ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY (CLP3144)

Section 3124 (17798) & Section 031D (10557) & Section 3123 (10559)

Spring 2025

Instructor: Feihong Wang, Ph.D. Email: feihongw@ufl.edu

Course Format: Asynchronous Course credits: 3
Live Zoom Office Hour: Tuesdays 10-11am Or schedule separate in-person (Psychology
building 374) or zoom meetings via email
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/99973995198?pwd=S2JKcTBmRVdQYWVMV2JSZElLQ1dNdz09
Meeting ID: 999 7399 5198
Passcode: 905581

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA):

Emily Dowling: em.dowling@ufl.edu

o Live Zoom Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Thurs. 11 am - 12pm

Or schedule separate in-person or zoom meetings via email
o Zoom link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/9226046181

Viktoria Galbava: vi.galbava@ufl.edu

▪ Live Zoom Office Hours: Tues. 9-11am & Wed. 1-2pm
Or schedule separate in-person or zoom meetings via email

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 ▪ Zoom link:
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/94383050672?pwd=smgW0gEExLRRh6lzzLaVuYJCKmtDln.1

Matthew Steranka: msteranka@ufl.edu

▪ Live Zoom Office Hours: Thurs. 8:30-11:30am
Or schedule separate in-person or zoom meetings via email
▪ Zoom link:
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92588153383?pwd=iaJNxEXRkaGLufuRxNKnHTiXmmD7XX.
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Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTA):

Kelsey Altschul Rosa Avalos Madison Bender Natasha Benzadon
Grace Shin Justin Hovan Alex Naughton Krisha Patel
Marisa Ponder Lavanya Ravi Alexa Rodriguez Sydney Shapiro
Emily Smith Sophie Sokolik Shreya Sreekanth

*The best way to contact the GTAs and me is via CANVAS messengers. Please email me or your
designated GTAs to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting at an alternative time if the above
times do not work for you.

Always contact the GTAs first with questions. Email me directly only in cases where your issues
cannot be resolved by the GTAs, if the question needs my individual attention, or if the question
is related to the final grades. Phone meeting is available per request and by appointment only
(please use Canvas Inbox to schedule a phone meeting)

* You may interact with UTAs via the Chat Room discussion boards on CANVAS. Please DO
NOT email or messenger UTAs.

Please allow 24 hrs. to respond to your emails during the weekdays. Emails sent on the weekend
will be responded during the following weekdays. Please include CLP3144 in the subject line for
easy track of communication.

General Education Student Learning Outcomes

Category Institutional Definition Institutional SLO

Content is knowledge of the
Students demonstrate competence in
concepts, principles,
the terminology, concepts,
CONTENT terminology and
methodologies and theories used within
methodologies used within the
the discipline.
discipline.

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 Communication is the Students communicate knowledge,
development and expression ideas, and reasoning clearly and
COMMUNICATION
of ideas in written and oral effectively in written or oral forms
forms. appropriate to the discipline.

Critical thinking is Students analyze information carefully

characterized by the and logically from multiple
comprehensive analysis of perspectives, using discipline specific
CRITICAL
issues, ideas, and evidence methods, and develop reasoned
THINKING
before accepting or solutions to problems. These will be
formulating an opinion or accomplished through assignments and
conclusion. assessments given in this course.
A minimum grade of C is required for general education credit.

Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Subject Area Objectives

Social and behavioral science courses provide instruction in the history, key themes, principles,
terminology, and underlying theory or methodologies used in the social and behavioral
sciences. Students will learn to identify, describe and explain social institutions, structures or
processes. These courses emphasize the effective application of accepted problem-solving
techniques. Students will apply formal and informal qualitative or quantitative analysis to
examine the processes and means by which individuals make personal and group decisions, as
well as the evaluation of opinions, outcomes or human behavior. Students are expected to assess
and analyze ethical perspectives in individual and societal decisions. See
https://undergrad.aa.ufl.edu/general-education/gen-ed-courses/structure-of-gen-ed-courses/slos-
and-performance-indicators/student-learning-outcomes/ for further details on the content,
communication and critical thinking outcomes in social and behavioral sciences.

