Check all details in File called “PSYC 303-02 PAPER 1 ASSIGNMENT”
First Draft (10 points):
The papers first draft is due on Blackboard on Thursday, March 3rd at 1:50 PM CT (at
start of class). Please upload your paper to the First Draft assignment found on the
Assignments page of the Blackboard course site. If you have questions about Paper 1 or need an
extension, please contact me before the due date.
Instructions:
The first draft of the paper will be an opportunity for students to receive my feedback and to
incorporate this feedback into their final paper. When writing your first draft, please follow the
instructions listed for the final draft (see Instructions below).
First Draft Point Breakdown (10 points):
The following is the points breakdown that Ill use when grading the first draft papers.
1. Submit the first draft by due date (5 points)
2. 2-page minimum, typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point, Times New Roman
font (1 point)
3. Entirely APA style (1 point)
4. Choose client, propose diagnosis, explain why they meet diagnostic criteria (2 points)
5. Identify at least one rule-out diagnosis (1 point)
Final Draft (15 points):
The final paper is due on Blackboard on Thursday, March 31st at 1:50 PM CT (at start of
class).
Instructions:
Please write a psychological report about a clients diagnosis (choose one of the three clients
described below). In your report, address the following points in essay form (please make it clear
which question you are addressing throughout the report!):
Final Draft Point Breakdown (15 points):
1. For what DSM-5 diagnosis does the client meet criteria? Support your answer by
evaluating how well the client meets the diagnostic criteria for the disorder you chose. (3
points)
2. How well does the client fit the profile of a typical person with this disorder (i.e., use
epidemiological information, such as gender differences and age of onset)? (2 points)3. What might have caused the patients disorder (discuss at least two etiological
possibilities)? (2 points)
4. What are your treatment recommendations? (2 points)
5. What are three additional questions that you would ask in order to feel more confident
about your diagnosis, etiological conceptualization, and/or treatment recommendation? (2
points)
6. Discuss at least one additional diagnosis that is a rule out for the patient (i.e., aspects of
a disorder that he might have, even though he does not meet full criteria). Support your
argument for this rule out diagnosis. (2 points)
7. Quality of writing: spelling, punctuation, grammar, organization, and clarity (2 points)
Paper should be typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, and 12-point font
This paper should be entirely APA style
The Purdue Owl Online Writing Lab has great instructional information
for how to format and/or cite in APA style:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formattin
g_and_style_g uide/general_format.html.
You must include a cover page with your name, date, etc. This page does not
count towards the overall paper length.
Paper should be 3-5 pages in length. Three pages is a minimum length
requirement, so if you are unsure if you have met the requirement, you are
encouraged to write additional text. Again, your cover page does not count
towards your page count.
Before you submit your paper, PLEASE re-read, and double check your final
product for typos, errors, etc. Your paper will be graded on both content and
quality of writing. I expect these papers to be organized, grammatically correct,
and to demonstrate a high quality of writing (i.e., accurate spelling, punctuation,
sentence structure). If you consider yourself to be weak in these areas, it is up to
you to obtain extra help (e.g., from the writing center).
Papers will be checked for plagiarism using IITs SafeAssign / TurnItIn
software.Client Option 1
Harry is a 20-year-old Chinese American college student. His parents brought him to therapy,
complaining that Harry had changed after he started college. Specifically, they said that he had
not made many new friends, and his grades were much poorer than they had been when he was
in high school. In addition, they noted that Harry seemed to be “down,” and he did not talk very
much. Although he had always been relatively quiet, they indicated that this was a marked
change for Harry. In fact, there were times during his senior year in high school when he had
been very active, sleeping very little and throwing himself into his studies and extracurriculars.
Harry described himself to you as having been relatively shy throughout childhood and
adolescence, although he always had a small group of friends with whom he socialized on a
regular basis. He did not have any serious problems until his first year of college. At that time,
Harry began to experience periods of low mood. He had been very nervous about going away to
college, so he chose a school that was only two hours away from his hometown. Initially, he
would go home on the weekends to visit his family and friends. However, as his first semester
progressed, he found that his energy level was decreasing, and he no longer visited his home
town. Instead, he spent increasingly long periods of time in his dorm room, and he began
sleeping in excess of 12 hours per day. Harry lost his appetite, and his weight dropped
considerably (i.e., he lost 15 pounds). He rarely went to class, and he spent most of his time
playing video games on his computer. Harry often felt that his mind was “sluggish,” and when he
tried to study, he could not remain focused on the task at hand. He felt very guilty because he did
not feel that he was putting in enough time to justify the amount of money that his parents were
paying for tuition. Harry began to think that nobody in his dorm really liked him, and he
occasionally thought that no one would notice or care if he died.