Instructor:
Marc Schulz
209 West House
527-5190
email:  mschulz@brynmawr.edu
Office Hours:  Friday 1-2:30 and by appointment

Lectures:  Monday & Wednesday 2:30-4 PM in Dalton 204

Discussion Section and Teaching Assistants:

• Wednesday Noon:   Elisa Taylor in Dalton 105
• Wednesday 1 PM:   Soo Hyun Sung in Dalton 105
• Wednesday 4PM:    Staci Heindel in Dalton 105
• Thursday 2 PM:       Kelly Johnson in Canaday 314
• Friday 10 AM:         Cheryl Stayton in Taylor C

Readings, lecture and discussion will introduce you to a broad range of psychological disturbances.  We will also consider important emphases in the field today, including the role of psychological factors and intervention in physical health and disease, the movement toward empirically proven treatments, and the role of social and cultural factors in abnormal functioning.

In addition to the lectures on Monday and Wednesday, you are expected to attend weekly discussion sections led by advanced graduate students from Bryn Mawr's Clinical Developmental Doctoral Program.  Class lectures and discussions will supplement readings from the text and from the bulkpack.  Readings for the course should be completed by the day they are noted in the syllabus.  Material from the textbook will not be routinely repeated in class lectures.  Keeping up with the readings will be helpful in following lectures and discussions.

Course Requirements:
 

• Attendance and participation in Discussion Sections.  In addition to regular attendance, each of you is expected to present and critique a popular magazine portrayal of an important topic in abnormal psychology.  This presentation will become part of the focus of your term paper.  Seven percent of your final grade will be based on your attendance and participation in section, including your "magazine portrayal" presentation.

• A midterm and final self-scheduled take-home exam.  Both exams will be a combination of short-answer questions and essay questions.  The midterm will be worth 25% of your grade and the final 33% of your grade.

• A term paper on a topic to be approved by the instructor and discussion section teaching assistant.  A handout with more information will be distributed later in the semester.  The paper is due April 16 and will be worth 35% of your grade.  A preliminary outline and listing of 8 references will be due in section during the week of March 22.  You may turn in your outline prior to this date if you would prefer feedback earlier.

Text:   Ronald J. Comer (1998) Abnormal Psychology.  NY:  W.W. Freeman & Co
.

Click on Icon to Link to Text Website
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Additional readings will be on reserve at Canaday Library.

Mon.  Jan 18 What is Abnormal Psychology?: Overview of the Field
 

Wed.  Jan 20 Historical Context of Modern Explanatory Models of Psychopathology

         Cowan, P.A.  (1988).  Developmental Psychopathology: A Nine-Cell Map of the Territory.  In E. Nannis & P.A. Cowan (eds.), Developmental Psychopathology and Its Treatment.  (pp. 5-29).  New Directions for Child Development, no. 39.  San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

         TEXT:  Chapter 1

Mon.  Jan 25 Psychodynamic Models

         TEXT: Chapter 3, pages 51-64 and Chapter 2

Wed.  Jan 27 Behavioral and Social Models of Psychopathology

         TEXT: Chapter 3, pages 65-77 and Chapter 4, pp. 98-115

        Basic Behavioral Task Force of the National Advisory Mental Health Council (1996).  Basic behavioral science research for mental health: Family processes and social networks.  American Psychologist, 51, 622-630.

        Basic Behavioral Task Force of the National Advisory Mental Health Council (1996).  Basic behavioral science research for mental health: Sociocultural and environmental processes.  American Psychologist, 51, 722-731.
 

Mon.  Feb 1 Cognitive Models

         TEXT: Chapter 3, pages 71-77

         Ellis, A. (1995).  A twenty-three year old woman guilty about not following her parents' rules.  In D. Wedding & R.J. Corsini (eds.), Case Studies in Psychotherapy.  Itasca:  F.E. Peacock Publishers

Wed.  Feb 3 Biological Models

         TEXT: Chapter 4, pages 89-97

Mon.  Feb 8 Classification and Diagnosis of Psychopathology

         TEXT: Chapter 5, pages 119-145

Wed.  Feb 10 Assessment of Psychological Functioning and Psychopathology

         Shedler, J., Mayman, M., and Manis, M.  (1993).  The illusion of mental health.  American Psychologist, 48, 1117-1131.

