Download AP Psychology Syllabus

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY SYLLABUS
Mrs. McCombs
Brooke High School
Spring Semester 2016
TEXTBOOK
Myers, David G. Myers’ Psychology for AP, Worth Publishers, 2011,1e.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Advanced Placement Psychology is a one semester, college-level course. Each student is expected to
take the AP Psychology Exam that is administered in May. Successful achievement on the AP exam allows
the student to earn three hours of college credit.
Psychology will emphasize the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of
human beings and other animals. Topics discussed will reflect the material included in the workshop handbook,
AP Psychology, from the College Board. Lessons will include an in-depth investigation of history and
approaches, research methods, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning, cognition,
motivation and emotion, developmental psychology, personality, testing and individual differences, abnormal
behavior, treatment of abnormal behavior, and social psychology.
CLASS MANAGEMENT NOTES
1. All assignments will be graded using Brooke County’s adopted policies.
2. Tests will include a multiple choice section and free response questions. Separate grades will be earned
for each part.
3. Each quiz will be a single grade.
4. Single grades will also be earned for all completed classwork and/or homework assignments.
5. All assignments must be turned in when due.
6. Class time should only be used for working on psychology assignments.
7. A limit of two days for each day missed will be granted to make up missed assignments due to absence.
A maximum of 10 days will be granted to make up missed assignments for extended absences.
I. History and Approaches [2-4%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A. History of Psychology
B. Approaches
1. Biological
2. Behavioral
3. Cognitive
4. Humanistic
5. Psychodynamic
6. Sociocultural
7. Evolutionary
8. Biopsychosocial
C. Subfields of Psychology
Unit 1-History and Approaches-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
Psychology has evolved markedly since its inception as a discipline in 1879. There have been significant
changes in the theories that psychologists use to explain behavior and mental processes. In addition, the
methodology of psychological research has expanded to include a diversity of approaches to data gathering.
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Recognize how philosophical and physiological perspectives shaped the development of psychological
thought.
Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior;
o structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism in the early years;
o Gestalt, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, and humanism emerging later;
o evolutionary, biological, cognitive, and biopsychosocial as more contemporary approaches.
Recognize the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior.
o Distinguish the different domains of psychology (e.g., biological, clinical, cognitive, counseling,
developmental, educational, experimental, human factors, industrial-organizational, personality,
psychometric, social).
Identify major historical figures in psychology (e.g., Mary Whiton Calkins, Charles Darwin, Dorthea
Dix, Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, William James, Ivan Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Carl Rogers, B.F.
Skinner, Margaret Floy Washburn, John B. Watson, Wilhelm Wundt).
Unit 1-History and Approaches-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 1-17)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
What is Psychology?—Psychology’s Roots
Psychological Science Develops
Contemporary Psychology—Psychology’s Biggest Question
Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis
Psychology’s Subfields
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
empiricism, structuralism, functionalism, experimental psychology, behaviorism, humanistic psychology,
cognitive neuroscience, psychology, nature-nurture issue, natural selection, levels of analysis, biopsychosocial
approach, biological psychology, evolutionary psychology, psychodynamic psychology, behavioral psychology,
cognitive psychology, socio-cultural psychology, psychometrics, basic research, developmental psychology,
educational psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, applied research, industrial-organizational
(I/O) psychology, human factors psychology, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, psychiatry, SQ3R
II. Research Methods [8-10%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A. Experimental, Correlational, and Clinical Research
B. Statistics
1. Descriptive
2. Inferential
C. Ethics in Research
Unit 2-Research Methods-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
Psychology is an empirical discipline. Psychologists develop knowledge by doing research. Research provides
guidance for psychologists who develop theories to explain behavior and who apply theories to solve problems
in behavior.
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Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic
observations, case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.
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Describe how research design drives the reasonable conclusions that can be drawn (e.g., experiments are
useful for determining cause and effect; the use of experimental controls reduces alternative
explanations).
Identify independent, dependent, confounding, and control variables in experimental designs.
Distinguish between random assignment of participants to conditions in experiments and random
selection of participants, primarily in correlational studies and surveys.
Predict the validity of behavioral explanations based on the quality of research design (e.g., confounding
variables limit confidence in research conclusions).
