Your task will be to write an in-depth paper which provides a summary of a psychological disorder or therapeutic treatment of your choice. The psychological disorder should include a component obtained from independent research. For example, if you choose to discuss obsessive-compulsive disorder, you should present an aspect of it derived from studies not mentioned in class. Thus, it will be necessary to do independent research to complete this paper. A minimum of five original peer-reviewed references from academic journals are required and the paper should be between 5-8 double-spaced pages (not including title or reference page).
It is important that your paper not only summarizes a disorder or treatment, but also provides a critical analysis. For example, if you were to write about Dialectical Behavior Therapy, you would need to include a discussion of possible improvements and strengths of the treatment. These should not be based on opinion alone, but be supported by research studies that you cite in your paper.
This paper will be based on quality over quantity, will be worth 20% of your final grade, and will be graded on the following rubric:
Clear understanding of the area you have chosen to review = 5 points
Quality of independent research = 5 points
Critical analysis of material = 5 points
Adherence to APA format = 5 points
