Download Syllabus AP Psyc_2016

AP Psychology Syllabus
Mrs. Heilander
Phone: 281-634-7079
Email: [email protected]
Remind 101: to: 81010/message: @mrsheila
This is a semester long course in psychology consisting of two 9 weeks, that prepare students for the
Advanced Placement Psychology exam.
Course Objective
AP Psychology 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 learn about the methods psychologists use in their service and practice.
Course Characteristics
1. This is a college-level course. College level attitudes, work habits and products are expected of
all students
2. This class requires more reading than the typical high school honors class. Students who want to
do well must complete all assignments on time.
3. Class time is important. Students who want to do well must attend and participate in class
regularly.
4. Evaluations (grades) are based on the mastery of the material.
5. Learning is ultimately the responsibility of the student. In an AP course, students are expected to
be interested in their own learning and willing to devote the time necessary to explore the course
content as fully as possible.
AP Psychology is a fun, exciting and intriguing class. Be prepared to think and be challenged each day.
Your success and the success of this class depend on your attitude. There is no limit to the knowledge we
can learn together.
2-4%
history
8-10%
methods and approaches
8-10%
biological bases of behavior
6-8%
sensation and perception
2-4%
states of consciousness
7-9%
learning
8-10%
cognition
6-8%
motivation and emotion
7-9%
developmental psychology
5-7%
personality
5-7%
testing and individual differences
7-9%
abnormal psychology
5-7%
treatment of psychological disorders
8-10%
social psychology
AP Exam
The national AP Psychology exam consists of 2 sections. Section I is 1 hour and 10 minutes for 100
multiple-choice questions. Section II is 50 minutes for 2 free response questions. Class exams will
replicate the national AP exam, which is given in May.
Reading and Writing
It is vital for success in this course to complete all assigned readings. Both outside reading (including
novels, journals and articles) and extensive writing are required as part of the course. We will read at
least one novel and many primary source documents. In addition, as part of the course requirements,
frequent writing, in various formats including document-based essays, journals and comparative essays
will occur.
Tips for Doing Well in AP Psychology

Take complete class notes and date them. Put them in your own words. Don’t write down
something you don’t understand without asking about it. Leave some blank space on each page to
make additions and clarifications. It is very important to review your class notes each day while they
are still fresh in your mind. Expand them, clarify them, and add examples so that they will make
sense when you go back to study from them later.

Learn to read more effectively. You can read more effectively by doing the following:
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1.
Read actively; don’t just look at the words. If you spend a half-hour “reading,” but are
unable to recall anything when you are done, the time has been wasted.
2.
Preview a chapter quickly before you begin, and review the material frequently. Pause at the
end of each paragraph and summarize mentally, in your own words, what you just read. Ask
yourself, “What do I believe the main ideas of this chapter are going to be?”
3.
Do not try to read an entire chapter at once. Each chapter of your text is divided into several
major sections. These sections are presented in bold print in the summary outline on the
chapter’s first page. Limit your reading to one of these sections at a sitting. You will soon
start to see a connection between these sections and our daily classroom objectives.
4.
Do not ignore pictures, diagrams, tables, and sidebars in your textbook. These features serve
to make the text more interesting and may include important information.
5.
Take notes as you read. If you can condense a 30 page chapter to a few pages of good notes,
it’s going to be much easier to review when it comes time to study. Be sure to keep a list of
questions about the reading. Your study guide will assist you in organizing your notes.
Half the battle is vocabulary. Please be sure the key terms and their definition/meaning are
incorporated into your notes.
Pick a “study buddy” or form a study group. I will be asking each member of the class to pick a
person or group that will assist them in preparation and review of the material in IB Psychology. This
person or member of your group should be contacted when you are absent from class so that you can
determine what material you missed and what the homework was.
Course Outline
Unit I: History and Approaches………………….. …………………………………………… 2-4%
A. Roots/History
B. Approaches
 Biological
 Behavioral
 Cognitive
 Humanistic
 Psychodynamic
 Sociocultural
 Evolutionary
Objectives
 Define psychology and trace its historical development
 Describe psychology’s concerns regarding stability and instability, rationality and
irrationality, nature and nurture
 Describe the different perspectives from which psychologists examine behavior and
mental processes and explain their complementarity
 Identify the basic and applied research subfields of psychology
 Describe the mental health professions and clinical psychology and psychiatry
 Identify basic elements of an experiment (variables, groups, sampling, population,
etc.)