Distinguish the purposes of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
Apply basic descriptive statistical concepts, including interpreting and constructing graphs and
calculating simple descriptive statistics (e.g., measures of central tendency, standard deviation).
Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research.
Identify how ethical issues inform and constrain research practices.
Describe how ethical and legal guidelines (e.g., those provided by the American Psychological
Association, federal regulations, local institutional review boards) protect research participants and
promote sound ethical practice.
Unit 2-Research Methods-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 18-49)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
The Need for Psychological Science—Did We Know It All Along?
Hindsight Bias
Overconfidence
The Scientific Attitude
Critical Thinking
How Do Psychologists Ask and Answer Questions?—The Scientific Method
Description
Correlation
Experimentation
Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life—Describing Data
Making Inferences
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychology—Psychology Applied
Ethics in Research
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
hindsight bias, critical thinking, theory, hypothesis, operational definition, replication, case study, survey,
population, random sample, naturalistic observation, correlation, correlation coefficient, scatterplot, illusory
correlation, experiment, random assignment, double-blind procedure, placebo effect, experimental group,
control group, independent variable, confounding variable, dependent variable, mode, mean, median, range,
standard deviation, normal curve, statistical significance, culture, informed consent, debriefing
III. Biological Bases of Behavior [8-10%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Physiological Techniques (e.g., imaging, surgical)
Neuroanatomy
Functional Organization of Nervous System
Neural Transmission
Neuroplasticity
Endocrine System
Genetics
Evolutionary Psychology
Unit 3-Biological Bases of Behavior-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 20142015)
An effective introduction to the relationship between physiological processes and behavior—including the
influence of neural function, the nervous system and the brain, and genetic contributions to behavior—is an
important element in the AP course.
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Identify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior, including parts of the neuron
and the process of transmission of a signal between neurons.
Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptake mechanisms, agonists, antagonists).
Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior.
Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions:
o central and peripheral nervous systems;
o major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas;
o brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
Discuss the role of neuroplasticity in traumatic brain injury.
Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research (e.g., case
studies, split-brain research, imaging techniques)
Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to
shape behavior.
Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
Identify key contributors (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl
Wernicke).
Unit 3-Biological Bases of Behavior-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 50-113)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Neural Processing and the Endocrine System—Neural Communication
Neurons
How Neurons Communicate
How Neurotransmitters Influence Us
The Nervous System
The Peripheral Nervous System
The Central Nervous System
The Endocrine System
The Brain—The Tools of Discovery: Having Our Head Examined
Recording the Brain’s Electrical Activity
Neuroimaging Techniques
Older Brain Structures
The Brainstem
The Thalamus
The Cerebellum
The Limbic System
The Cerebral Cortex
Structure of the Cortex
Functions of the Cortex
Language
The Brain’s Plasticity
Our Divided Brain
Splitting the Brain
Right-Left Differences in the Intact Brain
Brain Organization and Handedness
The Brain and Consciousness
Cognitive Neuroscience
Dual Processing
The Two-Track Mind
Genetics, Evolutionary Psychology, and Behavior—Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual
Differences
Genes: Our Codes for Life
Twin and Adoption Studies
Heritability
Gene-Environment Interaction
The New Frontier: Molecular
Genetics
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
biological psychology, neuron, sensory neurons, motor neurons, interneurons, dendrite, axon, myelin sheath,
action potential, threshold, synapse, neurotransmitter, reuptake, endorphins, nervous system, central nervous
system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS), nerves, somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system,
sympathetic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system, reflex, endocrine system, hormones, adrenal
glands, pituitary gland, lesion, electroencephalogram (EEG), CT (computed tomography) scan, PET (positron
emission, tomography) scan, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), fMRI (functional MRI), brainstem, medulla,
reticular formation, thalamus, cerebellum, limbic system, amygdala, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, glial cells
(glia), frontal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, temporal lobes, motor cortex, sensory cortex, association
areas, aphasia, Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area, plasticity, neurogenesis, corpus callosum, split brain,
consciousness, cognitive neuroscience, dual processing, behavior genetics, environment, chromosomes, DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid), genes, genome, identical twins, fraternal twins, heritability, interaction, molecular
genetics, evolutionary psychology, natural selection, mutation
IV. Sensation and Perception [6-8%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Thresholds and Signal Detection Theory
Sensory Mechanisms
Attention
Perceptual Processes
Unit 4-Sensation and Perception-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 20142015)
Everything that organisms know about the world is first encountered when stimuli in the environment activate
sensory organs, initiating awareness of the external world. Perception involves the interpretation of the sensory
inputs as a cognitive process.
