Paper Homework
The focus of this paper is psychological disorders. Your paper must include the following:
• Pick a character from a movie, television show, or book that you believe or could argue has a psychological disorder (or close to) and diagnose him/her. Provide a detailed description of the character and their cognitive, personality, emotional and/or behavioral patterns that form the basis from which your diagnosis is made. (While you can address the issue of comorbidity, you do not have to.)
• You must research the DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for the disorder you are dealing with and while I do not expect y'all to follow the diagnostic criteria perfectly, you are required to consider how a diagnosis is professionally made for the disorder and therefore make mention of how your character does or does not qualify for the diagnosis according to the standards set forth by the DSM. Include strong reasoning as to how your diagnosis is valid/warranted.
• Patterns of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions are deemed abnormal or pathological based on four reasons: deviance, dysfunction, distress, and danger. Make reference to the role of at least two of these in your diagnosis, your claim of abnormality/pathology. If you choose deviance, consider the importance of context (cultural, social, developmental, etc.) in making a diagnosis. In other words, speak to this idea that "something is only abnormal in light of what is normal."
• While this is supposed to be a fun homework, please keep in mind the power of a diagnosis/label and the care and responsibility that must always be taken when diagnosing. Things to consider in regard to this are issues such as the potential stigmatizing effects of a label and self- fulfilling prophecies.
• Consider treatment. What is considered to be the most effective treatment for the disorder? If you were the psychologist, what treatment plan would you propose?
• Tie in at least one other area of psychology we studied this semester (ex. Stress and Health Psychology, Biopsychology, The Brain, Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis, Social Psychology, etc).
• Back to reality. Consider the disorder you have chosen and any related social responsibility issues. Is there a need for more research, treatment advancements, stigma reduction, social support, increased awareness, etc. when it comes to the disorder you are studying and those that struggle with it? Be specific.
Choosing a topic:
You must give me a topic, brief explanation of said topic (see below), and at least one peer reviewed journal by the Paper Topic deadline set for your course. Submit this via Canvas. Feel free to talk to me about your topic and paper.
• Who is your character?
• What is your diagnosis?
• Do they meet the DSM criteria for the disorder? How so?
• Are any of the 4 Ds present? Which ones?
• What other area of psychology are you going to tie in?
• Provide one peer reviewed journal you will be using.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.