Download TracyCampbell_Syllabus_AP_PSYCH_2014_Terms_3_and_4

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In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with students and parents, secondary
teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
2013-2014 Course Syllabus for AP® Psychology, Terms III and IV
Teacher: Mrs. Tracy Manners Campbell
E-mail: [email protected]
Teacher’s Website: www.biloxischools.net//domain/300
Textbook Website: http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myers9e
Course Description:
This AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and
scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to
the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology.
Students will also focus on the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The aim of the
course is to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory
psychology courses. Students will learn to think critically, work independently and in groups, take initiative by
customizing their learning experience, make an impact on school and community through community service, and
explore their own curiosities within the fields of psychology.
Course Requirement:
Students are given a summer assignment prior to the beginning of school that will allow them to get ahead on their
learning for the class. All students enrolled in AP Psychology are encouraged and expected, though not required, to
take the AP Examination at the end of the course. Depending on the student’s score and the college, he or
she can earn up to six college credits (two courses). The cost of the AP Exam is approximately $87, so this
can be an excellent way to get required college courses and electives started early. Detailed information about
payment will be sent home. (UPDATE: Free/reduced students will pay $20 per exam, and non free/reduced lunch
students will pay $44 per exam. Payments should be made to Mrs. Brookshire in the counseling office by March
11th, as she will order exams on March 12.)
Textbook:
Myers, David G. Psychology, 9th ed. New York: Worth, 2009. (Includes a study guide and online practice site
complete with quizzes, tutorials, flashcards, podcasts, and videos.)
Basic Course Objectives:
1. Students will prepare to do exceptional work on the AP Psychology Examination in May.
2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will be able to define key terms
and use them in their everyday vocabulary by making meaningful connections.
3. Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to
their own lives.
4. Students will develop critical thinking skills and become independent thinkers.
5. Students will relate information to current research and their own experiences to ensure relevance.
6. Students will have fun each day, but in a constructive way!
Class schedule:
Classes meet once a day for approximately forty-seven minutes, five days a week. The year is divided into four nineweek terms. Note that not all “nine-week” terms have exactly nine full weeks. After school sessions or weekend
sessions may be required throughout the year.
Tests and Grades:
Grading Scale: A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=65-69 F=below 65 I=incomplete
Grading follows the policies of the school district. A mid-term progress report and a report card following the end of each term are issued.
The student’s current grades are available via Internet Information On Demand.
Unit/Mid-term/Chapter Tests: Most tests are modeled on the timed AP Exam, with approx. 35-50 multiple-choice
questions and/or one free-response/discussion question to be completed in one class period. The test may
be in the same format as the AP Exam, but the number of multiple-choice questions is reduced
proportionately to the time available in the period to maintain a similar time pressure. To allow diversified
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learning, some tests may follow a different format and will be outlined as such at that time. All tests will be
debriefed within a day of the original test date and most will either be given back to you to use as a study aid
or made available on my website/email for future perusal.
If you are absent, plan to take the exam the day you return. ALL tests are comprehensive.
You will have only five school days to make up missed work due to absences.
Term Exam: All term exams are comprehensive and will cover the material during each term and all previous
terms. These will also be modeled after the AP Exam.
(Tests=55% Activities/Daily/Quiz=35% Term Exam=10%)
Assignments, Projects, and Homework:
Homework and practice assignments are due as directed. Assignments are expected to be turned in on
time; NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. No technology excuses are accepted for late work. All missed
work due to valid lawful absences that was previously assigned will be made up/ turned in the day you
return. Zeroes are not acceptable in a college-level course. Students are expected to check my website and
weekly assignments board regularly to see what they missed when they were out. Most assignments are
available for download, and I would be happy to email them home if preferred. Please email me if you will
be out, and I will help you by providing work or assistance.
CONTENT BY TERM for TERMS III and IV (Subject to change)
THIRD NINE WEEKS:
Learning (7–9%); Chapter 7: Test 1/23
AP students will:
• 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. (Video of “Dog Whisperer” and virtual dog training
program “Pavlov’s Dog Game” on nobelprize.org/educational)
• Predict the effects of operant conditioning (e.g., positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment,
schedules of reinforcement).