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Discuss basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute threshold, difference threshold,
signal detection, and sensory adaptation.
Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain),
including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized
pathways in the brain for each of the senses.
Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote stable awareness of the
external world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth perception).
Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g., perceptual set, context
effects).
Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion.
Discuss the role of attention in behavior.
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Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena.
Identify the major historical figures in sensation and perception (e.g., Gustav Fechner, David Hubel,
Ernst Weber, Torsten Wiesel).
Unit 4-Sensation and Perception-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 114-173)
Myers’ Psychology-List of Key Concepts
Sensing the World: Some Basic Principles—Selective Attention
Thresholds
Sensory Adaptation
Vision—The Stimulus Input: Light Energy
The Eye
Visual Information Processing
Color Vision
Hearing—The Stimulus Input: Sound Waves
The Ear
Hearing Loss and Deaf Culture
Other Senses—Touch
Pain
Taste
Smell
Perceptual Organization—Form Perception
Depth Perception
Motion Perception
Perceptual Constancy
Perceptual Interpretation—Sensory Deprivation and Restored Vision
Perceptual Adaptation
Perceptual Set
Is There Extrasensory Perception?—Claims of ESP
Premonitions or Pretensions?
Putting ESP to Experimental Test
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
sensation, perception, bottom-up processing, top-down processing, selective attention, inattentional blindness,
change blindness, psychophysics, absolute threshold, signal detection theory, subliminal, priming, difference
threshold, Weber’s law, sensory adaptation, transduction, wavelength, hue, intensity, pupil, iris, lens, retina,
accommodation, rods, cones, optic nerve, blind spot, fovea, feature detectors, parallel processing, YoungHelmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory, opponent-process theory, audition, frequency, pitch, middle ear,
cochlea, inner ear, place theory, frequency theory, conduction hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear
implant, kinesthesis, vestibular sense, gate-control theory, sensory interaction, gestalt, figure-ground, grouping,
depth perception, visual cliff, binocular cues, retinal disparity, monocular cues, phi phenomenon, perceptual
constancy, color constancy, perceptual adaptation, perceptual set, extrasensory perception (ESP),
parapsychology
V. States of Consciousness [2-4%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A. Sleep and Dreaming
B. Hypnosis
C. Psychoactive Drug Effects
Unit 5-States of Consciousness-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
Understanding consciousness and what it encompasses is critical to an appreciation of what is meant by a given
state of consciousness. The study of variations in consciousness includes an examination of the sleep cycle,
dreams, hypnosis, circadian rhythms, and the effects of psychoactive drugs.
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Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming:
o stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
o theories of sleep and dreaming;
o symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).
Explain hypnotic phenomena (e.g., suggestibility, dissociation).
Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants) and classify specific drugs
including their psychological and physiological effects.
Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James, Sigmund Freud, Ernest
Hilgard).
Unit 5-States of Consciousness-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 174-213)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Sleep and Dreams—Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Why Do We Sleep?
Sleep Disorders
Dreams
Hypnosis—Facts and Falsehoods
Explaining the Hypnotized State
Drugs and Consciousness—Dependence and Addiction
Psychoactive Drugs
Influences on Drug Use
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
consciousness, circadian rhythm, REM sleep, alpha waves, sleep, hallucinations, delta waves, nREM sleep,
insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, night terrors, dream, manifest content, latent content, REM rebound,
hypnosis, posthypnotic suggestion, dissociation, psychoactive drug, tolerance, withdrawal, physical
dependence, psychological dependence, addiction, depressants, barbiturates, opiates, stimulants, amphetamines,
methamphetamine, Ecstasy (MDMA), hallucinogens, LSD, near-death experience, THC
VI. Learning [7-9%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Cognitive Processes
Biological Factors
Social Learning
Unit 6-Learning-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
This section of the course introduces students to differences between learned and unlearned behavior. The
primary focus is exploration of different kinds of learning, including classical conditioning, operant
conditioning, and observational learning. The biological bases of behavior illustrate predispositions for learning.
