Psych E-1240 1
PSYCH E-1240 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY Fall 2010
Lecturer: Dr. Shelley Carson Time: Tuesday 7:35 – 9:35 pm
Email: carson@wjh.harvard.edu Place: William James Hall Room 1
Office: William James Hall room 1238
Office Hours: Tuesday 5-7 pm or arranged
General Information
Welcome to Psych E-1240 Abnormal Psychology! The purpose of this course is to provide an
introduction to mental disorders in adult humans. We will discuss diagnostic issues and methods used
to study psychopathology. We will also examine a variety of mental disorders from several different
theoretical and treatment perspectives. Focus will be on diagnosis, epidemiology, course of the
disorder, etiology, and treatment issues. We will also briefly examine ethical and legal issues pertaining
to psychopathology. A major goal of the course is to promote greater awareness and knowledge of
psychopathology in hopes that we can reduce the suffering and stigma associated with mental
disorders.
Course Requirements
Undergraduate Students Graduate Students
Section / Response Papers 15% Section / Response Papers 15%
Study Pool Participation 5% Study Pool Participation 5%
Midterm Exam 30% Midterm Exam 25%
Movie Paper 15% Term Paper 25%
Final Exam 35% Final Exam 30%
Please read the assigned chapters/articles before each lecture. While some lectures will be based on the
readings, others will use the readings as a launching point for related topics. Exams will include
material from both the readings and the lectures, so lecture attendance/viewing is highly recommended.
Section: Each week students will have a chance to participate in discussions that focus on the week’s
topics. Local students will convene with a Teaching Fellow in a small group for a one-hour discussion
in a seminar-type environment. Distance students will post entries on the online discussion section of
the course website. You will be contacted by one of the Teaching Fellows during the first week of
classes with additional details.
Response Papers. Each week I will present a question related to the week’s lecture topics. You will be
required to write response papers for six of the eleven questions. Each paper will be 1-2 pages double-
spaced and will reflect your personal response to the week’s question informed by assigned readings.
Papers will be graded √+, √, or √-.
Study Participation: The Harvard University Department of Psychology is internationally known as a
cutting edge research institution. This affords students a great opportunity to observe first-hand the
techniques and measures used in psychological research. All students are required to complete two
units of study participation through the Department of Psychology. Many studies may be completed
online. Additional information about study participation is available on the course website.
Movie Assignment (Undergrad students only):
Each week I will recommend a full-length movie that is relevant to the course material for that week.
You will select two movies as topics for a 4-6-page paper (double-spaced). You will write a synopsis of
the movie, suggest a diagnosis for the main characters, and compare and contrast the presentation of
symptoms/treatment in the movie to that which we discuss in class.
Psych E-1240 2
Course Term Paper (Grad students only): Graduate students will be required to write a 10-12-page
term paper (double-spaced) using APA format and style. You may choose any topic that is related to
abnormal psychology. The paper should seek to answer a focused research question. The answer to
that question will be your thesis statement. You should support your thesis with evidence from the
existing psychological literature on psychopathology. A more detailed description of the paper
assignment will be available on the course website.
Academic Honesty
Attempting to receive credit for written work that is not one’s own will be punished by receiving a
failing grade for the work in question. Additional disciplinary action may be taken by the Extension
School and may include expulsion from the course and the school. It is each student’s responsibility to
learn the rules governing the proper use of sources. Descriptions of plagiarism, cheating, computer
network, and library abuse are printed in the Extension School catalogue. If you have questions
concerning the appropriate use of sources, please refer to the booklets Writing with Sources and
Writing with Internet Sources, prepared by Harvard's Expository Writing Program (available online at
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~expos/sources or on our course website). I have also provided guidelines
for citing sources in the field of psychology on the course website. Please review these guidelines and
feel free to contact the teaching staff if you have questions concerning the citation of material.
Required course materials
1) Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., and Hooley, J.M. (2009). Abnormal Psychology (14th edition).
Boston: Pearson Education, Allyn & Bacon. (Note that this book is also available online
through CourseSmart (http://www.coursesmart.com) and the 13th edition is also acceptable)
2) Oltmanns, T.E., Martin, M.T., Neale, J.M., and Davison, G.C. (2008). Case Studies in
Abnormal Psychology 8th edition). John Wiley & Sons. (Note that the 7th edition is also
acceptable)
3) Jamison, K.R. (1995). An Unquiet Mind. Vintage Press.
Schedule
WEEK 1 Tuesday, Aug 31 Introduction: Historical Overview & Paradigms
WEEK 2 Tuesday, Sept 7 Paradigms (conclusion) & Diagnosis and the DSM
WEEK 3 Tuesday, Sept 14 Panic Disorder & The Phobias
WEEK 4 Tuesday, Sept 21 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder & Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
WEEK 5 Tuesday, Sept 28 Eating Disorders & Factitious Disorders
WEEK 6 Tuesday, Oct 5 Dissociative Disorders & Somatoform Disorders
WEEK 7 Tuesday, Oct 12 Depression
WEEK 8 Tuesday, Oct 19 Bipolar Disorder
WEEK 9 Tuesday, Oct 26 MIDTERM EXAMINATION
WEEK 10 Tuesday, Nov 2 Schizophrenia
WEEK 11 Tuesday, Nov 9 Schizophrenia (conclusion) & Creativity and Psychopathology
WEEK 12 Tuesday, Nov 16 Alcohol/Drug Disorders & Sexual Disorders
WEEK 13 Tuesday, Nov 23 Personality Disorders
WEEK 14 Tuesday, Nov 30 Personality Disorders (conclusion) MOVIE/TERM PAPER DUE
WEEK 15 Tuesday, Dec 7 Legal and Ethical Issues & Wrap-Up
Week of Dec 14 FINAL EXAM
Psych E-1240 3
READINGS
Tuesday, Aug 31 Introduction: Historical Overview; Paradigms
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapters 2 & 3
Tuesday, Sept.7 Paradigms (conclusion); Diagnosis and the DSM
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapters 1 & 4
Tuesday, Sept.14 Panic Disorder; the Phobias
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 6
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 2 & 4
Tuesday, Sept.21 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 5
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 1 & 3
Tuesday, Sept.28 Eating Disorders; Factitious Disorders
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 9
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 16 & 17
Tuesday, Oct. 5 Dissociative Disorders; Somatoform Disorders
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 8
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 6 & 9
Tuesday, Oct. 12 Depression
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 7
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 7 & 8
Tuesday, Oct 19 Bipolar Disorder
(Jamison) An Unquiet Mind
Tuesday, Oct 26 MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Tuesday, Nov. 2 Schizophrenia
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 13
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 10 & 11
Tuesday, Nov. 9 Schizophrenia (conclusion); Creativity and Psychopathology
(article on website) Carson, S.H. (in press). Creativity and psychopathology: A shared
vulnerability model. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
Tuesday, Nov. 16 Alcohol/Drug Disorders; Sexual Disorders
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapters 11 & 12
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 12 & 15
Tuesday, Nov. 23 Personality Disorders
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 10
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Study 18
Psych E-1240 4
Tuesday, Nov. 30 Personality Disorders (conclusion)
(Oltmanns, Martin, Neale, & Davison) Case Studies 19 & 20
TERM PAPER DUE (Graduate Students)
MOVIE ASSIGNMENT DUE (Undergrads)
Tuesday, Dec.7 Legal and Ethical Issues; Wrap-Up
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley) Chapter 17
Week of Tuesday, Dec. 14 FINAL EXAM
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
