Course Enrollment

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students who have successfully completed undergraduate coursework in operant conditioning, behavior modification, or learning, or who have consent of the instructor.

Course Goals

The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with the theory, practice, and research relevant to behavioral assessment and behavior therapy.  Course objectives include

a. familiarity with the history, current status, and future prospects of behavior therapy,
b. conceptual and practical knowledge of major approaches to behavioral assessment and behavior therapy,
c. general command of the behavior therapy outcome literature, and
d. pursuit of a topic of special interest.

Although the field of behavior therapy is extensive, fulfillment of course objectives is possible through a combination of readings, lectures, discussions, the midterm exam, and workshop.

Requirements

(1) Attendance

You are expected to attend every class.  Excessive lateness or absences, whether legitimate or not, are unacceptable and will lower your grade for the course.  Likewise, it is not appropriate to leave class early due to obligations which begin after class; class will end promptly at 10:20.  As a courtesy, kindly notify a colleague or me of any anticipated lateness or absence.

(2) Readings

Spiegler, M. D., & Guevremont, D. C. (2003). Contemporary behavior therapy (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Supplemental texts and articles will be distributed or recommended by the instructor and presenters.

(3) Participation (20%, 50 points)

I expect you to prepare for class by reading the assigned literature, generating issues for discussion, and responding to material presented in lecture and workshops.  As graduate students, you should be prepared to participate meaningfully and often; active participation will facilitate your learning and professional growth.  The coherence, frequency, and thoughtfulness of your participation will be evaluated.

        50 points: The student spoke in every class at least once and demonstrated that the     readings were completed for every class and understood.

        45 points: The student spoke in most class periods and demonstrated that the readings were completed and understood for those classes.

        35 points: The student spoke up about half the time and demonstrated that the readings were completed and understood about half the time.

        20 points: The student seldom spoke in class and seldom demonstrated that the readings were complete or understood.

        25 points: The student never spoke in class and failed to demonstrate that the readings were ever completed or understood.

(4) Midterm (40%, 100 points) - June 26th

The midterm is scheduled for the first 2 hours of class, and will be closed-book.  The exam will consist of a single essay question generated from material covered to that point (i.e., the text, lectures, media presentations, and class discussion).  The question will be comprehensive and will require a detailed description of the conceptual, empirical, and practical bases for two distinct behavior change methods, followed by a comparison of their strengths and weaknesses when applied to a specific maladaptive target behavior or population.  Accuracy, clarity, organization, and thoroughness are dimensions on which your essay will be evaluated.

(5) Workshop (40%, 100 points) - last 2 weeks

Teams of students will present 3-hour workshops which present the theory, research, and practice of behavior therapy techniques applied to specific maladaptive target behaviors or populations.  Teams are encouraged to meet with me to discuss matters related to content, format, and support materials (e.g., assessment devices, videos).  Each student's grade will be based on

a. originality (e.g., range of material, use of media),
b. resources (e.g., quality and suitability of resources),
c. relevance (e.g., links to course material, appropriate integration of theory, research, and practice),
d. breadth and depth (e.g. accuracy, comprehensiveness, thoughtfulness), and
e. style (e.g., clarity, enthusiasm, flow, organization).

After your presentation, turn in a copy of an outline, notes, or report.  Each component of your presentation is worth up to 20 points, for a possible point total of 100 points.

Possible workshop topics:

EMD/R
insomnia
ADD/HD
autism
eliminative disorders
social skills deficits
addictions
relapse prevention
marital therapy
computer automation
competency-based learning
adjustment to chronic illness
obesity
anger/violence
treatment maintenance and generalization
eating disorders
employment counseling
invasive medical procedures
psychiatric vs. behavioral diagnosis
PTSD and acute stress
sexual dysfunction
stress management
depression
Type A behavior
antisocial behavior
IBS/GI disorders
pain management
sport psychology
smoking cessation
hypnosis
treatment compliance
OCD
social engineering
headache
study skills/test anxiety
cognitive rehabilitation
personality disorders
trichotillomania
behavioral bibliotherapy
behavioral assessment in personnel
motivation deficits
selection and evaluation parenting skills
virtual reality therapy

Summary

Class Participation          20%,   50 points
Midterm                         40%, 100 points,  6/26
Workshop                      40%, 100 points, last 2 weeks

A =            225-250 points (90-100%)
B =            200-224 points  (80-89%)
C =            175-199 points (70-79%)
D =            150-174 points (60-69%)
F =             below 150 points (59% and below)

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS

6/16:           Definition and Scope (Chs. 1, 3)
                    History (Ch. 2)

6/17:            Research Methods (Ch. 4)
                    Behavioral Assessment (Ch. 5, Ch. 11: pp. 279-281, Ch. 12: 305-306)

6/18:           Operant Therapies (Chs. 6, 8)

6/19:            Deceleration Therapies (Ch. 7)
                    Exposure Therapies (Chs. 9-10)

6/23:            Modeling Therapies (Ch. 11)
                    Self-management Therapies (Ch. 9: 224-226)

6/24:           Cognitive Therapies (Ch. 12
                Cognitive-behavior Therapies (Ch. 13)

6/25:           Behavioral Medicine and Applications to Psychological Disorders with Physical Characteristics (Ch. 14 -15)
                    Contemporary Issues (Ch. 16)

6/26:            Midterm

6/30 - 7/9: Workshops

Extensions of the due dates for any of the projects or exams may be granted; however, a reduction of one full grade (i.e., 15 points) will accompany each extension.

Academic Integrity
According to the Student Judicial Office, "plagiarism is the unacknowledged appropriation of another's work, words, or  ideas in any themes, outlines, papers, reports, or computer programs."  Plagiarism includes copying sentences from sources without paraphrasing them.  Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is when you summarize someone else's work in your own words.  For further information on the distinction between plagiarism and paraphrasing, consult the Publication Manual (APA, 2001) which is available in the Reference Section of Milner Library.  If it becomes apparent that you have plagiarized, I will give you an F for the course and initiate a referral to the Student Judicial Office where the  matter will be further adjudicated.  Likewise, cheating on exams will result in a course grade of F and referral to the Student Judicial Office.  In addition, exams are not intended for distribution to the University community; taking an exam is stealing.

Miscellaneous Matters

If you need to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability, contact Disability Concerns at FEL 350, 438-5833 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).  If you find that you have problems taking notes and tests or if you suffer from test anxiety, the University Center for Learning Assistance and Student Counseling Services, respectively, can assist you.  The UCLA is located in STV 113 (438-7100) and the SCS is located in the SSB 320 (438-3655).