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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2026

Abnormal Psychology (Face-to-Face)

PSY 2300-02

Course:	PSY 2300-02
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2026
Department:	Psychology
CRN:	33768

Course Description

This course examines human behavior typically classified as “abnormal.” Diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, current theories of etiology, and contemporary treatment strategies will be reviewed. The course usually includes field visits to programs that treat persons with these diagnoses. The goal of the course is to provide students with the opportunity to develop an empathic understanding of individuals with mental illnesses. This is a designated Service-Learning course.

(Fall, Spring, Summer (As Needed)) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

Psychological Disorders, 5th edition (Beidel, Hudson, and Whisenhunt, 2023)
Additional readings may be provided on Canvas

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge, awareness, and empathy of mental health conditions:
1. Explain and differentiate between the primary DSM categories of Mental Illnesses
2. Identify, describe, and apply the research methods used to collect information in abnormal psychology
3. Practice using clinical psychology terminology and jargon
4. Identify and describe theories of abnormal behavior patterns
Gather knowledge of assessment and treatments in psychology:
1. Describe differing modalities of psychological treatment
2. Identify the best treatments for specific disorders
3. Explain how to assess progress in treatment and how to know when to try something new
Lifelong learning:
1. Increase understanding and compassion for those with mental health concerns
2. Identify symptoms of mental health disorders and work to dispel assumptions about patterns of behavior
3. Assess how information covered in the scope of this course has altered your beliefs on human psychology and behavior
Critical Thinking:
Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
Ethical Reasoning:
Students describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, apply reasoning about right and wrong human conduct, demonstrate ethical decision-making skills, and demonstrate an evolving ethical self-identity.
Problem solving:
Students design, evaluate, and implement strategies to answer open-ended questions or achieve a desired goal.

More specifically:

You should be able to describe key psychological concepts across multiple theoretical perspectives within the field of psychology.
By the end of this course, you should be able to explain how psychology as a field connects with and complements other disciplines.
You will be asked to recognize cultural and individual differences that underlie the complexities of your own and others’ behavioral and mental processes.
You will be asked to apply psychological concepts to develop yourself and improve society professionally and constructively.
You will use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to interpret psychological phenomena and identify credible sources of psychological research.
Digital Literacy: Students strategically and responsibly employ appropriate technologies to explore, create, collaborate, and organize in a digital context.
Information Literacy: Students identify, locate, evaluate, attribute, and share information effectively and ethically.
Integrative learning: Students make connections among ideas and experiences and can synthesize and transfer their learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus.

Course Requirements

Evaluation Methods

Your grade in this course will be based on your performance on 4 exams, 2 in-class participation evaluations, 5 in-class participation activities, 13 quizzes, and 1 case conceptualization in media.

In-class Participation: As an expectation of this course, your participation will be about 18.5% of your grade. You will be asked to participate in in-class discussions and experiential activities. Participation will not be graded solely on frequency, but also on the quality of engagement, questions, and insights on the topics discussed in class. Thus, active participation in small and large group settings is expected.

At any point during the semester, you will be asked to pull out a sheet of paper and respond to a class activity presented during our lecture. These activities may occur often during the semester. However, I will only collect your activity papers 6 times during the semester. You will not know when these graded assignments will occur to encourage class attendance and participation. To account for absences, your lowest score will be dropped. Each of these activities will be worth 5 points, totalling 25 points toward your participation grade.

During the semester, I will have you give me feedback on your own participation, including how you have participated and an assessment of how it fits with your participation style. To grade this participation, you will rate yourself out of 50 once at mid-term and once at the end of the semester. Following these scores, you will discuss settings where you engage well and areas you can improve on. With your self-assessment and my assessment of your participation, your participation score for each part of the semester will be determined. Disputes are welcome, but an official dispute will need to be written, and evidence provided in order to review the dispute effectively (See Grade Disputes for more information).

a. Participation behaviors that count include:

i. Asking questions
ii. Answering questions
iii. Making comments (particularly in sharing material about your textbook and sharing relevant experiences)

b. High-value participation behaviors include:

i. Responding to something another student said, including answering a question a student asks
ii. Constructively disagreeing with a fellow student or myself, and fostering dialogue to explore the disagreement.

c. Behaviors that will penalize points:

i. Not listening (e.g., talking to peers excessively, texting or scrolling on phone, etc.)
ii. Speaking over someone else
iii. Making fun of or otherwise berating something said by another person

Media Compare and Case Conceptualization: There are many representations of abnormal psychology in our day-to-day living. You will choose a film from a list of movies (you can contact me about other movies not on the list for approval) and analyze one of the characters to see which disorders they map onto. You will also incorporate current research on the disorder(s) that fit with your movie choice. Additional information will be provided on Canvas for this assignment.

