Overview
In this unit you will be introduced to the foundations of abnormal psychology. As part of this, you will explore the major aspects of abnormal psychology, including diagnosis, etiology, assessment, treatment, research, and theories of a variety of psychological disorders. This will enable you to begin to integrate theory, research and practice considerations within areas of abnormal psychology.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
96 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
Students appreciated the variety of resources available on Moodle (e.g. Youtube clips) to enhance learning.
Continue to provide a variety of supplementary resources (eg. movie review, Youtube clips) relevant to the week's DSM-5 mental disorder in order to enhance student's understanding of topic area.
- Explain foundational knowledge of psychological disorders, including relevant diagnostic criteria, symptoms, presentation, aetiology, assessment, treatment approaches as well as epidemiology of different psychological disorders
- Critically evaluate the different theories of the aetiology of different psychological disorders and the basic approaches to the assessment and treatment of the major psychological disorders
- Critically evaluate the previous research, psychological report writing, as well as current debates and controversies that exist about specific psychological disorders and the general field of abnormal psychology.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | |||
| 3 - Online Test - 35% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 35% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY: LEADING RESEARCHER PERSPECTIVES
Edition: 4th (2017 (or latest edition))
Authors: Edited by Elizabeth Reiger
McGraw-Hill Education
Sydney Sydney , NSW , Australia
ISBN: 9781743766620
Binding: Paperback
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition
7th (Revised Edition) (2020)
Authors: American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Washington DC Washington DC , United States
ISBN: 9781433832161
Binding: Other
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Word processing software (e.g. Microsoft Word)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.keleher@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Chapter 1: Conceptual Issues in Abnormal Psychology and Introduction to Course
Chapter
Chapter 1: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive and Trauma-related Disorders
Chapter
Chapters 2, 3 and 4: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mood Disorders (Unipolar disorders)
Chapter
Chapter 5: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed., (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Bipolar Disorder
Chapter
Chapter 6: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Psychotic Disorders
Chapter
Chapter 7: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Personality Disorders
Chapter
Chapter 13: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Disorders of Childhood
Chapter
Chapter 10: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ageing and Psychological Disorders
Chapter
Chapter 15: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Addictive Disorders
Chapter
Chapter 10: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Eating Disorders
Chapter
Chapter 9: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Sexual and Relationship Problems
Chapter
Chapter 11: Abnormal Psychology - Leading Researcher Perspectives 4th ed. (Rieger, 2017).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Unit Review
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1: Online Quiz 2 opens at 8am AEST Friday 4th June.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1: Online Quiz 2 closes at 11:59pm AEST Monday 7th June.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
**Please note that there are 2 due dates for this assessment task** Online Quiz 1 is due Friday of Week 6, Online Quiz 2 is due Monday of Review Week.
Each Online Quiz is worth 15% of your overall grade.
You will have 75 minutes to complete each quiz online.
There are 60 multiple choice questions (split evenly across the weekly topics), with 5 response options for each question.
Online Quiz 1 will assess unit content from Weeks 1 to 5. Online Quiz 2 will assess unit content from Weeks 6 to 11 (see unit schedule for relevant chapters in the textbook).
Online Quiz 1 will be open from 0800 am AEST Wednesday 21st April 2021 (Week 6) and close at 1159 pm AEST Friday 23rd April 2021 (Week 6).
Online Quiz 2 will be open from 0800 am AEST Friday 4th June (Week 12) and close at 1159 pm AEST Monday 7th June (Review Week).
2
Other
Online Quiz 1 opens at 8am AEST 21st April, 2021, and closes at 11:59pm AEST 23rd April, 2021. Online Quiz 2 opens at 8am AEST 4th June and closes at 11:59pm AEST 7th June, 2021.
Quiz grade will be available to students immediately after submitting. Feedback on individual questions will be available after the quiz closes.
Numerical grade out of 60.
