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Unit of Study BHS30002 - Abnormal Psychology (2014)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Pre-requisites

    [166271] Introduction to Psychology II]

  • Enrolment information

    Pre-requisites does not apply to 1107092 - Graduate Diploma of Psychology students Students enrolled in the External offering are required to have access to the internet and programs that allow for online viewing of the lecture videotapes and Blackboard Collaborate tutorial sessions.

Unit description

Explores the various causes of human emotion (positive and negative) and behavioural dysfunction from genetic, social, psychological and biological perspectives. Systems for classifying or diagnosing disorders of behaviour, mood and thought such as depressive and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, addictions and sexual dysfunction and their limitations will be discussed. Factors associated with effective coping with life's challenges in various cultures will be discussed in terms of a continuum of effective adaptation. The unit will also focus on the research regarding evidence-based treatments for various psychological disorders.

Unit content

  • Looking at abnormality
  • Contemporary theories of abnormality
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Mood disorders and suicide
  • Schizophrenia
  • Personality disorders
  • Treatments for clinically significant distress or maladaptive behaviour
  • Childhood disorders
  • Cognitive disorders and lifespan issues
  • Sexual disorders
  • Substance-related disorders
  • Mental health and the law

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour Session 1 Session 1
Online Session 1,  3 N/A

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 demonstrate knowledge of types and uses of formal and informal diagnostic approaches across cultures and professional disciplines, including categorical and dimensional perspectives
2 demonstrate an understanding of societal and ethical issues surrounding theories of psychopathology
3 understand methods, and their limits, for categorising individuals for the purposes of formal research
4 demonstrate knowledge of the literature on a range of mental disorders
5 write a clear, concise description, informed by the clinical research literature, of diagnostic criteria and treatment options for a mental disorder.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate knowledge of types and uses of formal and informal diagnostic approaches across cultures and professional disciplines, including categorical and dimensional perspectives
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  2. demonstrate an understanding of societal and ethical issues surrounding theories of psychopathology
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  3. understand methods, and their limits, for categorising individuals for the purposes of formal research
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  4. demonstrate knowledge of the literature on a range of mental disorders
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA7:
  5. write a clear, concise description, informed by the clinical research literature, of diagnostic criteria and treatment options for a mental disorder.
    • GA1:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.