Contemporary Problems

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

Objectives

• Identify evidence-based approaches to enhancing intimate relationships.
• Develop a deeper understanding of cognitive-behavioral interventions with couples, including processes of assessment and case conceptualization, intervention strategies, and adaptations for different targets of interventions.
• Evaluate scientific evidence supporting interventions and basic understanding of relationship challenges.
• Discuss future innovations in relationship interventions.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of the varied approaches to intervening to enhance intimate relationships.
• Demonstrate case conceptualization skills by synthesizing information provided from an assessment into a comprehensive case conceptualization.
• Demonstrate skills in treatment planning by integrating information from a case conceptualization and knowledge of different intervention strategies to make a cohesive treatment plan.
• Demonstrate ability to think critically about scientific literature tied to relationship interventions and basic relationship science, including evaluating prior work and proposing future directions.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Case Conceptualization Paper	20%
Treatment Plan Paper	20%
Research Blitz Presentation	15%
Participation	20%
Final Paper	25%

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
≥ 93	A
90-92	A-
87-89	B+
83-86	B
80-82	B-
77-79	C+
73-76	C
≤ 72	F

Attendance/Participation:

As a graduate level seminar, much of the learning in the course will occur in group discussion and active engagement of the material through role play practice. Students are expected to actively engage in class discussions and participate fully in role play exercises. Students are expected to have completed course readings prior to attending class to facilitate class discussions. Attendance is required and only excused for specific extenuating circumstances (in such cases, make up work may be assigned). Repeated instances of missing class or limited engagement in class sessions (as evidenced by infrequent or shallow contributions to class discussions or role play exercises) will result in reductions to the participation grade.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Baucom, D. H., Fischer, M. S., Corrie, S., Worrell, M., & Boeding, S. E. (2020). Treating relationship distress and psychopathology in couples: A cognitive-behavioural approach. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.