Students
PSYU3337 – Psychopathology
2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Melissa Norberg
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
20cp from PSY or PSYC or PSYU or PSYX units at 2000 level including PSY248 or PSYU2248 or PSYX248 or PSYX2248
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This online unit focuses on so-called abnormal behaviour. Following a general introduction to the nature and study of abnormality, each of the main forms of psychopathology are discussed, along with theories of psychopathology and their evidence (when available), as well as science-based interventions. Tutorials are face-to-face and run fortnightly. An intermediate level of research methodology and statistical knowledge is a pre-requisite for this unit, as this knowledge is required to understand the scientific basis of psychopathology and its theories. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple definitions of abnormal behaviour and how to assess it.
- ULO2: Identify the signs, symptoms and science-based treatments of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- ULO3: Demonstrate awareness of the prevalence and demographics typical for the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- ULO4: Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of theory and typical research findings relating to cause and maintenance of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- ULO5: Display communication and critical analysis skills: in particular, analyse the theoretical and empirical literature and professionally communicate research findings.
General Assessment Information
General Assessment Information
*NOTE: All assessment times and other times in this unit BEFORE 3 April 2021 are GMT+11 (AEDT, Australian Eastern Daylight Time, SYDNEY) and AFTER 3 April 2021 are GMT+10 (AEST, Australian Eastern Standard Time, SYDNEY)
Some assessments for this unit are conducted online. Therefore, a reliable computer and a stable Internet connection is required.
Online Quizzes
This unit contains 3,15-item multiple-choice online quizzes delivered via the iLearn webpage for the unit. These quizzes assess information provided in the lectures, tutorials, and textbook.
Quizzes open 24 hours before their deadline. Once you open a quiz, you will be given 15 minutes to complete it. You will be given feedback regarding your performance, via iLearn, after the quiz deadline ceases for all students (including those with special consideration).
These quizzes are administered under the honour system: You are expected to study for the quizzes in advance of their deadlines. Although you can use your study notes to complete these quizzes, you should not work with classmates to complete them.
If you are unable to complete a quiz at the specified time: Students who are unable to complete an online quiz at the specified time due to serious and unavoidable circumstances can make a claim for Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au attaching appropriate supporting documents. Applications must be submitted within the University-specified number of working days from the due date of the assessment. Students who meet criteria for Special Consideration will either be granted an extension or an alternative assessment, which is at the unit convenor’s discretion. This extension/alternative assessment will be the only additional opportunity allotted. Students who are not granted special considerations will not be given an extension or an alternative assessment; they will receive a 0 for the missed assessment.
Case Study
This unit requires you to submit a case study, in which you 1) provide a principal diagnosis for the case; 2) describe a science-based theoretical model for the principal diagnosis; 3) provide scientific support for the theoretical model; and 4) use the model to explain the case’s symptoms that correspond to the principal diagnosis.
The case study will be submitted via Turnitin on the iLearn page for the unit. Feedback will be provided, via iLearn, no later than the end of Week 13. Every attempt will be made to provide feedback earlier.
Case studies are expected to be less than 1400 words, but they can be as long as 1500 words without attracting a penalty (i.e., 100 word leeway). A 5% penalty will be applied per 100 words over this maximum limit. In other words, a case study between 0 - 1500 words will not attract a word limit penalty, but a case report between 1501 and 1599 words will attract a 5% penalty (-2 points), and a case report between 1600-1699 will attract a 10% penalty (-4 points), and so on. In-text citations are included within the word count, but references do not count towards the word limit.
If you are unable to submit the case study by the specified time: Students who are unable to submit the case study at the specified time due to serious and unavoidable circumstances can make a claim for Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au attaching appropriate supporting documents. Applications must be submitted within the University-specified number of working days from the due date of the assessment. Students who meet criteria for Special Consideration will only be given one additional opportunity to complete the case study.
Students who are not granted special considerations will be able to submit their case studies up to 5 days after the submission deadline; however, a 5% penalty per day, including weekends and public holidays will be applied. Any paper submitted more than 5 minutes after the deadline will be considered late and will attract a penalty. Late submissions without Special Considerations will not be accepted more than 5 days after the submission deadline.
No late submissions will be accepted after the case study is marked and feedback is released to students.