Exams: Throughout the course, you will be required to complete four 46-question exams (worth 100 points each) to evaluate your knowledge of the material being covered. Each exam will consist of multiple-choice, matching, and one short-answer question based on the course readings, lectures, and assignments. For your short-answer question, you will be given a vignette on each exam and will need to provide a case conceptualization where you present and defend your diagnosis. We will discuss the vignette expectations/rubric in class before you take your first exam. Every exam for this class will be in the testing center. These will be closed-book/closed-note exams; however, I’ll allow one 3in x 5in index card of information to assist you in your exam. Makeup exams will only be granted to students who have requested them 2 weeks in advance or who contact me within 24 hours of the exam with a documented emergency that clearly prevented them from making it to the exam each day it was available. Makeup exams are not a right and are not guaranteed. It is up to my discretion to approve all makeup exams, and I reserve the right to deny a makeup exam request for any reason. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you do not miss any exams. However, if you do miss an exam, I drop the lowest exam score and only take your 3 highest scores out of the 4 exams taken.

Quizzes: Throughout the course, you will be required to complete 11 quizzes to assess your learning progressively. All quizzes will be posted to Canvas at least 5-7 days before the due date. All quizzes can be completed with a friend, open-note, and open-book. To mitigate the loss of points from any incomplete quizzes, I will drop the lowest quiz score.

Points Summary

Exams | 300 (4 exams x 100 points; with the lowest exam score dropped)
Quizzes | 100 (11 assignments x 10 points, with the lowest assignment score dropped)
Participation | 125 (50 points at mid-term and end-of-semester; 25 points for in-class activities)
Case Conceptualization in Media Paper | 150 (1 paper x 150 points)
Total | 675 points total

Grading

The following shows percentages and their corresponding letter grades:

A: 93% and above
A-: 90-92.9%
B+: 87-89.9%
B: 83-86.9%
B-: 80-82.9%
C+: 77%-79.9%
C: 73-76.9%
C-: 70-72.9%
D+: 67-69.9%
D: 63-66.9%
D-: 60-62.9%
F: Below 60

Course Outline

Course Schedule

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Work

I understand that college is often a challenging time for many of you, and I want to take a little bit of stress off of you when difficult situations arise. Therefore, students are granted a 2-day grace period on all assignments (except for exams), no questions asked and no explanation required. Students with DRC accommodations will be allowed an additional 48-hour extension upon instructor request. Work submitted within this 48-hour window after the original deadline will not incur any penalty. After the grace period has passed, late submissions will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the DRC due to extenuating circumstances. Students are encouraged to communicate proactively if additional support is needed.

Makeup Exams

Makeup exams will only be granted to students who have requested them 2 weeks in advance or who contact me within 24 hours of the exam with a documented emergency that clearly prevented them from making it to the exam each day it was available. Makeup exams are not a right and are not guaranteed. It is up to my discretion to approve all makeup exams, and I reserve the right to deny a makeup exam request for any reason. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you do not miss any exams. However, if you do miss an exam, I drop the lowest exam score and only take your 3 highest scores out of the 4 exams taken.

Grade Disputes

If you disagree with your grade on an exam or assignment, you may submit a written dispute by email to the instructor within one week of receiving your grade. Grade disputes will not be considered after this one-week window or if submitted to anyone other than the instructor via Canvas message or email. If applicable, include in your written dispute a reference to a page in the textbook that pertains to your rationale.

How to Communicate With Me

If you need to message me outside of class/office hours, please contact me using the email above, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Please make sure to put “ABNORMAL” first thing in the email subject line to help ensure that your email is my top priority. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, please send me another email to nudge my response. I will not reply to Canvas messages, so make sure to use my SUU email.

Use of AI

I recognize that there are a variety of AI programs available to assist with writing, idea generation, content generation, etc. AI programs are not a replacement for human creativity, originality, and critical thinking. Critical thinking is a craft that you must develop over time to develop your own individual ideas and ability to articulate them. However, within limited circumstances, if you consult with me FIRST, AI programs may be used as an idea generation tool in this class.

Attendance Policy

This is an in-person course. Classes will not be recorded, and there will not be a Zoom link for you to access. Attendance is required as you will be graded on in-class participation. There will be material covered in class that isn’t in your textbook. Additionally, there is information in your textbook that we will not be going over in class. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you attend class and keep up with the readings if you want to do well in this class.

Course Fees

None

Prerequisites and Registration Restrictions

Prerequisite(s): PSY 1010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C
Registration Restriction(s): None

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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