The student will be able to:

1. Comprehend interaction of biological, psychological, sociological, and cultural forces in the expression of emotional disorders.
2. Gain knowledge of technical terminology used to describe clinical behavior.
3. Identify emotional disturbances, their etiology, and their treatment, and the effects of cultural awareness.
4. Comprehend clinical methods and procedures.
5. Recognize objectives, expected outcomes, and actual outcomes of psychotherapeutic procedures.
6. Critically analyze clinical methods.
7. Evaluate divergent theories on the etiology and treatment of psychological disorders.
8. Analyze advanced readings and research in the clinical field (honors).
9. Apply evidence-based assessment of comprehensive case studies (honors).

1. Definition of abnormal behavior
   1. Distress, disability, and deviance
   2. Individual perspective
   3. Cultural perspective
2. Clinical behavior: historical perspectives
   1. Evil spirits
   2. The dark ages
   3. Age of enlightenment
   4. Asylums and hospitals
3. Mental health professionals
   1. Psychiatrists
   2. Clinical psychologists
   3. Other professionals
4. Causes and treatments
   1. Freudian theory
   2. Neo-Freudian theories
   3. Behavioral theories
   4. Humanistic theories
   5. Socio-cultural theories
   6. Neurological/biological theories
5. Diagnostic techniques
   1. Psychological tests
   2. Reliability and validity
   3. Trait measurement
   4. Sociocultural factors
   5. Laboratory tests
   6. Observation in natural settings
   7. Cultural bias in assessment
6. Research methods
   1. Characteristics of the scientific method
   2. Case study
   3. Correlational
   4. Descriptive
   5. Experimental
   6. Ethical concerns
   7. Critical analysis of clinical research articles (honors)
7. Anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, trauma stressors and related disorders
   1. Normal versus clinical anxiety
   2. Symptoms of phobic disorders
   3. Generalized anxiety disorder
   4. Panic disorder
   5. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding, trichotillomania, excoriation
   6. Body dysmorphic disorder
   7. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
   8. Critical analysis of theory and therapy research (honors)
8. Dissociative and somatic symptom disorders
   1. Dissociative disorders (amnesia, fugue)
   2. Dissociative identity disorder
   3. Depersonalization/derealization disorder
   4. Conversion disorder
   5. Factitious disorder
   6. Illness anxiety disorder
   7. Somatic symptom disorder
   8. Critical analysis of theory and therapy research (honors)
9. Schizophrenia
   1. Symptoms
   2. Issues
   3. Explanations and treatments
10. Substance-related and addictive disorders
    1. Alcohol use disorder
    2. Nicotine use disorder
    3. CNS depressants
    4. CNS stimulants
    5. Hallucinogens
    6. Narcotics
    7. Explanations and treatments for drug use
    8. Gambling addiction
11. Depressive and bipolar disorders
    1. Major depression
    2. Persistent depressive disorder
    3. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
    4. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
    5. Bipolar disorder
    6. Cyclothymic disorder
    7. Suicide
    8. Critical analysis of theory and therapy research (honors)
12. Sexual dysfunctions, paraphilic disorders, and gender dysphoria
    1. Paraphilias
13. Neurodevelopmental disorders
    1. Autism spectrum disorders
    2. ADD/ADHD
14. Feeding and eating disorders
    1. Anorexia nervosa
    2. Bulimia nervosa
    3. Binge eating disorder
    4. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
15. Personality disorders
    1. Odd/eccentric personality disorders
    2. Dramatic/emotional personality disorders
    3. Anxious/fearful personality disorders
    4. Borderline personality disorder
    5. Histrionic personality disorder
    6. Narcissistic personality disorder
    7. Critical analysis of theory and therapy research (honors)
16. Neurocognitive disorders
    1. Alzheimer's disease
    2. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration
    3. Lewy body disease
    4. Vascular disease
    5. Traumatic brain injury
    6. Substance/medication use
    7. HIV infection
    8. Prion disease
    9. Parkinson's disease
    10. Huntington's disease
    11. Another medical condition
    12. Multiple etiologies
17. Unspecified neurocognitive disorder

Not applicable.

Quizzes
Midterm examination
Essays
Problem-solving exercises
Participation
Final examination
Oral presentations
Literature review of primary sources

Lecture
Class discussions
Videos/DVDs
Active learning and group activities
In-class readings

Whitbourne, Susan K.. Abnormal Psychology: Clinical Perspectives on Psychological Disorders, 10th ed.. 2022.

Bridley, Alexis, and Lee W. Daffin, Jr.. Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders, 3rd ed. (5-TR). 2024.

1. Written exercises on case studies
2. Writing assignment on a specific psychological disorder
3. Reading advanced level journal articles on various psychological disorders, causes, and treatments (honors)
4. Comprehensive projects (honors)
5. Comprehensive case studies (honors)