If you identify a marking error: In very rare instances an error may be made. To be eligible to request a remark of your case study, you must identify an instance in which a grade does not match the criteria set out in the rubric. To do so, you must explicitly demonstrate how your case study meets the criteria for a higher grade according to the rubric. Once you have identified the potential error, you must meet with your marker to discuss whether your interpretation is correct. If your marker agrees with you, they will seek out the convenor to change your grade. If they disagree with you, they will provide verbal feedback as to why your assessment does not meet the criteria for a grade change. If you continue to disagree with your marker, and wish to lodge a remark request, you will need to do so within 14 days (including weekends and holidays) of your grade and feedback being released to you via iLearn. Remark requests will not be accepted if any of these steps are not followed.
Remarking is done by the unit convenor (except when a conflict of interest arises) and the grade will be final. If your new mark is lower than your original mark, you will receive the lower grade. In many cases this is the outcome as the convenor is an expert in Psychopathology, and thus, very familiar with the content being assessed by the case report.
Final Exam
During the final exam period, students will complete a multiple choice exam, which assesses content covered in lectures, tutorial, and the textbook throughout the entire semester.
The final exam for this unit is currently scheduled to occur on Macquarie University campus. Students are expected to make themselves available for the final exam, at the date and time set by the University, in line with the Assessment Policy and Procedure.
Sitting the final exam is compulsory in order to be eligible to pass the unit. Any student who does not attempt the final exam will be granted a Fail Absent grade.
If you are unable to complete the final exam at the specified time: Students who are unable to complete the final exam at the specified time due to serious and unavoidable circumstances must make a claim for Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au attaching appropriate supporting documents. Applications must be submitted within the University-specified number of working days from the due date of the assessment. Students who meet criteria for Special Consideration will be expected to present to the supplementary final exam, as this will be their only opportunity to complete the final exam.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final examination | 50% | No | During the examination period |
| Case Study | 40% | No | Week 7 |
| Online Quiz | 10% | No | Weeks 4, 8 & 12 |
Final examination
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: During the examination period
Weighting: 50%
Final examination held within the University’s formal exam period, in accordance with relevant requirements.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple definitions of abnormal behaviour and how to assess it.
- Identify the signs, symptoms and science-based treatments of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Demonstrate awareness of the prevalence and demographics typical for the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of theory and typical research findings relating to cause and maintenance of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
Case Study
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 42 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 40%
A 1500 word written report, in APA format, that diagnosis a case vignette, and uses a science-based theory to describe the case’s condition and recommended treatment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify the signs, symptoms and science-based treatments of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of theory and typical research findings relating to cause and maintenance of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Display communication and critical analysis skills: in particular, analyse the theoretical and empirical literature and professionally communicate research findings.
Online Quiz
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Weeks 4, 8 & 12
Weighting: 10%
Three online multiple-choice quizzes testing unit content.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple definitions of abnormal behaviour and how to assess it.
- Identify the signs, symptoms and science-based treatments of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Demonstrate awareness of the prevalence and demographics typical for the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of theory and typical research findings relating to cause and maintenance of the psychological disorders covered in this unit.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
This unit includes weekly online lectures and fortnightly tutorials. Each lecture has a set reading from the textbook, typically between 30-50 pages, to reinforce its content and solidify your learning. The Unit Schedule on iLearn will provide you with a week-by-week agenda for the lectures, textbook chapters, and tutorial topics. In general, weekly lectures range from 1-3 hours in duration, while the tutorials are 2 hours in duration. To help you pace yourself in this unit, it is recommended that you spend 12 hours a week utilising the unit's resources and working on your assessments. The more that you participate in this unit and its assessments, the more you will derive benefits.
Barlow, Durand, & Hofmann (2018). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach from Cengage learning is the required textbook for this unit.
The Seventh Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2019) is required to format your case report.
F2F version:
This version of the unit has on-campus tutorial classes only. Students should not attend on-campus classes if you are unwell or have any cold and flu-like symptoms. Ensure you follow the most recent University COVID-19 advice https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs/information-for-students
For general information on unit versions, see this website https://students.mq.edu.au/study/enrolling/choosing-units
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Grading
Macquarie University follow standards-based assessment of student performance. All individual assessment tasks are subject to moderation, consistent with the Assessment Policy and Procedure. A student’s final mark for this unit, and associated grade, must reflect their attainment of the unit learning outcomes, and isn’t necessarily a simple summation of their individual assessment items.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook