Course Description

PSYC 2316 Psychology of Personality

In PSYC 2316,  you'll learn about normal and abnormal personality, with the focus on the abnormal.  In order to better understand personality, the early portion of this course will look at the major theoretical approaches to understanding personality. This will be followed by a look at diagnostic criteria for the different disorders and how these are interpreted by the various perspectives.

Prerequisites

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 2301)

Course Goals (includes core competencies, incorporation of SCANS, etc.)

Upon Completion of this course, you should:

1. Understand the major theories of personality and how they apply to both normal and abnormal behavior.
2. Understand the methods of research and assessment that are unique to the study of mental disorders.
3. Be able to describe the diagnostic criteria for all of the major mental disorders in both adults and children.
4. Understand the issues relating to prevention and treatment of mental disorders.

The overall goal of this course is for you to engage as a full partner in the learning process. There will be discussions during every aspect of the course, from fundamental concepts of abnormal psychology, to how you will be evaluated. It is your responsibility to choose to prepare for each class, to participate in discussions and activities, and ask questions to further your understanding of psychology. It is my responsibility to facilitate learning and to be available during my office hours.

You will demonstrate this learning through your critical thinking on your essays and case studies and discussions that reflect thoughtful reading of the text and listening in class. 

Instructor Information

This course will be taught by a qualified psychology instructor.   Please read the specific course syllabus for the instrctor information.

Textbook Information

Alloy, L.B., Jacobson, N.S. & Acocella, J. (1999) Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspectives, Eighth Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill. The text companion book, Casebook in Abnormal Psychology will be used for the essay questions. There is a Student Supplement created by the HCC psychology department that is also required because it has the objectives for the exams and materials on humanistic psychology that is not in the text.

The Study Guide for Abnormal Psychology is recommended as a way to help you organize your study and practice for tests.

Lab Requirements (if any)

No lab requirements

Students with Disabilities

Students who are in need of special accommodations related to a condition or disability should contact ADA Counselor at each college to obtain the proper documentation.  Special accommodations will be provided to those students who show proper documentation.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by the HCCS policy and the rules of this class.  A student found guilty of the first offense will receive a grade of  (F) for that particular assignment.  For the second offense, the student will receive a grade of (F) for the course.

Attendance and Withdrawal Policies

Class attendance is required for the successful completion of the course.  Following HCCS policy, a student with unexplained absences in excess of 6 class hours may be dropped from a class. 

If you wish to withdraw, it is recommended that you submit the withdrawal form in the registration office..  If you have ceased attending classes, some instructors may drop you from the class roll at the end of the semester, and you will receive a grade of W, even if you have not filed the official withdrawal form.  However, other instructors may give a grade of F instead.  Please read the syllabus for your class carefully about the attendance and withdrawl policies.

If you are on the installment plan, please remember to make payments according to schedule.  Otherwise, you will be dropped from the class roll.

Grading Policy

The following example is the grading formula used in one of the PSYC2316 classes ( Professor Jeanne Spaulding's  PSYC2316 class):
     

A=270-300 points or 90%
B=240-269 points or 80%
C=210-239 points or 70%
D=180-209 points or 60%

Course Requirements for example: Testing, Projects, Assignments, Portfolios, Service Learning, Internships, etc.

Instructors may use a variety of assessment methods in grading, including objective tests (multiple-choice, true-false, filling-in-blanks, etc.), essay questions, class activities, writing assignments, group projects, etc.  A writing assignment is required in each PSYC2316 class.

Make-up policy

Different instructors may have different make-up policies.

Some instructors may allow make-up exams.  Other instructors may not allow make-up tests, but give students the option to drop one test grade.

Course Content

There are a list of core concepts and objectives that must be covered in each PSYC2316 class.  The core concepts and objectives are listed in the student's supplementary guide. 

Course Calendar with Due Dates for Assignments and Testing

Please consult specific course syllabus for the course calendar.  The following is a sample course calendar. 

Other Student Information (clubs, tutoring, web resources, student services, etc.)

The website for the publisher of the textbook is at: http://www.mhhe.com/catalogs/hss/psychology/

Psi Beta is a systemwide honors oragnization for psychology majors in community colleges.  Psi Beta - HCC chapter's website can be found at http://nwc.hccs.edu/psyc/psibeta.html.  In addition, some colleges (for example, Southwest College) have Psychology Clubs. 

Some useful links to web resources in psychology can be found at http://nwc.hccs.edu/psyc/LINKS.HTML.