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Distinguish general differences between principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and
observational learning (e.g., contingencies).
Describe basic classical conditioning phenomena, such as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery,
generalization, discrimination, and higher-order learning.
Predict the effects of operant conditioning (e.g., positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement,
punishment).
Predict how practice, schedules of reinforcement, and motivation will influence quality of learning.
Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
Provide examples of how biological constraints create learning predispositions.
Describe the essential characteristics of insight learning, latent learning, and social learning.
Apply learning principles to explain emotional learning, taste aversion, superstitious behavior, and
learned helplessness.
Suggest how behavior modification, biofeedback, coping strategies, and self-control can be used to
address behavioral problems.
Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning (e.g., Albert Bandura, John Garcia, Ivan Pavlov,
Robert Rescorla, B.F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike, Edward Tolman, John B. Watson).
Unit 6-Learning-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 214-253)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
How Do We Learn?
Classical Conditioning—Pavlov’s Experiments
Extending Pavlov’s Understanding
Pavlov’s Legacy
Operant Conditioning—Skinner’s Experiments
Extending Skinner’s Understanding
Skinner’s Legacy
Contrasting Classical and Operant Conditioning
Learning by Observation—Mirrors in the Brain
Bandura’s Experiments
Applications of Observational Learning
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
learning, habituation, associative learning, classical conditioning, behaviorism, unconditioned response (UR),
unconditioned stimulus (US), conditioned response (CR), conditioned stimulus (CS), acquisition, higher-order
conditioning, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination, learned helplessness, respondent
behavior, operant conditioning, operant behavior, law of effect, operant chamber, shaping, discriminative
stimulus, reinforce, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, primary reinforcer, conditioned reinforce,
continuous reinforcement, partial (intermittent) reinforcement, fixed-ratio schedule, variable-ratio schedule,
fixed-interval schedule, variable-interval schedule, punishment, cognitive map, latent learning, insight, intrinsic
motivation, extrinsic motivation, biofeedback, observational learning, modeling, mirror neurons, prosocial
behavior
VII. Cognition [8-10%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Memory
Language
Thinking
Problem Solving and Creativity
Unit 7-Cognition-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
In this unit students learn how humans convert sensory input into kinds of information. They examine how
humans learn, remember, and retrieve information. This part of the course also addresses problem solving,
language, and creativity.
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Compare and contrast various cognitive processes:
o effortful versus automatic processing;
o deep versus shallow processing;
o focused versus divided attention.
Describe and differentiate psychological and physiological systems of memory (e.g., short-term
memory, procedural memory)
Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of memories.
Describe strategies for memory improvement.
Synthesize how biological, cognitive, and cultural factors converge to facilitate acquisition,
development, and use of language.
Identify problem-solving strategies as well as factors that influence their effectiveness.
List the characteristics of creative thought and creative thinkers.
Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky, Hermann Ebbinghaus,
Wolfgang Kohler, Elizabeth Loftus, Gearge A. Miller)
Unit 7-Cognition-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 254-325)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Memory—The Phenomenon of Memory
Information Processing
Encoding: Getting Information In
Storage: Retaining Information
Retrieval: Getting Information Out
Forgetting
Encoding Failure
Storage Decay
Retrieval Failure
Memory Construction
Misinformation and Imagination Effects
Source Amnesia
Discerning True and False Memories
Children’s Eyewitness Recall
Repressed or Constructed Memories of Abuse?
