Distinguish among biological, social, and cultural factors that contribute to psychological disorders.

• Juxtapose normal behavior with abnormal behavior.
• Discuss the medical perspective on psychological disorders.
• Determine the sociocultural connections to psychological disorders.
• Create an argument for why diagnoses are necessary.

Synthesize the biological and psychological explanations of depressive disorder.

• Create an argument for why depression is often called the “common cold” of psychological disorders.
• List the biological and psychological causes of depression.
• Determine if persons who die by suicide leave clues of their intention.

Understand the causes of an anxiety disorder.

• Connect cultural variables to anxiety disorders.
• Describe the biological origins of panic.
• Compare a simple phobia with a social phobia.

Understand how exposure to a traumatic or stressful event can result in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Determine if gender differences in PTSD exist.
• List the functional consequences of PTSD.

Describe the purpose of a compulsive behavior for persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• Provide examples of obsessive thoughts.
• Discuss the biology underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Recognize the differences between a manic phase and a depressed phase.

• Understand why the DSM-5 separated bipolar disorder from depressive disorders.
• Identify biological issues that might contribute to the progression of a manic phase.
• Explain the significance of public figures advocating for persons with bipolar disorder.

Recognize the features that personality disorders have in common.

• Define a personality disorder.
• Compare borderline personality disorder with antisocial personality disorder.
• Create an argument for why is there so much interest in antisocial personality disorder.

Understand the range of symptoms that persons with schizophrenia experience.

• Tell what the word schizophrenia means.
• List the five major symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
• Compare a delusion with a hallucination.
• Explain the evidence for the genetic and environmental roots of schizophrenia.

Define what it means to “dissociate,” and connect that definition with the disorder; appreciate the perspectives of believers and skeptics.

• Recognize the symptoms of a dissociative disorder.
• Develop an argument for the skepticism toward dissociative identity disorder.