Learning Goals for Psych 410: Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders

Robert McMahon

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Identify the theoretical explanations, assessment, and prevention and treatment of behavior disorders in childhood and adolescence. Appreciate the complexity of these issues. Explain how psychologists decide when a specific behavior pattern represents a disorder, and how research and treatment inform one another. Think critically about issues involved in studying child and adolescent behavior disorders, understand them, be able to research them, and form critically informed opinions about them in the face of uncertainty.
Appreciate that humans are social beings and that the disorders discussed occur within different contexts. Identify the contribution of socio-cultural factors in the prevalence and expression of various disorders. Identify the resilience and protective factors relevant to psychological disorders.
Participate in class discussions about how to empirically assess, diagnose, prevent and treat behavior disorders in childhood and adolescence.
Locate, select, read, and evaluate relevant sources. Consider the validity and reputation of the source and be prepared to discuss the validity of the sources.
Summarize the findings discussed in the scientific literature on an ongoing controversy in the field. Identify conclusions that are supported by the literature. Formulate a logical and coherent argument that is based on scientific evidence and that draws appropriate conclusions from that evidence.