Improving Memory
Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity, and Language—Thinking
Concepts
Solving Problems
Making Decisions and Forming
Judgments
Language
Language Structure
Language Development
Thinking and Language
Language Influences Thinking
Thinking in Images
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
memory, encoding, storage, retrieval, sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, working
memory, parallel processing, automatic processing, effortful processing, rehearsal, spacing effect, serial
position effect, visual encoding, acoustic encoding, semantic encoding, imagery, mnemonics, chunking, iconic
memory, echoic memory, long-term potentiation (LTP), flashbulb memory, amnesia, implicit memory, explicit
memory, hippocampus, recall, recognition, relearning, priming, déjà vu, mood-congruent memory, proactive
interference, retroactive interference, repression, misinformation effect, source amnesia, cognition, concept,
prototype, algorithm, heuristic, insight, creativity, confirmation bias, fixation, mental set, functional fixedness,
representativeness heuristic, availability heuristic, overconfidence, belief perseverance, intuition, framing,
language, phoneme, morpheme, grammar, semantics, syntax, babbling stage, one-word stage, two-word stage,
telegraphic speech, linguistic determinism
VIII. Motivation and Emotion [6--8%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Biological Bases
Theories of Motivation
Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Pain
Social Motives
Theories of Emotion
Stress
Unit 8-Motivation and Emotion-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
In this part of the course, students explore biological and social factors that motivate behavior and biological
and cultural factors that influence emotion.
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Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals
(e.g., instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
Discuss the biological underpinnings of motivation, including needs, drives, and homeostasis.
Compare and contrast motivational theories (e.g., drive reduction theory, arousal theory, general
adaptation theory), including the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Describe classic research findings in specific motivation systems (e.g., eating, sex, social).
Discuss theories of stress and the effects of stress on psychological and physical well-being.
Compare and contrast major theories of emotion (e.g., James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter two-factor
theory).
Describe how cultural influences shape emotional expression, including variations in body language.
Identify key contributors in the psychology of motivation and emotion (e.g., William James, Alfred
Kinsey, Abraham Maslow, Stanley Schachter, Hans Selye).
Unit 8-Motivation and Emotion-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 326-409)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Motivation—Motivational Concepts
Instincts and Evolutionary Psychology
Drives and Incentives
Optimum Arousal
A Hierarchy of Motives
Hunger
The Physiology of Hunger
The Psychology of Hunger
Obesity and Weight Control
Sexual Motivation
The Physiology of Sex
The Psychology of Sex
Adolescent Sexuality
Sexual Orientation
The Need to Belong
Emotions, Stress, and Health—Theories of Emotion
Embodied Emotion
Emotions and the Automomic Nervous System
Physiological Similarities Among Specific Emotions
Physiological Differences Among Specific Emotions
Cognition and Emotion
Expressed Emotion
Detecting Emotion
Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior
Culture and Emotional Expression
The Effects of Facial Expressions
Experienced Emotion
Fear
Anger
Happiness
Stress and Health
Stress and Illness
Stress and the Heart
Stress and Susceptibility to Disease
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
motivation, instinct, drive-reduction theory, homeostasis, incentive, hierarchy of needs, glucose, set point, basal
metabolic rate, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, sexual response cycle, refractory
period, estrogens, testosterone, sexual orientation, emotion, James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory, twofactor theory, polygraph, facial feedback, catharsis, “feel-good, do-good phenomenon”, well-being, adaptationlevel phenomenon, relative deprivation, behavioral medicine, health psychology, stress, general adaptation
syndrome (GAS), coronary heart disease, Type A, Type B, psychophysiological illness,
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), lymphocytes
IX. Developmental Psychology [7-9%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
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Life-Span Approach
Research Methods (e.g., longitudinal, cross-sectional)
Heredity-Environmental Issues
Developmental Theories
Dimensions of Development
a. Physical
b. Cognitive
c. Social
d. Moral
F. Sex and Gender Development
Unit 9-Developmental Psychology-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 20142015)
Developmental psychology deals with the behavior of organisms from conception to death and examines the
processes that contribute to behavioral change throughout the life span. The major areas of emphasis in the
course are prenatal development, motor development, socialization, cognitive development, adolescence, and
adulthood.
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Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural variations) in the determination of
behavior.
Explain the process of conception and gestation, including factors that influence successful fetal
development (e.g., nutrition, illness, substance abuse).
Discuss maturation of motor skills.
Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment and appropriate
socialization.
Explain the maturation of cognitive abilities (e.g., Piaget’s stages, information processing).
Compare and contrast models of moral development (e.g., Kohlberg, Gilligan).
Discuss maturational challenges in adolescence, including related family conflicts.
Explain how parenting styles influence development.
Characterize the development of decisions related to intimacy as people mature.
