Warning! This unit contains mature content and may not be suitable for some students. Any student under the age of 16 who would like to enrol in this unit must first complete a Parental Consent Form.

Undergraduate SWI-PSY30010-2022

Abnormal Psychology

Straddle a range of abnormal and dysfunctional human behaviours. Read up on key mental disorders. Tackle stress, anxiety, schizophrenia and eating disorders. Study individual cases. Examine psychologists’ resources, diagnoses and treatments.

From

$3,180 $3,430

Your upfront cost: $0

International student?

Duration

13 weeks

Study method

100% Online

Available loans

HECS-HELP
FEE-HELP

Assessments

100% online

Prior study

Required

Start dates

29 Aug 2022

Swinburne University of Technology leads the way with innovative and new ways of teaching, learning and thinking. It offers a wide range of study options, from pre-apprenticeships, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhDs, including online degrees with Open Universities Australia. Swinburne is known for career-oriented education and encouraging lifelong learning.

QS RANKING 2022

Times Higher Education Ranking 2022

2022

Subject details

What you'll learn

Students who successfully complete this subject will be able to:

Compare and critique the ways in which human behaviours have been identified as 'abnormal' or dysfunctional;
Compare the features of major systems of classification of mental disorders, and explain how they are applied to individual cases;
Critically review the major features of a multi-dimensional approach to understanding mental disorders (biological, sociocultural and psychological);
Describe and characterise the phenomenology and aetiology of major classes of mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and addictive behaviours, personality disorders and developmental disorders.

Topics covered

- Conceptualising and researching distress and mental health
- Causal factors in mental health
- Stress and mental health
- Description and diagnosis of anxiety disorders
- Description and diagnosis of mood disorders
- Psychological treatments: the major evidence based approaches
- Description and diagnosis of dissociative disorders
- Breaks from reality: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
- Problems with reward management: eating disorders and substance-related disorders
- Pervasive disorders related to the personality
- Disorders of childhood and adolescence

Entry requirements

Equivalent subjects

You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

SWI-PSS330B (Not currently available)

You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:

one of

SWI-PSY20007-Developmental Psychology
SWI-PSS250 (Not currently available)

and one of

SWI-PSY20006-Cognition and Human Performance
SWI-PSS240 (Not currently available)

and one of

SWI-PSY20016-Social Psychology
SWI-PSY30009-Social Psychology (No longer available)

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

Description

This subject introduces students to the ways in which human behaviour has been conceptualised as 'abnormal'. Students are introduced in depth to the diagnostic manual used by Australian psychologists. Important examples of psychological disorders are introduced in terms of their phenomenology and nosology, as well as theories about aetiology and approaches to psychological treatment. In sum, the subject develops understanding of the concept of abnormal behaviour, and develops understanding of key mental disorders and the major psychological treatments used to address them.

Assessments

Please note: assessment values are indicative only, details will be advised at the start of the subject.

Final Assessment (TBC) (40%)
Test — Online (20%)
Assignment (40%)

Textbooks

Current study term: 28 Aug 22 to 27 Nov 22

Check the learning management system (LMS) of your university for textbook details.