PSY 322 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

SPRING 2016-2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
Class Hours:  12:20 am - 15:10 am in Tuesdays (3 hours)
Instructor: Assist. Prof. Merve Topcu
E-mails: mervetopcu@cankaya.edu.tr     

Course Description

The course is about psychological disorders for childhood and adolescence. Within the scope of this course, Psychopathology is discussed for children and adolescents. This course discusses childhood psychopathology in a developmental framework. The problem behaviors emerged in childhood and adolescence are examined in terms of developmental psychopathology perspective which combines psychopathology and developmental psychology.

Course Objectives 

1) to learn the main principles of developmental psychopathology

2) to learn the basic psychopathology models which examine the etiology, research, prevention, and treatment of problem behaviors

3) to learn basic characteristics and diagnosis criteria for developmental psychopathologies

4) to explain developmental psychopathologies in terms of developmental theories

5) to define different prevention and intervention methods for developmental pathologies

Course Rules:

• Each student will find a child meeting the criteria for the disorders covered in the class. Each student will make an interview with the child or his/her mother or both. Or, a student can play with the child. All activities should be recorded and will be shown on the last two weeks of the class. Videos must last min 4 max 5 minutes. Schedules will be arranged.
• Of course, an informed consent will be given to the caregivers of the child. Informed consent will be uploaded to the website of the course. Before the video play, students will give the informed consent to the instructor.
• If you will take a make-up exam, TALK TO ME DIRECTLY. No friends, secretery or other lecturers can inform you properly.
• All course requirements and assignments such as presentations, brief reports, proposals, etc. are expected to be written in APA style version 6. Please refer to writing manual for APA version 6. All students must write their reports on themselves. If two papers are totally or partially identical or similar, the owners of those papers deserve to get FF from the course no matter their mid-term and/or final grades.
• If students produce an academic material from the content of the course, the instructor must be informed about it.

• All cell phones must be silent or closed when in the class. The instructor can get the phones until the very end of the class.
• Chronic late-comers are not welcomed. If you come late more than 5 minutes, DO NOT enter the course. The instructor may not get you to the class.
• The exams will cover the material covered in the class. Students are responsible from the class material and content.

Textbook & Supplements:

• Wicks-Nelson, R & Israel, AC (2005).  Behavior Disorders of Childhood (6th Ed). Prentice Hall.

• Mash, EJ & Wolfe, DA (6^th ed) Abnormal Child Psychology. CENGAGE Learning
• Aysev-Soykan, A & Işık-Taner, Y (2007) Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh SaÄŸlığı ve hastalıkları. JOHNSON & JOHNSON.
• Rey JM (editor). IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.  Geneva. International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions 2015.

Lecture requirements:

1. (30%) Midterm I
2. (20%) Interview with a child and his/her caregiver (Video will be watched in the class)
3. (50%) Final (Comprehensive)

Very Important Note: All assignments must be done ON YOUR OWN. Note that academic dishonesty  includes not only cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism, but also includes helping other students commit acts of academic dishonesty by allowing them to obtain copies of your work. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with harshly. If the student is found to be responsible of academic dishonesty, the typical sanction results in a grade of “FF”. More serious instances can result in expulsion from the university.

Tentative Weekly Schedule

Holidays, festivals, and the pace of the course may cause some changes in the below table.