Prerequisite Knowledge & Technology Requirements

• Prerequisite Course: PSY2012 General Psychology

• Proficiency in using CANVAS, using CANVAS messenger and uf emails with
attachments as needed
• Proficiency in downloading and installing zoom, Chrome extension, Honorlock proctoring
service
• Proficiency in using office words and excel files for learning reviews and preparations for
assignments
• Access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam (external or internal) with
broadband internet access, compatible web browser, audio input, built-in, or external
computer speakers. Click https://ufonline.ufl.edu/resources/computer-requirements/ for
specific computer requirements

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 Required Textbook

Jennings, Nolen-Hoeksema's Abnormal Psychology (9thed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill
Education.
UF ALL ACCESS eBook ISBN: 9781266112973
Print Rental ISBN 9781265316037
Looseleaf ISBN 9781266568190

This course is participating in the UF ALL ACCESS program. The ALL ACCESS program
will allow you to gain access to the required materials for the course at
a significantly discounted price.

Please contact your Bookstore on campus with any questions: allaccess@bsd.ufl.edu

Please make sure you get the e-textbook as soon and early as possible since chapter quizzes
start in the very first week. Instructor’s mini-videos, Publisher’s power point files, and other
resources are available on CANVAS as your resources, but you definitely need the textbook to
guide and maximize your learning in this class.

Instructional materials for this course consist of only those materials specifically reviewed,
selected, and assigned by the instructor. The instructor is only responsible for these instructional
materials.

Course Objectives

Through this course, you will:

▪ learn abnormality in human behaviors, thoughts and emotions within and across cultural
contexts and from both the continuous and the categorical DSM perspectives
▪ compare and contrast different theoretical perspectives of abnormality
▪ critically review the historical background of mental disorders and the diagnostic process
and assessments of mental illnesses in the past and current ages
▪ identify a variety of emotional, behavioral, neurocognitive, psychotic, mood, and
personality disorders and treatment options
▪ apply your learning to the real world
▪ gain insights, understanding, resilience, cultural competency, and global perspectives in
mental health
▪ expand your knowledge about theories, factors, and symptoms of mental disorders
▪ solidify your communication abilities in discussing mental disorders
▪ strengthen your critical thinking about the historical, contemporary, and cultural
backgrounds of mental disorders and their intersections with other fields such as mental
health care and law enforcement systems

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 UF Policies

Academic Honesty:
UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of
Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and
integrity by abiding by the Honor Code”. On all work submitted for credit by students at the
University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have
neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code
(http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of
behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are
obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If
you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor of this class.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic
accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center.
(352-392-8565, https://disability.ufl.edu/get-started/). It is important for students to share their
accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in
the semester.

Sexual Harassment & Disclosures of Sexual Violence

Sexual Harassment is not tolerated in this class, in the Department of Psychology, or at the
University of Florida. Sexual harassment includes: the inappropriate introduction of sexual
activities or comments in a situation where sex would otherwise be irrelevant. Sexual harassment
is a form of sex discrimination and a violation of state and federal laws as well as of the policies
and regulations of the university. All UF employees and students must adhere to UF’s sexual
harassment policy which can be found here: https://hr.ufl.edu/forms-policies/policies-
managers/sexual-harassment/. Please review this policy and contact a university official if you
have any questions about the policy.

As mandatory reporters, university employees (e.g., administrators, managers, supervisors,

faculty, teaching assistants, staff) are required to report knowledge of sexual harassment to UF’s
Title IX coordinator. Title IX violation includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking,
domestic/intimate partner violence, etc. For assistance or to inform Title IX any incident(s) that
may constitute a Title IX violation, please complete the Title IX Information Form
here: https://titleix.ufl.edu/title-ix-reporting-form/, or email inform@titleix.ufl.edu, or call 352-
273-1094.

In-Class Recording
Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposes for which
these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for
personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence
in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited.
Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the
instructor.

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A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students
about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the
presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest
instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions,
student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving
solely student participation, assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations
between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class
session.

Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share,

transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to
another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class
section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is
posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to
social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third party note/tutoring services. A student
who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action
instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040
Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code.

Class Demeanor or Netiquette

All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages,
threaded discussions, exams, and chats. Review the Netiquette Guide for Online Courses for
expected student behavior.

Attendance
Requirements for class attendance are consistent with university policies. See
https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/ for more information
regarding the University Attendance Policies. While in-person attendance is not built into the
course requirements since this is an asynchronous online course, regular virtual interaction with
the course website and course materials each week throughout the semester is strongly
recommended to keep you on track for learning success.