- Explain foundational knowledge of psychological disorders, including relevant diagnostic criteria, symptoms, presentation, aetiology, assessment, treatment approaches as well as epidemiology of different psychological disorders
- Critically evaluate the previous research, psychological report writing, as well as current debates and controversies that exist about specific psychological disorders and the general field of abnormal psychology.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
2 Written Assessment
Objectives: The case report is where you are expected to demonstrate your functional and critical knowledge of major facets of abnormal psychology. This requires you to demonstrate a capacity to engage in research that develops your understanding of the aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of various major psychological disorders presented in the abnormal psychology literature.
Details: You will be given a list of films to review for your case report (see assessment information sheet on Moodle). It is not an exhaustive list of feature films in the area of psychology, yet it represents a number of films that deal with major themes in abnormal psychology. You are required to watch ONE film from this list, observing and assessing thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in the respective character. The story may be fiction or non-fiction. To potentially receive a high grade, the focus of your paper will be on the individual, not on the plot or theme of the movie. Your report must address questions relating to aspects of the individual and the environment. These questions and a template for the structure of the case report is available on Moodle.
Word count: A good case report should be brief and focused, hence the word count should be between 1800-2200 words (excluding Title page, and Reference list). No abstract is necessary. Please also note that an APA formatted title page is required and the use of APA 7th ed. for referencing, formatting etc.
A detailed marking sheet with specific criteria and marks for each section of the case report will be provided to students on return of their assignment. The marking sheet is available on Moodle.
Week 11 Monday (24 May 2021) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (7 June 2021)
You will be provided with an extensive marking guide with specific criteria and marks for each section of the case report (e.g., introduction, body, conclusion, APA format, written expression) that will be used to mark your case report. It is recommended to write your report closely following the provided marking guide on Moodle.
Some key criteria include:
1. A demonstrated ability to apply abnormal psychology concepts.
2. The use of succinct, formal and non-judgmental language.
3. Critical use of empirical research (at least 10 references, not including the textbook or references used for definitions of concepts or terms).
4. Consistent and accurate use of APA 7th edition referencing style.
As mentioned above, a detailed marking sheet with specific criteria and marks for each section of the case report is available on Moodle.
- Critically evaluate the different theories of the aetiology of different psychological disorders and the basic approaches to the assessment and treatment of the major psychological disorders
- Critically evaluate the previous research, psychological report writing, as well as current debates and controversies that exist about specific psychological disorders and the general field of abnormal psychology.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical practice
3 Online Test
Assessment 3 (End of Term Online Test) will be delivered in an online quiz format. The test will comprise of 40 multiple choice questions and 2 extended response questions.
Assessment 3 will be open for a period of 3 days, opening at 0800 AEST Tuesday 15th June 2021 and closing at 0900 AEST Friday 18th June 2021 . Once you begin the quiz you will have 3 hours (180 minutes) to complete and submit your responses.
The End of Term Online Test will assess your learning of the content covered from Week 2 to Week 11. A study guide will be made available on Moodle at the beginning of Week 10.
Exam Week Friday (18 June 2021) 9:00 am AEST
Assessment 3 will be available from 0800 AEST Tuesday 15th June and will close at 0900 AEST Friday 18th June. You must complete and submit your test on Moodle by the closing time.
Grades for this assessment task will be released to students at Certification of Grades.
The End of Term Online Test is worth 35% of your overall grade.
Each multiple choice question is worth 1 mark (40 marks in total), and the extended response questions are worth 10 marks each. Total marks available - 60.
The extended response questions must be in your own words (i.e. not taken directly from the textbook). A response that will receive a higher mark for these questions will show evidence of critical thinking and analysis.
- Explain foundational knowledge of psychological disorders, including relevant diagnostic criteria, symptoms, presentation, aetiology, assessment, treatment approaches as well as epidemiology of different psychological disorders
- Critically evaluate the different theories of the aetiology of different psychological disorders and the basic approaches to the assessment and treatment of the major psychological disorders
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
