This is an introductory module to provide an overview of the field of abnormal psychology. The course discusses a variety of psychological conditions and human behaviors that are traditionally considered outside of what we see as ‘normal.’ We will explore the major approaches to understanding these psychological disorders described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM; the most recent version is the fifth edition [DSM-5]), their manifestations, causes, risk factors, assessments, and treatments. The course emphasizes the scientific and research aspects of abnormal psychology. That is, it focuses on the knowledge obtained by rigorous scientific research methods. At the end of this module, students should have an overall understanding of the various psychological disorders and be able to provide an account of abnormal behaviors and psychological disorders observed in daily life. It is also the goal of this course that students achieve greater understanding and appreciation for the range of human behaviors. In addition, this course provides a foundation for other more advanced courses that cover the understanding and treatment strategies for psychological disorders. The knowledge learned in this course will serve as the foundation for related fields in health sciences, including clinical psychology, psychological counseling, social work, and rehabilitation.
-
Year Taken: AY18/19, Sem 2
Lecturer: Shen Biing-Jiun
Assessments: Mid-terms (35%), finals (50%), discussion boards (10%), attendance (5%)
Workload/difficulty: Normal/normalA remarkably Normal course, considering its name. And SuperDry. A quick check for this lecture’s schedule this coming semester (AY20/21 Sem 2) informs me that it will be held every Monday from 3:30-6:30pm. From personal experience, let’s just say that you want to avoid heavy lunches right before class.
The course syllabus in my year did not offer information about what topics were covered, so I never had a good grasp of what was going on. I can say there is a LOT to be covered. I typically print 4 slides per page (to annotate during revision) but my records show that some point I switched to 9 (nine) slides per page for this module only. And then I gave up on printing the later lectures LOL. The number of slides ranges from 70 on a good day to the 100s on a challenging one. Lecture information seems to be organised around major disorders in the DSM (e.g. eating disorders, autism, schizophrenia), their etiology, clinical criteria, prevalence and so on. Multiple disorders are included in a single lecture, so the learning experience is really about being pummelled with an overwhelming stream of new information that you can’t do anything about except absorb. Finally, the textbook provides a useful, structured complement to the information in his slides. *I am selling my lightly highlighted and annotated textbook (20%) for $25 – hmu!
Due to the broad nature of this module, the exams similarly request answers on a wide range of things as opposed to a focus on specific theories or models. To do well in this module, I believe that you will need to take the initiative to reorganise the information in the slides into a format that is easier to understand for yourself. I would say study widely rather than closely spotting. He also has the trollish tendency to test esoteric information from his slides (e.g. the phobia of peanut butter – of which the answer I still do not know and do NOT care for), so keep an eye out. Nothing new about the discussion boards, except do them on time and spare at least 30 minutes to write a good quality post. Attend classes for your free 5%, despite how tempting it is to skip them – I know…
This should have no bearing on the evaluation of the module, but I can’t help but like Prof Shen despite everything. I feel profound empathy with his cause when I watch him struggle to finish presenting his 100 navy blue slides (juxtaposed against yellow text, for the love of eye strain) each lecture, give up, and then bring over the remaining content to the following lecture only to suffer through the same process.
This review was reposted with the kind permission of Gwyneth. Originally published at https://gwynethtyt.com/2021/06/01/ntu-psych-mods/
June 11, 2021