Software Use
All faculty, staff, and students of the university are required and expected to obey the laws and
legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or
criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University
policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the
University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest
standards of honesty and integrity.

Course Incompletes:
A grade of Incomplete “I” will only be given in extreme circumstances (i.e., illness) and must be
pre-approved by the instructor. If approved, a contract will be drawn up with the student
specifying assignments and due dates. According to the University, all incomplete work must be

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completed by the following semester or you will receive a punitive incomplete (i.e., the same as
an “E”).

Course Requirements

Warm-up exercise (26 points): In each week, there will be a warm-up exercise as a quick check
of your prior knowledge of relevant topics, or your engagement of the course materials
 for the week. Each exercise is worthy of 2 points, with unlimited attempts, and due on
Fridays. Note the warm-up exercise for the spring break week (Island 10/Week
10) is optional.

Online Chapter Quiz (130 points): Each chapter has a chapter quiz with about 10
 items worthy of 10 points. Chapter quizzes are due on Saturdays. You can try
maximal two times to obtain the full or highest points to your capacity before the due
date. The highest scores will be counted toward your quiz grade. Note the chapter
quiz for the spring break week (Island 10/Week 10) is optional.

Journey Diary (30 points): Each week, you are introduced one focal topic on
 abnormal psychology with a variety of information and resources. In this multi-
discussion assignment, you are expected to jot down your journey diary for at least 6
weeks between Island/Week 2 and Island/Week 14 with one original and one response
diary posts (5 points) for each of the six weeks due on Sundays. See specific instruction on
CANVAS and note the journey diary for the spring break week (Island 10/Week 10) is
optional.

In-depth Topic Discussion (90 points): Three discussion topics will be posted on
 CANVAS during the semester with each worth 30 points. These discussion
assignments are open for two weeks and due on Sundays. You need to have at least
one original post and one response post to be graded for full credits in each discussion
assignment. Both content and format matter in grading your discussion. Please submit your posts
on time.

The discussion posts are also an avenue to assess your understanding of the course
content, extend your knowledge of a specific topic, exercise your analytic skills, and facilitate
your critical thinking and positive self-change. Self-exploration is an integral part of
psychological learning, but keep in mind that your posts will be seen by everyone in your
discussion group and not just the instructor and the TAs. Therefore, please exercise respect and
professionalism when posting discussion posts.

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 Exams (120 points): Three exams will be administered covering contents from the
 textbook and the course materials including both the core readings (e.g., textbook &
lecture videos) and additional readings (e.g., relevant research papers, TedTalks, etc.)
on CANVAS. The exam with the lowest grade between Exam 1 and 2 will be
dropped. Exam 3 is a mandatory exam. Each exam is worthy of 60 points and consists of a
variety of multiple-choice questions. All the exams are open-book open-note 60-item exams with
80 minutes of testing time. Exam 1 and 2 are available for three days (Sundays through
Tuesdays). Exam 3 will be open on the last day of class and close on the following Monday.
You are allowed to attempt each exam only once.

Please note that all the exams will be Honorlock proctored (https://honorlock.com/students/) to
ensure the rigor and academic integrity of this course. You are allowed to access the e-textbook
and all the resources from CANVAS online, e-copies of resources in your computer which
you take exams with, as well as your hard copy of resources and textbooks. However, you
are not allowed to browse any other website sources using google, quizlet, etc. If you use
quizlet for exam review, please download your quizlet review notes in your computer or print
them out for use during the exam. You are not allowed to use secondary devices for the exam
either such as another laptop, iphone, iwatch, etc. In addition, when you take the exam, please
dress appropriately and in the same way as you dress for an in-class exam. More instructions and
resources on Honorlock are available on CANVAS.

SONA Research Participation (10 points): Learning about Psychology requires

 reading, listening, and doing. As a supplement to lecture, you are required to participate
in required credit hours of experimental research studies as defined by the SONA guide
released on CANVAS, or to complete an equivalent alternate assignment. There is a
Psychology Department requirement that all students enrolled in CLP3144 participate in a
research experience. Specific requirements are posted on CANVAS. Completion of this
requirement affects your course grade based on the amount of research credits you earn. Do NOT
wait until the last minute to complete this requirement. The longer you wait the harder it will be
to get all the credits need!

