Teaching about Psychological Disorders: Using a Group Interviewing ad Diagnostic Approach

Abstract

We designed a cooperative learning classroom activity to enhance students' ability to understand psychological disorders and distinguish among anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders. We employed a group interviewing approach with the instructor (or a graduate student) serving as the pseudo-client. Students interacted with a pseudo-client to arrive at a diagnosis. Evaluations of this activity indicated that students learned about various psychological disorders as well as better understood the process of clinical interviewing and diagnosis.