146-197

F 145 and below

This grade system is final and there will be no opportunities to add points with other projects.

Mental Health Decision-Making and/or Support

10 points may be earned by observing and reporting on the discussions of a decision-making or advisory group in the field of mental health. See attached list of such groups, meeting times, and places. Alternately, you may attend a support group (e.g., AA) of your choice. Your report should be about two pages long. This report is due no later than April 11.

Examples of Groups you might visit and observe:

Mental Health Needs Council. 1st Wednesday of each month, 12:00 noon, at the Mental Health Association offices on Norfolk, near Shepherd and the Southwest Freeway.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

Northwest Alliance for the Mentally Ill

Houston Alliance for the Mentally Ill

Katy Alliance for the Mentally Ill

Tomball Alliance for the Mentally Ill

Gulf Coast Alliance for the Mentally Ill