This course surveys the spectrum of psychiatric disorders (symptoms, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment) and provides a perspective on adaptive functioning and psychological resilience.
The course is designed to give you an overview of the field of Abnormal Psychology based on current perspectives and scientific research. With compassion for the human suffering involved, we will explore the diagnosis, causes, and treatment of psychological disorders, focusing on the interaction of genes, the brain, the person and the environment. The course will draw on scientific studies to understand disorders at all these levels of functioning. We will also focus on case studies that illuminate the clinical aspects of psychological disorders in the lives of everyday people, as well as the variety of current and historical treatments used to help alleviate suffering and dysfunction.
Prerequisites: General Psychology (PSYC 1101or equivalent, which will not be waived), and familiarity with the different psychological models, learning theories, and functioning of the brain & nervous system.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity and result in consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy. Please familiarize yourself with the following sites for more detailed information.
Honor Challenge — https://osi.gatech.edu/students/honor-code
Office of Student Integrity — http://www.osi.gatech.edu/index.php/
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course helps students master course content, and supports students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course directs students toward a broad orienting question: How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course enables students to meet the following learning outcomes:
Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.
Course content, activities, and exercises in this course help students develop the following career-ready competencies:
- Intercultural Competence
- Perspective-Taking
- Persuasion