 Compare and contrast research methods
 Explain correlational studies
 Describe the three measures of central tendency and measure of variation
 Discuss the ethics of animal and human research
Unit II: Research Methods……………………………………………………………………… 8-10%
A. Experimental, Correlation, and Clinical Research
B. Statistics
 Descriptive
 Inferential
C. Ethics in Research
Unit III: Biological Basis of Behavior…………………………………………………………… 8-10%
A. Nervous System and functional organization
B. Neural communication/transmission
C. Tools of discovery (imaging, surgical
D. Brain structures
E. Endocrine System
F. Genetics
Objectives
 Describe the structure of a neuron and explain neural impulses
 Describe neuron communication and discuss the impact of neurotransmitters
 Classify and explain major divisions of the nervous system
 Describe the functions of the bran structures
 Identify the four lobes of the brain and their functions
 Explain split brain studies
 Explain brain discover, surgeries and monitoring devices
 Describe the nature of the nervous system and its functions and its interaction with
the endocrine system
Unit IV: Sensation and Perception……………………………………………………………….. 6-8%
A. Thresholds
B. Sensory Mechanisms
C. Sensory Adaptation
D. Perceptual Processes
E. Sensory Restrictions
Objectives
 Contrast the processes of sensation and perception
 Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds
 Describe the phenomenon of sensory adaptation
 Describe the operation of the sensory system ( five senses)
 Explain the Young-Helmholtz and opponent process theories of color vision
 Explain the place and frequency theories of pitch perception
 Discuss Gestalt psychology’s contribution to our understanding of perception
 Discuss the effects of sensory perception
Unit V: States of Consciousness…………………………………………………………………… 2-4%
A. Waking Consciousness
B. Sleep and Dreams
C. Hypnosis
D. Psychoactive drug effects
Objectives
 Discuss the nature of consciousness
 Discuss the content and potential functions of daydreams and fantasies
 Discuss the seasonal, monthly, and daily biological rhythms
 Describe the cyclical nature and possible functions of sleep
 Identify the major sleep disorders
 Discuss the content and possible functions of dreams
 Discuss hypnosis, noting the behavior of hypnotized people and claims regarding its
uses
 Discuss the nature of drug dependence
 Describe the physiological and psychological effects of depressants, stimulants and
hallucinogenic drugs
 Compare differences between NREM and REM
Unit VI: Learning………………………………………………………………………………… 7-9%
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Cognitive processes in learning
D. Biological factors
E. Learning by observation
Objectives
 Describe the process of classical conditioning and Pavlov’s experiments
 Explain the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization
and discrimination
 Describe the process of operant conditioning, including the procedure of shaping, as
demonstrated by Skinner’s experiments
 Identify the different types of reinforcers, and describe the major schedules of partial
reinforcement
 Discuss the effects of punishment on behavior
 Describe the process of observational learning as demonstrated by Bandura
experiments
Unit VII: Cognition………………………………………………………………………………. 8-10%
Memory
A. Encoding
B. Storage
C. Retrieval
D. Forgetting
Objectives
 Describe memory in terms of information processing, and distinguish among sensory
memory, short-term memory and long-term memory
 Distinguish between automatic and effortful processing
 Explain the encoding process (including imagery, organization, etc.)