• 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: PAVLOV’S LEGACY
TRAUMA AS CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
SKINNER’S LEGACY AND TRAINING OUR PARTNERS
MIRRORS IN THE BRAIN
BANDURA’S EXPERIMENTS
APPLICATIONS OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
Developmental Psychology (7–9%); Chapter 5: Test
AP students will:
2/7
• Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural variations) in the determination of behavior.
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• 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.
• 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS
CONCEPTION TO OLD AGE: THE WORLD’S A STAGE.
NATURE/NURTURE: HOW DO GENETIC INHERITANCE AND EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE DEVELOPMENT?
CONTINUITY/STAGES: IS DEVELOPMENT A GRADUAL, CONTINUOUS PROCESS OR DOES IT PROCEED THROUGH SEPARATE
STAGES?
STABILITY/CHANGE: DO OUR EARLY PERSONALITY TRAITS PERSIST THROUGH LIFE, OR DO WE BECOME DIFFERENT PERSONS
AS WE AGE?
AUTISM AND “MIND-BLINDNESS”
PARENTS AND EARLY EXPERIENCES
CULTURE AND THE SELF
GENDER SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
THE NATURE OF GENDER AND THE NURTURE OF GENDER
Motivation and Emotion (6–8%); Chapter 11: Test
Chapter 12: Test 2/28
AP students will:
• 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS
INSTINCTS AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
DRIVES AND INCENTIVES; OPTIMUM AROUSAL
A HIERARCHY OF MOTIVES
THE NEED TO BELONG: MOTIVATION AT WORK
I/O PSYCHOLOGY AT WORK; PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY
ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: MOTIVATING ACHIEVEMENT
DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD: “THE GREAT EXPERIMENT”
EMOTIONS: EMBODIED, EXPRESSED, EXPERIENCED
GENDER, EMOTION, AND NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR
CULTURE AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
THE EFFECTS OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
HOW TO BE HAPPIER
THE RELAXATION RESPONSE
MANAGING STRESS: PETS ARE FRIENDS, TOO
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Personality (5–7%); Chapter 13: Test March 13& 14- Term Exam COMPREHENSIVE- Pro, 1-13!!!!!!!
AP students will:
• Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality: psychoanalytic, humanist,
cognitive, trait, social learning, 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 selfconcept (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).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
THE PERSPECTIVES
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT) AND RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST
FACEBOOK AND THE BIG FIVE FACTORS
ASSESSING BEHAVIOR IN SITUATIONS
THE BENEFITS OF SELF-ESTEEM
Testing and Individual Differences/Intelligence (5–7%); Chapter 10: Test 2/18
AP students will:
• Define intelligence and list characteristics of how psychologists measure intelligence:
— abstract versus verbal measures;
— 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS
IS INTELLIGENCE ONE GENERAL ABILITY OR SEVERAL SPECIFIC ABILITIES?
THE ORIGINS OF INTELLIGENCE TESTING
MODERN TESTS OF MENTAL ABILITIES
PRINCIPLES OF TEST CONSTRUCTION
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON INTELLIGENCE
GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN INTELLIGENCE TEST SCORES
THE QUESTION OF BIAS
FOURTH NINE WEEKS:
Take a timed practice AP Psychology Examination
Abnormal Behavior (7–9%); Chapter 14: Test 3/25
AP students will:
• Describe contemporary and historical conceptions of what constitutes psychological disorders.
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• Recognize the use 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 and somatoform disorders, mood disorders,
schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and dissociative 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
DEFINING AND UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
CLASSIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS: THE NEW DSM
THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT: ADHD
RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
THE MEDICAL MODEL: THE BRAIN IS A BODY PART
THE VALUES IN ACTION CLASSIFICATION OF STRENGTHS QUESTIONNAIRE, A.K.A. THE “UN-DSM”
Treatment of Abnormal Behavior (5–7%); Chapter 15: Test 4/3
AP students will:
• 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.
