Abnormal pschology

The student will pick from a list of psychological disorders. The information in the paper should be based on primary sources (i.e., on scholarly journal articles for the topic). The length of the paper should be between 5 and 6 pages . It should make an effort to include the most relevant literature on the topic. Students are to look for the most recent research on their topic of choice. Students should become familiar with and use the Psychological Abstracts and Social Science electronic databases, which can be found through the Berkeley College online library. The references used for the paper must be from 2006 to the present; therefore references prior to 2006 should not be used. The research paper will be graded according to the following criteria:

I. Format

A. The paper reflects an understanding of the material. It presents an organized, critical analysis and creative integration of the relevant information, relating it to the study of abnormal psychology.

B. The paper reviews the material well and makes some attempt to analyze, criticize, and interpret the data in terms of psychopathology and treatment for the specific disorder.

C. The paper reviews the material adequately, but does not integrate the information well or analyze it thoroughly.

D. The paper reviews the material inadequately or only rehashes material in secondary sources (like text books or review articles), but the individual has demonstrated some learning.

E. The individual demonstrates that he or she has learned nothing in the course.

II. Content

A. A thorough definition of the psychological disorder.

B. Characteristics/Symptoms of the disorder.

C. Some statistics on the psychological disorder: rates of incidence, gender-specificity, ages, etc.

D. The possible causes of the psychological disorder from different conceptual perspectives.

E. Include when and where individuals can seek help such as local and or national organizations.

F. Suggested treatments for the psychological disorder such as psychotherapy, and or medication management.

II. Style & Mechanics

A. The length of the paper should be between 5 and 6 pages of text, double-spaced, and the smallest print you should use is 12 point Times New Roman.

B. The margins on the pages should be 1 inch on all sides, top/bottom, and left/right.

C. All papers must be typed double space.

D. Follow the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) for the form and style of the paper, but most importantly follow the recommended method of citing references. The APA Style Guidelines and examples will be provided to students during the semester.