Late Work: Requirements for make-up exams, assignments, and other work in the course are
consistent with university policies. See https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-
regulations/attendance-policies/ for more information regarding the University Attendance
Policies.

Specifically, late work for any of the warm-ups, quizzes, and exams are NOT accepted since you
have been given sufficient periods of time to complete these assignments. However, if there is an
unforeseeable extreme situation (e.g., hospitalization, severe accidents, etc.) or any situation
that aligns with the university absence policies (see https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-
regulations/attendance-policies/) that has kept you from completing work on time, you may email
the GTA in charge of accommodations with justification and proof as soon as your situation
allows with justification or proof for a one-time make-up opportunity without penalty.

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Missing the deadline due to oversleeping, forgetting, being in a bad mood, etc. are not justifiable
reasons for the one-time make-up opportunity given the available time to complete each
assignment.

For in-depth topic discussion assignments, late submission should be done via email to the
designated GTA in charge of discussion grading and will lead to the loss of the response post
points. Late submission for the original discussion post completed within 24 hours of the original
due date leads to 80% of the earned assignment grade. Work submitted within 48 hours of the
original due date leads to 60% of the earned assignment grade. Late submission and make-up
requests after 48 hours of the original due date for Discussion assignment would not be accepted.

For journey diary assignments, no late work is accepted since you only need to produce 6 journey
diaries out of 13 available journey diary weeks.

It is students' responsibility to plan well and allow enough time for the assignment submission
since each assignment is available for several days and up to two weeks. It is also students'
responsibility to double check and ensure successful assignment submissions. It is highly
recommended for students to always submit assignments via a computer or a laptop rather than
via the CANVAS app. from a smartphone or other similar device to ensure successful assignment
submission. Submission failure due to technical issues of any type or other last minute
internet glitches etc. is not a legitimate reason for any assignment make-up.

Please DO NOT submit any assignments via the CANVAS app.! Issues have occurred for
assignments submitted via CANVAS app. Please do all assignment submission in the course
CANVAS website via a web browser.

Extra Credits: Extra credits may be available occasionally as needed such as the extra-credit
self-introduction discussion post. These opportunities are offered to the whole class to facilitate
learning with a fixed deadline and no make-up opportunities at all. Seize the opportunity when it
occurs! ☺

Course Technology: The students will be required to have access and use a personal computer
with the access to the Internet.
This course is facilitated 100% online asynchronously through Canvas. You may access Canvas
from UF’s e-Learning webpage: http://elearning.ufl.edu/. Please contact the UF Help Desk by
visiting http://helpdesk.ufl.edu or call 352-392-4357 if you have any technical difficulties with
Canvas.

Course Communication: Students can communicate directly with the Instructor regarding the
course material through the course management system (CANVAS). Electronic communication
must demonstrate a formal tone and style and, unless absolutely urgent, will be responded to M-F
from 9 AM to 5 PM.

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 Trigger Warning Statement: This course provides an open space for civil and critical exchange
of ideas. Given the nature of the course, there are contents that some students may find disturbing.
I will try to forewarn students about potentially disturbing contents. I also ask all students to help
to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity in course interaction. If a student feels
uncomfortable with a specific topic, the student should reach out to me the instructor for
resolution.

Grading Scale (406 points in total)

Tasks Points Percentage
Warm-up Exercise (13 X 2 points) 26 6.4%
Journey Diary (6X5 entry) 30 7.39%
5 lowest diary grades dropped out of the 11 diary
assignments
Online chapter quizzes (13X10 points/quiz) 130 32.02%
Exams (3X60/exam, lowest exam score between 120 29.56%
Exam 1 and 2 will be dropped)
In-depth Topic Discussion (3x30/discussion) 90 22.17%
SONA Research Participation 10 2.46%
Note: Warmups and quizzes for Ch. 11 (Week 10 Spring break week) are optional and do not
count toward the final grade. Developmental log for Ch. 11 on Week 10 Spring Break week is
optional too and does not count toward the final grade.

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- E
Percentage 93- 90- 87- 83- 80- 77- 73- 70- 67- 63- 60- <60
100 92.4 89.4 86.4 82.4 79.4 76.4 72.4 69.4 66.4 62.4
GPA 4.0 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.67 1.33 1.00 0.67 0.00
Equivalency
Note: Final total percentage points with a decimal value equal to or greater than .5 will be
rounded to the next number. A minimum grade of C is required for general education credit.
For further information about current UF grading policies for assigning grade points, please see
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.