• 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).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
MODERN THERAPY: OUT OF THE DARK AGES IN THE HISTORY OF TREATMENT
CULTURE AND VALUES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
CLOSE-UP: A CONSUMER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOTHERAPISTS
BIOMEDICAL TREATMENT
THERAPEUTIC LIFE-STYLE CHANGES
PREVENTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Social Psychology (8–10%); Chapter 16: Test 4/24
AP students will:
• Apply attribution theory to explain motives (e.g., fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias).
• 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).
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SOME HOT TOPICS!
SOCIAL THINKING: ATTRIBUTING BEHAVIOR TO PERSONS OR TO SITUATIONS
SOCIAL INFLUENCE: CONFORMITY AND OBEDIENCE, GROUP INFLUENCE, THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS
SOCIAL RELATIONS:ONLINE MATCHMAKING AND SPEED DATING
ALTRUISM, CONFLICT AND PEACEMAKING
AGGRESSION AND PREJUDICE
PARALLELS BETWEEN SMOKING EFFECTS AND MEDIA VIOLENCE EFFECTS
Connecting the Dots/Seeing the Big Picture, April 25 to May 4; Saturday session May 3 at noonuntil.
AP students will:
• Review information from all units of study to prepare for exam day.
• Practice applying knowledge from all units through critical thinking exercises, practice Free Response Questions,
and released exam questions.
• Work with guest lecturers in the field of psychology/psychiatry to solidify concepts relating to abnormal behavior
and treatment of disorders.
• After exam day, revisit units of interest and popular publications (dreams, personality, parapsychology; self-help
books and pop psychology topics)
AP PSYCH EXAM is Monday, May 5 at noon.
REMINDER – SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS PROCEDURES
WILL BE AVAILABLE DAILY VIA MY WEBSITE.
Some of the assignments and projects we will complete during the course (most are regularlyoccurring for each unit and term) are:
Summer Reading and Journal
You will read one book from an approved list. As you read, you write reflective responses to passages of your choice in a doubleentry journal. You write a critical review upon completion of the book using APA format. The journal and review are due on the
first day of classes. If the same book is given to the entire class, a test may be given on the first day of school. (Term I)
Unit Journals
You will continue writing in your double-entry journals approximately twice each week (or as directed) throughout the course.
These journals facilitate deep processing of learning and differentiation of instruction by encouraging critical thinking and
independent exploration. They also provide an additional forum for me to give feedback to guide individual students. Entries
must be linked to the unit that is being studied and contain the following elements:
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student reflection on readings
class discussions and activities
personal experiences
recent news or television broadcasts, or
Internet research
Online Practices and Quizzes
Worth Publishers has provided a superb site that allows you to study and complete practices for each chapter. I will give you
details about login and procedures during term I and you will be expected to use this as a part of your regular study routine.
Instructor Website
I have a website that I regularly update with necessary information and lagniappe information that will aid you during the scope
of this course. Once you find it, be sure to bookmark the page so that you can return to it easily. If you are absent, this should be
the first place you look to find assignments, handouts, links, etc.
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Team Building and Class Collaboration
Working in teams and collaborating with your classmates is a huge part of the social success of this class. The more memories
you make with your classmates while you study, the more likely you will be to remember the concepts you were working on. Be
sure to meet the people around you and introduce yourself to people with whom you are not familiar. By working together,
whether it be by copying notes because of an absence or leaning on a buddy to explain a difficult concept, you can not only learn
about psychology, but also about yourself and others during the process.
Forward Thinking/Present Tense/Looking Back
Each chapter and unit students will incorporate elements of future chapters in their studies whilst reflecting on current issues,
prior knowledge, and cross-curricular studies. This will be incorporated into journals, free-responses, class discussions, and
other projects and presentations. For example, when studying the biological basis of behavior, you would uncover how sleep
disorders have a biological impact on the brain’s functioning; research the principles behind the design and success of The Brain
and Cognitive Sciences Complex (BCSC) at MIT, the largest neuroscience center in the world; or analyze the novel Lord of the
Flies from your English class in terms of Freudian theory. “Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards.”-- Philosopher
Søren Kierkegaard, 1813–1855
Flashcards
You will create flashcards for major vocabulary terms, concepts, and theorists. You are to use 3x5 lined cards written in your own
handwriting. The creation and use of flashcards is an excellent study tool; because of this, these will be graded and given back to
you. Later in the year you will be allowed to use digital flashcards using website generators such as Quizlet. As a general rule,
there will be approximately 100 cards per chapter, sometimes more.
