Download AP PSYCHOLOGY COURSE OUTLINE I. Models and Methods of

AP PSYCHOLOGY COURSE OUTLINE
I. Models and Methods of Psychology (2 wks)
A. What is Psychology?
B. The History of Psychology
C. Models of Psychology (Behavioral, Cognitive, Humanist, Psychodynamic, Biological &
Evolutionary)
D. The Scientific Method
E. Research Methods
1. Descriptive Methods (case study, survey, naturalistic observation)
2. The Experimental Method
F. Ethics in Psychology
Essential Questions:

What is psychology?

What differences exist in how psychologists approach human behavior?

How do psychologists test behavior?

Are there limits to what psychologists should be allowed to do?
II. Biological Bases of Behavior (3 wks)
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Brain
The Nervous System
Neural Communication
The Endocrine System
Essential Questions:

What does research about brain function suggest about optimum learning?

What do case studies show about the interaction between neurology and personality?
III. Sensation and Perception (2-3 wks)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Attention and awareness
Vision
Hearing
The other senses
Perceptual Illusions
Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Interpretation
Essential Questions:

What is the relationship between sensation and perception?

To what extent does our mind consciously control sensations and perceptions?
IV. Human Development (3 wks)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Prenatal development
Infancy and attachment
Language Acquisition
Dimensions of Development (Cognitive, Moral, Personality)
Adolescence and Adulthood
Death and Dying
Essential Questions:

To what extent is development caused by forces within the individual?

Does a critical period exist for language development?

Do our personalities stay the same throughout our lives, or do we become different
people as we age?

What is the significance of research about our cognitive, moral, and personality
development?
V. Personality (2 wks)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The Psychoanalytical Perspective
The Behavioral Perspective
The Humanist Perspective
The Biological Perspective
Assessment Techniques
Essential Questions:

What is the balance between genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) in
determining human personality?

How do the various psychological perspectives differ in their explanations of human
personality?

What traits are used to separate between types of personality?

What are the tools by which we measure personality?
VI. Intelligence & Assessment (1 wk)
A.
B.
C.
What is Intelligence?
The History of Intelligence Testing
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Essential Questions:

How has the testing of intelligence evolved in the field of psychology?

How do genetics and personal experience account for intelligence?

How do psychologists of differing perspectives define intelligence?

What are the possible explanations for gaps in intelligence test scores among racial
and ethnic groups?
VII. Consciousness (2 wks)
A. Sleep and Dreams
B. Hypnosis & Meditation
C. Drugs and Consciousness
Essential Questions:

What is the purpose of sleep?

What is the role of culture in sleep patterns and dreaming?

What techniques are used to alter consciousness, and for what purposes?

What are the dangers of mind-altering substances?
VIII. Learning (2 wks)
A.
Classical Conditioning
B.
Operant Conditioning
Essential Questions:

What phenomena are involved in the acquisition of knowledge or skills?

What is the role of past experience on future behavior?

How can psychological data be used to control behavior in real-life settings?
IX. Memory (2 wks)
A.
Information Processing Model (encoding, storage, retrieval)
B.
Short-term vs. Long-term Memory
C.
Forgetting
D.
Memory Construction & Eyewitness Memory
Essential Questions:

What are the various explanations of how memory is stored?

How can psychological research on memory be used to better retention?

Is information ever permanently lost from our memories?

How can memories be altered by external factors?

Can memories be repressed over long spans of time and later recalled?
X. Abnormal Psychology (3 wks)
A. Perspectives on Psychological Disorders
B. Anxiety Disorders
C. Somatoform Disorders
D. Mood Disorders
E. Dissociative Disorders
F. Schizophrenic Disorders
G. Personality Disorders
Essential Questions:

How do psychologists distinguish normal behavior from abnormal behavior?




What are the common misperceptions about people with mental disorders?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of diagnostic labeling?
How do psychologists differentiate between various types of mental disorders?
How are the mentally ill affected by their individual disorders?
XI. Treatment of Psychological Disorders (1 wk)
A.
Insight Therapies
B.
Psychodynamic Approaches
C.
Behavioral Approaches
D.
Cognitive Approaches
E.
Biological Therapies and Psychopharmacology
Essential Questions:

What are the rewards and challenges of working as a therapist?

In what cases should adults have treatments imposed on them?
XII. Motivation & Emotion (2 wks)
A.
Achievement and Belonging Needs
B.
Hunger
C.
Sexual Motivation
D.
Theories of Emotion
E.
Emotion Perception
F.
Stress, Coping, and Health
Essential Questions:

How can research on motivation and peak performance be applied to our lives?

What are the genetic and environmental influences on hunger and eating?

What gender differences exist in the motivation for sexual reproduction?

What defines an individual’s sexual orientation?

What is the role of culture in the formation and perception of emotion?
XIII. Social Psychology (3 wks)
A.
Social Thinking (Attributions)
B.
Social Influence
1.
Techniques of Persuasion
2.
Conformity
3.
Obedience
C.
Social Relations
1. Attraction
2. Prejudice & Stereotyping
3. Conflict
4. Group Dynamics
Essential Questions:

Is there a limit to which control over a situation can control human behavior?




What is the role of physical attractiveness in human society?
What psychological phenomena contribute to the formation of stereotypes?
How does perception of attractiveness differ across cultures?
How can group membership influence an individual’s behavior & personality?