Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
A.P. Psychology Course Guide Mercer Island High School Overview of the course Title: AP Psychology Textbook: Myers, David G. Psychology. Holland, Michigan: Worth Publishers, 8th ed. 2007. Suggested Supplemental Materials: Hock, Roger. Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research. New York: Prentice Hall, 5th ed. 2004. Myers Textbook Companion Website (choose the textbook, and it will take you to the companion website) http://worthpublishers.com/myers/ Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink. New York: Back Bay, 2007. Brown, Alan and Chris Logan, eds. The Psychology of the Simpsons. Texas: Banbella Books, 2005. Sacks, Oliver. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Touchstone: Simon and Schuster, 1985. Medina, John. Brain Rules. Seattle: Pear Press, 2008. Zimbardo, Philip. The Lucifer Effect. New York: Random House, 2007. Various psychology journals, websites and databases Videos: Nova The Wild Child PBS Secret Life of the Brain Frontline: The Persuaders A&E Biography: Sigmund Freud Course Description: This rigorous course provides students with a systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Included is a consideration of the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Students also learn about ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice, particularly when they design and complete their own research-based psychology study. Assignments will include quizzes and tests, research papers, written reflections, group and individual projects, and daily reading notes. In addition to the text, readings will be taken from supplemental, scholarly articles. The aim of the course is to provide a learning experience equivalent to that of an introductory college psychology course. Course Objectives: 1. Students who are taking the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology will score a “3” or higher. 2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology and assess some of the differing approaches adopted by psychologists, including the biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural perspectives. They will be able to define key terms and use them in their everyday vocabulary. 3. Students will learn the basic principles of psychological research. They will be able to devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the validity of research reports. 4. Students will be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives. They will be able to recognize psychological principles when they are encountered in everyday situations. 5. Students will develop critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting arguments without careful, objective evaluation. 6. Students will build their reading, writing, and discussion skills. 7. Students will learn about psychology as a profession and become aware of the educational requirements which must be met to pursue such careers. They will learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists. Content Outline: Unit 1 Topics History and Approaches (Prologue) 2 Research Methods (Ch. 1) Concepts History of psychology Psychological perspectives Experimental method Correlational method Naturalistic Observation Case studies Data analysis/Statistics APA Ethical Guidelines Essential Questions In what ways does psychology approach the study of human and animal behavior? How do the different perspectives in psychology compare and contrast? Who were the movers and shakers in the evolution of psychology as a science? How do psychologists use the scientific method to study behavior and mental processes? Which methods of research are appropriate for the study of different behaviors? How do psychologists 1st Exam 3 Social Psychology (Ch. 18) 4 Learning (Ch. 8) Attribution Theory/Attitudes vs. behaviors The Influence of others on an individual’s behavior Attraction Aggression/Altruism Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination Cross-cultural psychology Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Observational learning draw appropriate conclusions about behavior from research? How do psychologists make ethical decisions about researching behavior? How do people explain the behavior of others? How are individuals affected by groups? How do psychologists define culture? What influence does culture have on individuals and groups? How do psychologists define learning? How do principles of classical, operant, and observational learning work to create learning? 2ndExam Guided Course Work 5 3rd Exam 6 Biological Bases of Behavior (Ch. 2 &3) Sensation and Perception (Ch. 5&6) Research Hypothesis development Literature Review Neuro-anatomy Nervous system Brain Endocrine system Genetics Nature versus nurture debate Thresholds Sensory mechanisms Sensory adaptation Attention Perceptual processes 4th Exam 7 Motivation & Emotion (Ch. 12, 13) Motivation Emotion How do biological processes relate to behavior? How does damage to a biological process affect behavior? How do the 5 senses receive and translate signals to the brain for processing? How does each sense affect behavior? How do sensation and perception differ? In what ways are humans motivated to behave? How can one increase motivation to behave Review/Semester Final Exam News reporting 8 9 Developmental Psychology (Ch. 4) Testing and Individual Differences (Ch. 11) 100 multiple choice 2 free-response cumulative Analysis of psychology in everyday life Research methods Prenatal Influences/Infancy Adolescence Aging Stage theories Reliability and validity Types of tests Theories of intelligence Intelligence tests How do people grow and develop physically, socially and intellectually throughout the lifespan? How do psychologists define and study intelligence? How did the use of intelligence tests evolve throughout the last two centuries? How do psychologists know whether a test is reliable and/or valid? 5th Exam 10 Cognition (Ch. 9 & 10) Memory Language Thinking 6th Exam 11 Personality (Ch. 15) 12 7th Exam States of Consciousness (Ch. 7) Psychodynamic theories of personality Trait theories of personality Social-cognitive theories of personality Humanistic theories of personality Consciousness Sleep Dreams Hypnosis Drugs in certain ways? What role do emotions play in behavior? How do humans encode, store, and retrieve information from memory? How do humans think? How do humans acquire language and use it to communicate ideas? How do psychologists define and study personality? What advantages and limitations exist for each theory’s description of personality? How do psychologists define consciousness? What happens during the sleep cycle? How does lack of and REM and NREM sleep affect behavior? 13 Psychological Disorders (Ch. 16) Defining abnormality Anxiety disorders Somatoform disorders Dissociative disorders Mood of affective disorders Schizophrenic disorders Personality disorders How do psychologists measure and define abnormal behavior? How are the various psychological disorders identified and studied? 14 Treatment of Psychological Disorders (Ch. 17) Psychodynamic theory Humanistic therapies Behavioral therapies Cognitive therapies Somatic therapies What are the treatment options for the various types of psychological disorders? 15 Stress (Ch. 14) Stress Coping Health What are the three stages of Hans Seyle’s GAS? How does stress affect the immune system? What are the main coping strategies? 8th Exam Final Exam AP Testing Final Project Guided Course Work News reporting . Analysis of psychology in everyday life