Applications of Developmental Psychology
Students work in small groups to research a recent topic related to the unit on development (e.g., the benefits of Head Start
programs, effectiveness of sex or drug education programs, effects of divorce on children) and then present their findings to the
class in an oral report of 15 to 20 minutes. Groups must highlight research methods used and explain ethics involved with their
topic. The project uses library and online research tools in psychology as well as APA documentation. (Term III)
Ethics and Research
Students will watch classic and new studies on video and discuss the impacts of these studies on the field. You will engage in
class discussions to uncover other aspects to further research about these videos that your will share with the class. Topics
follow each of the core objectives within the class (learning, memory, biological basis of behavior, etc.) Among some of the
selected videos are Schachter’s Affiliation Experiment, Does Self-Confidence Intimidate Others?, Ethics in Human Research:
Violating One’s Privacy, Ethics in Animal Research: The Sad Case of Booee the Chimp, The Boy Who was Made to Cry, and
Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Study. (Term I)
Team Teaching
Students will be assigned to teach aspects of the chapter reading to the class using varied methods that will engage others in fun
learning using reliable techniques. This will require the use of incentives, technology, audio/visual aids, and props.
Class Debates
The class will be assigned a controversial issue (such as Nature vs. Nurture) in psychology to research and then debate in class
using prior knowledge. Before debating, students will watch Nature Versus Nurture: Growing Up Apart, Designer Babies?, and
100 Years Old and Counting: Psychological and Biological Factors.
Free Response Questions (FRQ’s)
Students will practice writing logical, coherent responses to issues that will require the connection of concepts, paradigms, and
schools of thought to situations in the real world using prior knowledge. These will be completed many times each term with new
sets of concepts to connect (see “Forward Thinking” above). This is a part of the AP examination.
Parenting Styles
Students will read background information on Diana Baumrind's Prototypical Descriptions of Three Parenting Styles and
research current findings and studies on this topic. Then as a class you will propose a new parenting style (or styles) of your own
creation, giving logical examples and descriptions based on your research.
Abstracts/ Research Summaries
You will research articles on topics related to the content/unit being studied using online databases or print copies of
professional journals or psychological magazines. Each student will be assigned a day (alphabetically) to present his or her
summary before class begins. Be prepared to discuss these with the class and not just present the information. Students will
email a typed summary and reaction to the article formatted in APA style. You will be expected to refer to these as prior
knowledge in written responses and FRQ’s.
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Research Paper
You will research a topic of your choice (Which may not be during term 1). The final APA-formatted paper must develop an
original thesis on a controversial topic using adequate documentation and resources for a college-level assignment. Research
must be presented logically and coherently, while making connections to concepts learned in class and during independent
study.
Careers in Psychology
Students will select a field of psychology that interests them and research careers in that field. The research must be presented to
the class in PowerPoint format and include information such as job description, examples of places of employment, educational
requirements, sample work day description, famous or prominent persons in the field, and related careers.
Classroom Environment
Students will research the physical characteristics of learning environments and their emotional, cognitive and behavioral
consequences. You will discuss areas of psychology that relate most directly to classroom design and learning environments
(environmental, educational, human factors (engineering), industrial/organizational, and social psychology). As a team, your
goal is to actually change our room to create a classroom environment that produces positive emotional states and can be
expected to facilitate learning and the development of place attachment to your custom expectations. You will gather feedback
from other students/classes who use the room to gain insight as to the impact it has on their perceived experience.
AP Psychology Club
After successful completion of the first test, students will be invited to join the AP Psychology club—an extension of the AP
Psychology classroom—which was founded by former high-scorers of the AP Psychology test to assist in your learning and enrich
your experience through community and school service-related projects. The AP Psych Club hosts psychological movie nights,
facilitates study sessions, presents guest speakers from universities and private practice, offers group peer mediation, and
supports causes related to psychological science (Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, Psychology Week, Autism Awareness, etc.)