Abnormal Psychology
PSYC-250

A survey of the nature, development, diagnosis, and treatment of psychopathology viewed from a general-systems perspective (psychological, sociological, and biological). Major theories of causes, scientific research, and diagnostic and therapeutic techniques are studied with respect to various psychological disorders. (F,Sp,Su)

Contact Hours

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain the various facets of abnormal behavior, such as atypical behavior, personally and/or socially distressing thoughts/behavior, and culturally deviant thoughts/behavior
2. Discuss the causality and treatment proposed by each of the major models of psychopathology (psychodynamic, learning, and biological theories/treatment) for the major mental disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, addictive disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, eating and sleep disorders, paraphilias, and psychotic disorders
3. Identify the major mental disorders categorized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 5-TR (DSM-5-TR)

Student Electronic Access to Grades

Students will have access to their grades through D2L in order to receive feedback on their progress in the course at any time. These grades will align with the Evaluation Criteria listed in this syllabus.

Results for graded items should be posted electronically within 48 hours after the instructor has completed the grading process for the items, and final grades for the course should be entered no later than the specified grading day.

Extra credit may be available in this course. This information is provided by the section instructor.

Student success is our first goal. Our Academic Success Coaches mentor students to help them meet their educational, personal and career goals. Faculty or staff may submit an Academic Alert to refer you to an ASC for the resources needed to be successful in class. Please watch your LCC email for a referral.

We also suggest you contact an ASC on your own if you need help or advice to reach your goals.  

To contact an ASC, call (517) 483-1422, email [email protected], or visit the Academic Success Coach Team website for more information.

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class should contact the Center for Student Access (CSA). They are located in the Gannon Building, Star Zone - Center for Student Support.  You can also access the Center for Student Access website, or call (517) 483-1924.  Contacting the Center early helps ensure that accommodations for you are put in place as soon as possible.

Instructors will verify participation in a course by the 8th day after the start date of sections less than 8 weeks long, and by the 15th day after the start date of sections 8 weeks or longer. Students who have not participated will be dropped from the course and may be responsible for any non-refundable fees.

LCC provides equal opportunity for all persons and prohibits discriminatory practices based on race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, creed, ancestry, height, weight, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, familial status, marital status, military status, veteran’s status, or other status as protected by law, or genetic information that is unrelated to the person’s ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position or participate in educational programs, courses, services or activities offered by the College.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Equal Opportunity Officer, Washington Court Place, 309 N. Washington Square Lansing, MI 48933, 517-483-1730; Employee Coordinator 504/ADA, Administration Building, 610 N. Capitol Ave. Lansing, MI 48933, 517-483-1875; Student Coordinator 504/ADA, Gannon Building, 411 N. Grand Ave. Lansing, MI 48933, 517-483-1885; Human Resource Manager/Employee Title IX Coordinator, Administration Building, 610 N. Capitol Ave. Lansing, MI 48933, 517-483-1879; Student Title IX Coordinator, Gannon Building, 411 N. Grand Ave. Lansing, MI 48933, 517-483-9632.

For transfer information, please consult the LCC Transfer Center webpage.  In addition, the Michigan Transfer Network website allows students to search how courses transfer to colleges and universities statewide.

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) simplifies the transfer of students from one Michigan institution to another. For the most current information, see the LCC General Education webpage.

Students interested in transfer should contact the Transfer Center in the Gannon Building, Room 2204, or call (517) 483-9700.

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For information, rules, and procedures on matters such as the Academic Calendar, Appeals, Extra Credit, Incompletes, Withdrawals, etc., please review the College Catalog, and contact your Academic Advisor or Academic Success Coach with any questions.

The College uses an emergency notification system to provide information on urgent situations such as power outages, weather emergencies, and other incidents related to the safety and security of those on campus.  Therefore, it is important that we have the correct contact information on file. To review and update your contact information for those alerts, go to myLCC, School tab, Student eToolbox, and click on “Emergency Notification System”.  You will be directed to your RAVE alert personal dashboard, where you can review, update, confirm, and test the phone numbers and email addresses on file.  Students with a mobile/cell number on file will receive text alerts. If you made updates to your contact information, please also go to the Banner Self Service Personal Information tab to update your contact information in Banner.  You may also want to download the Rave Guardian app which has features to enhance your safety on and off campus.  For more information, see the Police Department website.

Academic Advisors help students identify and update programs based on career goals, and assist in building semester course MAPs (degree plans). They are available to discuss transfer options and ensure students are meeting the requirements for graduation. It is highly recommended to schedule an appointment with an Academic Advisor before registration each semester. To schedule an appointment online, visit our Academic Advising webpage. Be sure to also check out the Preparing for Your Appointment page.

There are three honor’s option choices for students currently enrolled in an upper division psychology course. Option A requires students to design an original research proposal.  The culmination of the project is the submission of an 8 - 14 page comprehensive APA-style research proposal.  Option B requires students to conduct a comprehensive literature review on an agreed upon topic. The culmination of this project is the submission of a ten to 15-page literature review. Option C is for students who have successfully completed a research proposal (Option A) in a previous psychology course and wishes to conduct the proposed research.  This option involves completing an original research project, culminating in the submission of a 14 - 24 page APA-style research paper.

The purpose of these projects is to immerse the student in the scientific aspect of psychology and is designed for exceptional students who wish to pursue an intensive and independent research opportunity.   In order to take advantage of this option a student must have a 3.2 cumulative GPA (or a 3.5 high school GPA if a first semester freshman or dual enrolled student) and a minimum writing level of 6.

The honor’s option is a multi-step process:

1. Students must contact their professor within the first two weeks of class and discuss their intention to complete the honor’s option. This contact must be done on the first week of class for variable length classes (i.e. 14-week, 12-week, and 8-week)
2. Student must meet (at least once) with the faculty member to discuss their research idea (option A), paper topic (option B), or plan for completion of their research proposal (option C). This meeting should take place no later than the 4^rd week of the semester (3^rd week for 14-week and 12-week courses; 2^nd week for 8-week courses).
3. Options:
   • Option A: Students will submit an eight to 14-page APA style research proposal. A research proposal consists of a review of the literature relevant to their specific area of research, as well as a detailed description of the research design and methodology to be used for data collection.   The research proposal must be submitted no later than the 14th week of class (12^th week for 14-week classes, 10^th week for 12-week classes, and 7^th week for an 8-week class).
   • Option B: Students will submit a ten to 15-page literature review on an agreed upon topic. The review must be submitted no later than the 14th week of class (12^th week for 14-week classes, 10^th week for 12-week classes, and 7^th week for an 8-week class).
   • Option C: Students will submit a 14 – 24 page completed research paper (including the previously approved research proposal) using formal APA format for an experimental investigation.  This includes:

• • • Abstract
    • Literature review
    • Discussion of procedures and the research methodology
    • Analysis of the data
    • Discussion of the results
    • References
    • Appendix (if appropriate)

The final research paper must be submitted no later than the 14th week of class (12^th week for 14-week classes, 10^th week for 12-week classes, and 7^th week for an 8-week class).

4. Honor's credit will be awarded if the student earns a minimum of a 3.0 in the class overall, and a minimum of 81% on the chosen option. Failure to meet either of these criteria will result in no honor's credit being awarded.  The honor’s credit is independent of the final course grade.

Students should be aware that conducting honors option is a demanding undertaking, both in terms of time and effort.  It requires students to review and integrate a substantial body of theoretical and experimental literature. Moreover, students must be able to clearly communicate their ideas in a professional-style scientific manuscript.  Students who choose this option must be extremely motivated, organized, and self-sufficient.