Mon.  Feb. 15 Stress, Coping and Maladaptive Behavior; Stress Syndromes

         TEXT:  Chapter 6, pages 157-159 (section on Stress, coping and anxiety response);   Chapter 7, pages 215-231 and page 233 ("working with death"); Chapter 11,  pages 353-355 (section entitled, "Stress and susceptibility to illness"

        Compas, B.E. (1995).  Promoting successful coping during adolescence.  In M. Rutter (ed.), Psychosocial disturbances in young people:  Challenges for prevention.  NY:  Cambridge University Press.

Wed.  Feb 17 Trauma, Memory and Dissociation

         TEXT:  Chapter 17, pages 535-549

         Multiple Personality Disorder Case Study

Mon.  Feb 22 Mood Disorders I

         TEXT:  Chapter 8

         Styron, W.S. (1990).  Darkness Visible:  A Memoir of Madness (pages 36-50).  NY: Vintage Books.

Wed.  Feb 24 Mood Disorders II

         TEXT:  Chapter 9

         Kramer, P.D. (1993).  Listening to Prozac, Chapter 1 (pages 1-21).  NY: Penguin

Mon.  March 1 Anxiety I

         TEXT:  Chapter 6, pages 159-195

Wed.  March 3  Anxiety II

         TEXT:  Chapter 7

Mon.  March 15 Mind and Body: Connections Between Psychological Factors and Physical Symptoms

         TEXT:  Chapter 11, pages 338-353 and 355-368

Wed.  March 17 Mind and Body II

        Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., & Glaser, R. (1992). Psychoneuroimmunology:  Can psychological intervention modulate immunity?  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(4), 569-575.

         Pennebaker, J. W., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., & Glaser, R. (1988). Disclosure of traumas and immune function:  Health implications for psychotherapy.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(2), 239-245.

Mon.  March 22 Psychology and Cancer

         Spiegel, D. (1992).  Effects of psychosocial support on patients with metastatic breast cancer.  Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 10, 113-120.

Wed.  March 24 Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence I

         TEXT:  Chapter 19, pages 599-625

Mon.  March 29 Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence II

         TEXT:  Chapter 12

Wed.  March 31 Personality Disorders

         TEXT:  Chapter 18

         Wheelis, J. & Gunderson, J.G. (1998).  A little cream and sugar:  Psychotherapy with a borderline patient, American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 114-122.

Mon.  April 5 Substance Use Disorders

         TEXT:  Chapter 13

         Oimette, P.C., Finnney, J.W., & Moos, R.H.  (1997).  Twelve-step and cognitive-behavioral treatment for substance abuse:  A comparison of treatment effectiveness.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 230-240.

Wed.  April 7 Schizophrenia and Psychosis I

 TEXT:  Chapter 15

         Schizophrenia case study

Mon.  April 12 Schizophrenia and Psychosis II

         TEXT:  Chapter 16

Wed. April 14  -- TBA -- Professor Schulz will be out of town

            Term Paper due April 16

Mon.  April 19 Culture and Illness;  Guest Lecture by Steve Ferzacca, Anthropology

             Reading TBA

Wed.  April 21 Does Individual Psychotherapy Work?:  Research on Psychotherapy

            TEXT:  Chapter 5, pages 145-151

            Seligman, M. E. P. (1995). The effectiveness of psychotherapy: The Consumer Reports study. American Psychologist, 50, 965-974.

            Elkin, I., Shea, M. T., Watkins, J. T., Imber, S. D., & et al. (1989). National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program: General effectiveness of treatments.  Archives of General Psychiatry, 46(11), 971-982.

Mon.  April 26 How Does Psychotherapy Work?:  Observing and Researching the Process of Psychotherapy

        Jones, E.E. & Pulos, S.M. (1993).  Comparing the process in psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 306-316.

        Frank, J.D. (1971).  What is Psychotherapy?  In S. Bloch (Ed.), An Introduction to the Psychotherapies  (pp. 1-20, 3rd ed.).  New York:  Oxford University Press.

Wed. April 28 Treating Family Dysfunction and Promoting Healthy Families

        Cowan, C.P. & Cowan, P.A. (1995).   Interventions to ease the transition to parenthood:  Why they are needed and what they can do, Family Relations, 44, 412-423.

        Markman, H., Stanley, S., & Blumberg, S.L. (1994).  Fighting for your marriage.  Chapters 4 & 5, pp. 75-115.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.