Tentative Course Schedule

Island/Week Dates Topics Chapter(s) Due dates

1 Looking at Abnormality 1 All
1/13-1/19 All Warm-ups due on
Fridays 11:59pm EST
All Chapter quizzes due
on Saturdays 11:59pm
EST

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 All journey diaries due on
Sundays 11:59pm EST
2 1/20-1/26 Theories and Treatment of 2 Self-introduction closed
Abnormality Sunday

3 1/27-2/2 Trauma, Anxiety, obsessive- 5 Discussion 1 open

Compulsive, and related Monday
Disorders

4 2/3-2/9 Mood Disorders and Suicide 7 Discussion 1 due Sunday

5 2/10-2/16 Disruptive, Impulse-control, 11 Exam 1 (Ch. 1,2,5,7,11)

and Conduct Disorder open Sunday
(assessing all core and
additional readings)
Somatic symptom and Exam 1 due Tuesday
6 2/17-2/23 Dissociative Disorders 6
7 2/24-3/2 Personality Disorders 9 Discussion 2 open
Monday
8 3/3-3/9 Schizophrenia Spectrum and 8 Discussion 2 due Sunday
Other Psychotic Disorders
9 3/10-3/16 Neurodevelopmental and 10
Neurocognitive Disorder
10 3/17-3/23 Eating Disorders 12 Warm-up, Quiz, Island
(Spring Break Week) diary this week are
optional
Exam 2 (Ch. 6,9,8,10,12)
open Sunday
(assessing all core and
additional readings)
11 3/24-3/30 Exam 2 due Tuesday
Sexual Disorders 13 Discussion 3 open
Monday
12 3/31-4/6 Substance Use and Gambling 14 Discussion 3 due Sunday
Disorders
13 4/7-4/13 Assessing and diagnosing 3
abnormality

14 4/14-4/20 Health Psychology 15

15 4/21-4/27 Wrap-Up Exam 3 (Ch. 13, 14, 3,

15) on
4/23 - 4/28
(assessing all core and
additional readings)

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 Online Evaluation Process
Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction
in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give
feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at
https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens,
and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas
course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation
results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

Campus Resources
Health and Wellness
U Matter, We Care: If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu,
352-392-1575, or visit U Matter, We Care website to refer or report a concern and a team member
will reach out to the student in distress.

Counseling and Wellness Center: Visit the Counseling and Wellness Center website or call 352-
392-1575 for information on crisis services as well as non-crisis services.

Student Health Care Center: Call 352-392-1161 for 24/7 information to help you find the care you
need, or visit the Student Health Care Center website.

University Police Department: Visit UF Police Department website or call 352-392-1111 (or 9-1-
1 for emergencies).

UF Health Shands Emergency Room / Trauma Center: For immediate medical care call 352-733-
0111 or go to the emergency room at 1515 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32608; Visit the UF
Health Emergency Room and Trauma Center website.

GatorWell Health Promotion Services: For prevention services focused on optimal wellbeing,
including Wellness Coaching for Academic Success, visit the GatorWell website or call 352-273-
4450.

Academic Resources
E-learning technical support: Contact the UF Computing Help Desk at 352-392-4357 or via e-
mail at helpdesk@ufl.edu.

Career Connections Center: Reitz Union Suite 1300, 352-392- 1601. Career assistance and
counseling services.

Library Support: Various ways to receive assistance with respect to using the libraries or finding
resources. Call 866-281-6309 or email ask@ufl.libanswers.com for more information.

Teaching Center: 1317 Turlington Hall, 352-392-2010 or to make an appointment 352- 392-6420.
General study skills and tutoring.

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Writing Studio: Daytime (9:30am-3:30pm): 2215 Turlington Hall, 352-846-1138 | Evening
(5:00pm-7:00pm): 1545 W University Avenue (Library West, Rm. 339). Help brainstorming,
formatting, and writing papers.

Academic Complaints: Office of the Ombuds; Visit the Complaint Portal webpage for more
information.
Enrollment Management Complaints (Registrar, Financial Aid, Admissions): View the Student
Complaint Procedure webpage for more information.

Together, let's make it a fun and successful semester!

☺☺☺

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