Psychological Science: Psychopathology

Describing and defining abnormal behavior; models of etiology; research evidence for biological and social models; methods of intervention and prevention. Prerequisite: PSYS 1400.

Prereq: PSYS 1400; Asynchronous online

PSYS 170: Psychopathology introduces students to the study of mental disorders from a scientific and clinical perspective. This course provides historical context, explores contemporary research, and covers professional applications in treating mental illness. Key topics include the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5, the etiology of various disorders, and the range of available treatments. Students will also explore the social impact of mental health stigma and gain an understanding of professional ethics in psychological practice. After completing this course, students will: Understand the concept of mental disorders and how they differ from normal states. Identify and differentiate among major mental disorder classifications. Comprehend diagnostic methods and the role of the DSM-5. Develop a foundational understanding of treatment options and their effectiveness. Analyze real-life case studies with professional insight and critical thinking. Understand professional ethical standards and their importance in clinical settings. Some comments from students who took my online courses last summer: "Professor Benito always answered very quickly to any questions I had regarding the course. The online textbook was easy to navigate, and the blackboard assignments were very straight-forward technology wise. I really enjoyed this course." "Taking this summer course was the best decision for me. I had very few problems with the learning platforms used for this course and when I had questions, Professor Cepeda-Benito was very informative!" "Online class, set-up made it pretty straightforward." "Very knowledgeable and easy to work with."

The course follows a structured schedule closely aligned with the Comer textbook and its online platform. Students are required to engage with textbook chapters, participate in blog discussions, and complete multiple forms of assessment. Key components include "Learning Curves," video activities, online quizzes, and "Clinical Choices." Each week, assignments are due by 11:59 pm on specified days, with strict adherence to deadlines encouraged to promote consistent progress. The estimated time commitment for this three-credit course is approximately six hours of work outside class per week, following university guidelines. I've taught online courses for 7 years now, and my students report the structure provided above helps them keep up with the material and obtain good grades. The students also like that online materials make the learning process relatively easy for the assignments prepare them to take the quizzes, and the online format allows them to learn at their own pace. They know when they are ready to take the quizzes.

Grades will probably be based on a combination of the following components (this is not set in stone because I'm revising the course): Learning Curves: 10-15% (two per chapter) Video Activities: 5% (quizzes follow each video) Online Quizzes: 45-55% (20 questions per quiz, up to three attempts allowed, average score counted) Clinical Choices Assignments: 10-15% (graded on effort and completeness) Engagement: 10-20% (5-10% blogs, 5-10% comments on blogs) This balanced evaluation structure encourages active engagement, consistent effort, and progressive understanding of the course material. It also reduces the stakes of any one assignment, as each component is made of many assignments, and messing up one assignment is never catastrophic).