 Describe the capacity and duration of long-term memory
 Describe the importance of retrieval cues
 Discuss the effects of interference and motivated forgetting on retrieval
 Describe the evidence for the constructive nature of memory
Thinking and Language
A. Thinking
B. Language
C. Problem solving and creativity
Objectives
 Describe the nature of concepts and the role of prototypes in concept formation
 Discuss how we use trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, and insight to solve
problems
 Explain how the representativeness and availability heuristics influence our judgment
 Describe the structure of language (phonemes, morphemes, grammar)
 Identify language developmental stages
 Explain how the nature-nurture debate is illustrated in the theories of language
development
 Describe Whorf’s linguistic relativity hypothesis
 Describe the research on animal cognition and communication
Unit VIII:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Objectives
Motivation and Emotion…………………………………………………………….. 6-8%
Motivational concepts and theories (Maslow’s Hierarchy)
Psychological and physiological bases (hunger, thirst, sex and pain)
Social motives
Theories of emotion
Physiology of emotion
Expressing emotion
Stress
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Define motivation and identify motivational theories
Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of motives
Describe the physiological determinants of hunger
Discuss the impact of external incentives and culture on hunger
Define achievement motivation, including intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Describe human sexual response cycle
Identify the three theories of emotion (James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and SchachterSinger)
Describe the physiological changes that occur during emotional arousal
Describe the biological response to stress
Unit IX: Developmental Psychology……………………………………………………………. 7-9%
A. Prenatal development and conception
B. Infancy and childhood (physical, cognitive and social development)
C. Adolescence (physical, cognitive and social development)
D. Adulthood (physical, cognitive and social development)
E. Sex roles and differences
F. Nature vs. nurture
Objectives
 Discuss the course of prenatal development and the impact of teratogens
 Describe the capacities of the newborn
 Describe Piaget’s views of development
 Discuss infant social attachments due to body contact, familiarity and responsive
parenting
 Describe the early development of self-concept
 Define adolescence and the changes that occur during this stage
 Discuss Kohlberg’s theories
 Describe Erikson’s theories
 Explain changes that occur in middle and older adulthood
 Distinguish between longitudinal and cross sectional studies
Unit X: Personality…………..…………………………………………………………………… 5-7%
A. Perspectives and theories (Psychoanalytical, Trait, Humanistic, and Social-Cognitive)
B. Assessment techniques
C. Self-concept/ self-esteem
D. Growth and adjustment
Objectives
 Define personality
 Describe personality structure in terms of the interactions of the id, ego and superego
 Identify Freud’s psychosexual stages of development
 Explain how defense mechanisms protect the individual form anxiety
 Describe the contributions of the neo-Freudians
 Explain how projective tests and personality inventories are used to assess traits
 Describe the humanistic perspective on personality in terms of Maslow’s focus on
self-actualization and Roger’s emphasis on people’s potential for growth
 Describe the impact of individualism and collectivism on self-identity
 Describe the social-cognitive perspective
 Discuss the consequences of personal control, learned helplessness, and optimism
Unit XI: Testing and Individual Differences…………………………………………………… 5-7%
A. Standardization and norms
B. Reliability and validity
C. Types of tests
D. Ethics and standards in testing
E. Intelligence
F. Heredity/Environment and intelligence
G. Human diversity
Objectives
 History of intelligence testing
 Describe the nature of intelligence
 Gardner’s multiple intelligences
 Identify the factors associated with creativity
 Distinguish between aptitude and achievement tests
 Describe test standardization
 Distinguish between the reliability and validity of intelligence tests
 Describe the two extremes of the normal distribution of intelligence
 Discuss evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on intelligence
Unit XII: Abnormal Psychology…………………….…………………………………………… 7-9%
A. Definitions of abnormality (DSM IV-R)
B. Theories of psychopathology
C. Diagnosis of psychopathology
D. Anxiety disorders
E. Somatoform disorders
F. Mood disorders
G. Schizophrenic disorders
H. Personality disorders
I. Dissociative disorders
Objectives
 Identify the criteria for judging whether the behavior is psychologically disordered
 Describe the medical model of psychological disorders
 Describe the aims of DSM-IV-R, and discuss the potential dangers of diagnostic
labels
 Describe the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessivecompulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder
 Describe and explain the development of somatoform and mood disorders
 Describe the various symptoms and types of schizophrenia
 Describe the nature of personality disorders
 Describe the characteristics and possible causes of Dissociative disorders
Unit XIII: Treatment of Psychological Disorders………………………………………………. 5-7%
A. Treatment approaches
B. Modes of therapy
C. Community and preventive approaches
Objectives
 Discuss the aims and methods of psychoanalysis
 Identify the basic characteristics of the humanistic therapies
 Identify the basic assumptions of behavior therapy
 Describe the assumptions and goals of the cognitive therapies
 Discuss the findings and benefits of group therapy, family therapy and
psychotherapies
 Identify the common forms of drug therapy and the use of electroconvulsive therapy
Unit XIV:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Objectives
Social Psychology…………………………………………………………………….. 8-10%
Attribution process
Group dynamics and influences
Interpersonal perception
Social attitudes (aggression, conflict, attraction)
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Describe the importance of attribution in social behavior
Explain foot-in-in-the-door phenomenon and the effect of role-playing on attitudes in
terms of cognitive dissonance theory
Discuss the results of Asch’s and Milgram’s role on conformity and obedience
Discuss how group interaction can facilitate group polarization and groupthink, and
describe how self-fulfilling prophecies and minority influence illustrate the power of
individuals
Describe the social, emotional, and cognitive factors that contribute to the persistence
of cultural, ethnic, and gender prejudice and discrimination
Discuss the issues related to aggression and attraction
Explain altruistic behavior in terms of social exchange theory and social norms
Discuss effective ways of encouraging peaceful cooperation and reducing social
conflict