Predict the physical and cognitive changes that emerge as people age, including steps that can be taken
to maximize function.
Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert Bandura, Diana
Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad
Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
Unit 9-Developmental Psychology-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 410-477)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Prenatal Development and the Newborn—Conception
Prenatal Development
The Competent Newborn
Infancy and Childhood—Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Social Development
Gender Development
Parents and Peers—Parents and Early Experiences
Peer Influence
Adolescence—Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Social Development
Adulthood—Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Social Development
Reflections on Three Major Developmental Issues—Nature and Nurture
Continuity and Stages
Stability and Change
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
developmental psychology, zygote, embryo, fetus, teratogens, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), habituation,
maturation, cognition, schema, assimilation, accommodation, sensorimotor stage, object permanence,
preoperational stage, conservation, egocentrism, theory of mind, concrete operational stage, formal operational
stage, autism, stranger anxiety, attachment, critical period, imprinting, temperament, basic trust, self-concept,
gender, aggression, X chromosome, Y chromosome, testosterone, role, gender role, gender identity, gender
typing, social learning theory, adolescence, puberty, primary sex characteristics, secondary sex characteristics,
menarche, identity, social identity, intimacy, emerging adulthood, menopause, cross-sectional study,
longitudinal study, crystallized intelligence, fluid intelligence, social clock
X. Personality [5-7%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A. Personality Theories and Approaches
B. Assessment Techniques
C. Growth and Adjustment
Unit 10-Personality-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
In this section of the course, students explore major theories of how humans develop enduring patterns of
behavior and personal characteristics that influence how others relate to them. The unit also addresses research
methods used to assess personality.
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Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality (e.g., psychoanalytic,
humanist, cognitive, trait, social cognition, and behavioral).
Describe and compare research methods (e.g., case studies and surveys) that psychologists use to
investigate personality.
Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
[MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and evaluate relative test quality based on reliability
and validity of the instruments.
Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development, especially as it
relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic cultures).
Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and
Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers).
Unit 10-Personality-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 478-521)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
The Psychoanalytic Perspective—Exploring the Unconscious
The Neo-Freudian and Psychodynamic Theorists
Assessing Unconscious Processes
Evaluating the Psychoanalytic Perspective
The Humanistic Perspective—Abraham Maslow’s Self-Actualizing Person
Carl Rogers’ Person-Centered Perspective
Assessing the Self
Evaluating the Humanistic Perspective
The Trait Perspective—Exploring Traits
Assessing Traits
The Big Five Factors
Evaluating the Trait Perspective
The Social-Cognitive Perspective—Reciprocal Influences
Personal Control
Assessing Behavior in Situations
Evaluating the Social-Cognitive Perspective
Exploring the Self—The Benefits of Self-Esteem
Self-Serving Bias
Culture and the Self
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
personality, free association, psychoanalysis, unconscious, id, ego, superego, psychosexual stages, Oedipus
complex, identification, fixation, defense mechanisms, repression, regression, reaction formation, projection,
rationalization, displacement, sublimation, denial, collective unconscious, projective test, Thematic
Apperception Test (TAT), Rorschach inkblot test, terror-management theory, self-actualization, unconditional
positive regard, self-concept, trait, personality inventory, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI),
empirically derived test, social-cognitive perspective, reciprocal determinism, personal control, external locus
of control, internal locus of control, positive psychology, self, spotlight effect, self-esteem, self-serving bias,
individualism, collectivism
XI. Testing and Individual Differences [5-7%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Standardization and Norms
Reliability and Validity
Types of Tests
Ethics and Standards in Testing
Intelligence
Unit 11-Testing and Individual Differences-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop
Handbook 2014-2015)
An understanding of intelligence and assessment of individual differences is highlighted in this portion of the
course. Students must understand issues related to test construction and fair use.
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Define intelligence and list characteristics of how psychologists measure intelligence:
o abstract versus verbal measures;
o speed of processing.
Discuss how culture influences the definition of intelligence.
Compare and contrast historic and contemporary theories of intelligence (e.g., Charles Spearman,
Howard Gardner, Robert Sternberg).
Explain how psychologists design tests, including standardization strategies and other techniques to
establish reliability and validity.
Interpret the meaning of scores in terms of the normal curve.
Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (e.g., gifted, cognitively disabled).
Debate the appropriate testing practices, particularly in relation to culture-fair test uses.
Identify key contributors in intelligence research and testing (e.g., Alfred Binet, Francis Galton, Howard
Gardner, Charles Spearman, Robert Sternberg, Louis Terman, David Wechsler).
Unit 11-Testing and Individual Differences-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 522-559)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
What is Intelligence?—Is Intelligence One General Ability or Several Specific Abilities?
Emotional Intelligence
Is Intelligence Neurologically Measurable?
Assessing Intelligence—The Origins of Intelligence Testing
Modern Tests of Mental Abilities
Principles of Test Construction
The Dynamics of Intelligence—Stability or Change?
Extremes of Intelligence
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence—Twin and Adoption Studies
Heritability
Environmental Influences
Group Differences in Intelligence
Test Scores
The Question of Bias
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
intelligence test, intelligence, general intelligence (g), factor analysis, savant syndrome, emotional intelligence,
mental age, Stanford-Binet, intelligence quotient (IQ), achievement tests, aptitude tests, Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale (WAIS), standardization, normal curve, reliability, validity, content validity, predictive
validity, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, stereotype threat
XII. Abnormal Behavior [7-9%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Definitions of Abnormality
Theories of Psychopathology
Diagnosis of Psychopathology
Types of Disorders
1. Anxiety
2. Bipolar and Related
3. Depressive
4. Dissociative
5. Feeding and Eating
6. Neurodevelopmental
7. Neurocognitive
8. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related
9. Personality
10. Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic
11. Somatic Symptom and Related
12. Trauma- and Stressor-Related
Unit 12-Abnormal Behavior-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
In this portion of the course, students examine the nature of common challenges to adaptive functioning. This
section emphasizes formal conventions that guide psychologists’ judgments about diagnosis and problem
severity.
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Describe contemporary and historical conceptions of what constitutes psychological disorders.
Recognize the use of the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association as the primary reference for
making diagnostic judgments.
Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety disorders, bipolar and related disorders,
depressive disorders, dissociative disorders, feeding and eating disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders,
neurocognitive disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, personality disorders,
schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, somatic symptom and related disorders, and
trauma- and stressor-related disorders and their corresponding symptoms.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of various approaches to explaining psychological disorders:
medical model, psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and sociocultural.
Identify the positive and negative consequences of diagnostic labels (e.g., the Rosenhan study).
Discuss the intersection between psychology and the legal system (e.g., confidentiality, insanity
defense).
Unit 12- Abnormal Behavior-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 560-603)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Perspectives on Psychological Disorders—Defining Psychological Disorders
Understanding Psychological Disorders
Classifying Psychological Disorders
Labeling Psychological Disorders
Anxiety Disorders—Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Phobias
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Understanding Anxiety Disorders
Somatoform Disorders
Dissociative Disorders—Dissociative Identity Disorder
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder
Mood Disorders—Major Depressive Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Understanding Mood Disorders
Schizophrenia—Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Onset and Development
Understanding Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders—Antisocial Personality Disorder
Understanding Antisocial Personality Disorder
Rates of Disorder
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
psychological disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), medical model, DSM-IV-TR, anxiety
disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-traumatic growth, somatoform disorder, conversion disorder,
hypochondriasis, dissociative disorders, dissociative identify disorder (DID), mood disorders, major depressive
disorder, mania, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, delusions, personality disorders, antisocial personality disorder
XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior [5-7%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 20142015)
A. Treatment Approaches
a. Psychodynamic
b. Humanistic
c. Behavioral
d. Cognitive
e. Biological
B. Modes of Therapy (i.e., individual, group)
C. Community and Preventive Approaches
Unit 13-Treatment of Abnormal Behavior-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop
Handbook 2014-2015)
This section of the course provides students with an understanding of empirically based treatments of
psychological disorders. The topic emphasizes descriptions of treatment modalities based on various
orientations in psychology.
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Describe the central characteristics of psychotherapeutic intervention.
Describe major treatment orientations used in therapy (e.g., behavioral, cognitive, humanistic) and how
those orientations influence therapeutic planning.
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Compare and contrast different treatment formats (e.g., individual, group).
Summarize effectiveness of specific treatments used to address specific problems.
Discuss how cultural and ethnic context influence choice and success of treatment (e.g., factors that lead
to premature termination of treatment).
Describe prevention strategies that build resilience and promote competence.
Identify major figures in psychological treatment (e.g., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis, Sigmund Freud, Mary
Cover Jones, Carl Rogers, B.F. Skinner, Joseph Wolpe).
Unit 13-Treatment of Abnormal Behavior-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 604-641)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
The Psychological Therapies—Psychoanalysis
Humanistic Therapies
Behavior Therapies
Cognitive Therapies
Group and Family Therapies
Evaluating Psychotherapies—Is Psychotherapy Effective?
The Relative Effectiveness of Different Therapies
Evaluating Alternative Therapies
Commonalities Among Psychotherapies
Culture and Values in Psychotherapy
The Biomedical Therapies—Drug Therapies
Brain Stimulation
Psychosurgery
Therapeutic Life-Style Change
Preventing Psychological Disorders
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
eclectic approach, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, resistance, interpretation, transference, psychodynamic
therapy, insight therapies, client-centered therapy, active listening, unconditional positive regard, behavior
therapy, counterconditioning, exposure therapies, systematic desensitization, virtual reality exposure therapy,
aversive conditioning, token economy, cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy,
regression toward the mean, meta-analysis, evidence-based practice, biomedical therapy, psychopharmacology,
antipsychotic drugs, tardive dyskinesia, antianxiety drugs, antidepressant drugs, electroconvulsive therapy
(ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), psychosurgery, lobotomy, resilience
XIV. Social Psychology [8-10%]-Content Outline (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
A. Group Dynamics
B. Attribution Processes
C. Interpersonal Perception
D. Conformity, Compliance, Obedience
E. Attitudes and Attitude Change
F. Organizational Behavior
G. Aggression/Antisocial Behavior
H. Cultural Influences
Unit 14-Social Psychology-Topics and Learning Objectives (adopted from AP Psychology Workshop Handbook 2014-2015)
This part of the course focuses on how individuals relate to one another in social situations. Social psychologists
study social attitudes, social influence, and other social phenomena.
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Apply attribution theory to explain motives (e.g., fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias).
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Describe the structure and function of different kinds of group behavior (e.g., deindividuation, group
polarization).
Explain how individuals respond to expectations of others, including groupthink, conformity, and
obedience to authority.
Discuss attitudes and how they change (e.g., central route to persuasion).
Predict the impact of the presence of others on individual behavior (e.g., bystander effect, social
facilitation).
Describe processes that contribute to differential treatment of group members (e.g., in-group/out-group
dynamics, ethnocentrism, prejudice).
Articulate the impact of social and cultural categories (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity) on self-concept and
relations with others.
Anticipate the impact of behavior on a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Describe the variables that contribute to altruism, aggression, and attraction.
Discuss attitude formation and change, including persuasion strategies and cognitive dissonance.
Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon Festinger, Stanley Milgram,
Philip Zimbardo).
Unit 14-Social Psychology-Myers’ Psychology for AP (pgs. 642-695)
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Concepts
Social Thinking—Attributing Behavior to Persons or to Situations
Attitudes and Actions
Social Influence—Conformity and Obedience
Group Influence
Cultural Influence
The Power of Individuals
Social Relations—Prejudice
Aggression
Attraction
Altruism
Conflict and Peacemaking
Myers’ Psychology for AP-List of Key Terms
social psychology, attribution theory, fundamental attribution error, attitude, central route persuasion, peripheral
route persuasion, foot-in-the-door phenomenon, role, cognitive dissonance theory, conformity, normative social
influence, informational social influence, social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, group polarization,
groupthink, culture, norm, personal space, prejudice, stereotype, discrimination, ingroup, outgroup, ingroup
bias, scapegoat theory, other-race effect, just-world phenomenon, aggression, frustration-aggression principle,
mere exposure effect, passionate love, companionate love, equity, self-disclosure, altruism, bystander effect,
social exchange theory, reciprocity norm, social-responsibility norm, conflict, social trap, mirror-image
perceptions, self-fulfilling prophecy, superordinate goals, GRIT