Download Psychology 42S Zelmer

Vincent Massey High School
Advanced Placement Psychology 42S
Course Outline
2015
Course Title: Psychology 42S
School Year and Semester: 2014-2015 Semester II
Teacher: Trudy Zelmer
[email protected]
Course Description:
According to the College Board (the organization that writes and oversees the AP exams), the
purpose of the AP course in Psychology is to introduce the systematic and scientific study of the
behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals… the aim is to provide a
learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most university/college introductory psychology
courses. This course will provide 55 days of instruction to prepare you to take the AP exam on
Monday, May 4, 2015.
General Learning Outcomes:
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Students will study the major core concepts and theories of Psychology. This includes
being able to define key terms, compare and contrast the major theories, and develop an
understanding of the biological and psychological basis of behavior.
Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research. They will be able to devise
simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the general
validity of research reports. They will recognize the scientific nature of investigation in
psychology.
Students will be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives.
Students will develop critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the danger of
accepting or rejecting any psychological theory without careful, objective evaluation.
Students will demonstrate understanding of the ethical standards governing the work of
psychologists. They will maintain high ethical standards and sensitivity in applying the
principles of psychology to themselves, other people and other organisms.
Course Evaluation Structure:
 Tests: 60%
 Class Participation: 10%
 Assignments (homework, activities, projects, presentations, reading quizzes): 30%
Course Final Standing
The final mark for term work within the respective categories, (tests, assignments and projects)
will be cumulative.
In accordance with the Brandon School Division Policy on student assessment, evaluation, and
Reporting, the following standard for the completion of assignments by students apply:
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A zero grade is given to unit assignments that are not submitted by the end of the related
unit’s summative evaluation.
Any extension for a student to the above standard will be considered by the
administration only when requested by the teacher
Topic One: Intro to Psychology: History and Approaches [CR 1] (2-4%)
Study Guide – Chapter 5
 Historical Schools including Functionalism, Structuralism, Gestalt
 Modern Approaches including Psychodynamic, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Humanistic,
Psychobiological, and Sociocultural
 Major historical figures in psychology including Dorothea Dix, Sigmund Freud, Ivan
Pavlov, Jean Piaget and Wilhelm Wundt.
Topic Two: Research Methods [CR 2] [CR 16] (8-10%)
Study Guide – Chapter 6
 The Scientific Method
 Research Methods including Introspection, Naturalistic Observation, Survey,
Psychological Testing, and Controlled Experimentation
 Statistics including measures of central tendency, variance, significance, correlation
 Ethics in Research both human and animal
Topic Three: Biological Bases of Behavior [CR 3] (8-10%)
Study Guide – Chapter 7
 Nervous System: Structural and Functional Organization
 Neurons: Structure, Function, Wave of Depolarization, Neurotransmitters
 Brain: Development, Structure, Function, Hemispheric Specialization, Research
Methodology
 Endocrine System
 Genetics and Heritability
Topic Four: Sensation and Perception [CR 4](6-8%)
Study Guide – Chapter 8
 Psychophysics including Absolute and Difference Thresholds, Signal Detection
Theory, Weber’s and Fechner’s Laws
 Sensory Stimuli and Systems including Visual, Auditory, Olfactory, Gustatory,
Kinesthetic, Vestibular, Skin Senses, Transduction, Localization
 Perception including Depth, Distance, Motion, Gestalt Laws of Grouping, Illusions,
Figure and Ground
Topic Five: States of Consciousness [CR 5] [CR 15] (2-4%)
Study Guide – Chapter 9
 Iceberg Model of Consciousness including Conscious, Subconscious, Preconscious,
Unconscious
 Sleep and Dreaming including Sleep Stages One to Four, REM Sleep, Functions of
Sleep and Dreaming
 Manifest vs. Latent Dream Content
 Meditation & Hypnosis
 Psi Phenomenon including ESP, Precognition, Clairvoyance
 Psychoactive Drug Effects
Topic Six: Learning [CR 6] (7-9%)
Study Guide – Chapter 10
 Pavlov and Classical Conditioning including NS, CS, UCS, UCR, CR, Discrimination,
Generalization, Second Order Conditioning, Associative Learning
 Watson and Little Albert
 Thorndike’s Law of Effect
 Skinner and Operant Conditioning including Positive and Negative Reinforcement,
Primary and Secondary Reinforcement, Reinforcement Schedules, Shaping, Chaining,
Generalization, Discrimination, Associative Learning, Behavior Modification Techniques
 Learning Modalities
 Social Learning, Bandura, and BOBO
Topic Seven: Cognition [CR 7] (8-10%)
Study Guide – Chapter 11
 Information Processing Model of Memory including Sensory Memory, STM, LTM,
Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, Forgetting, Capacity, Duration
 Depth of Processing Model
 Serial Position Effect, Primacy and Recency Effects
 Constructive Memory
 Cognition including Problem Solving and Heuristics
Topic Eight: Motivation and Emotion [CR 8] (6-8%)
Study Guide – Chapter 12
 Motivational Concepts including instincts, primary and secondary drives, optimal
arousal, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
 Hunger and Eating Disorders and Attitudes toward food
 Human Sexuality
 Achievement Motivation
 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 Emotional Structure and Theory including James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, SchacterSinger and others
 Polygraphs
Topic Nine: Developmental Psychology [CR 9] [CR 15](7-9%)
Study Guide – Chapter 13
 Methodology: Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional
 Lifespan Approach
 Maturation vs. Learning
 Early Life
 Studying Neonates including Developmental Landmarks
 Language Development
 Piaget and Cognitive Development
 Parenting Styles
 Effects of Day Care
 Physical Development and Maturation
 Kohlberg’s Moral Development
 Adolescent Development
 Marcia’s Coping Strategies
 Gender Roles and Stereotypes
 Maturing and Aging
 Death and Dying (Kubler-Ross)
Topic Ten: Personality [CR 10] (5-7%)
Study Guide – Chapter 14
 Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory including Personality Structures and the Bi-Cameral
Mind, Psychosexual Development
 Jung, Adler, and Horney
 Trait Theories including Hippocrates, Sheldon, Allport, Catell, Eysenck, and MyersBriggs
 Evolutionary Personality Theory
 Social-Cognitive Perspective including Bandura and Seligman
 Humanistic Personality Theory including Maslow and Rogers
 Projective Tests, MMPI, Factor Analysis, Paper and Pencil, Myers-Briggs
Topic Eleven: Testing and Individual Differences [CR 11] (5-7%)
Study Guide – Chapter 15
 Concepts of Psychological Testing including norms, reliability, validity, biases
 Ability-Achievement Continuum
 What is intelligence?
 Street Smarts
 History of Intelligence Testing
 Nature vs. Nurture Debate
 Quantifying Genetics
Topic Twelve: Abnormal Psychology [CR 12] (7-9%)
Study Guide – Chapter 16
 Stress Theories including Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome and Lazarus &
Follerman
 Individual Differences in Coping
 What is normal and what is not?
 DSM-IV-TR
 Major Categories of Disorders including Anxiety Disorders, Dissociative Disorders,
Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders
 Interim Report from the APA
 Assessment of Suicide
Topic Thirteen: Treatment of Psychological Disorders [CR 13] (5-7%)
Study Guide – Chapter 17
 Mental Illness: Legal Definitions
 Major Approaches to Psychotherapy including Psychoanalytic, Behavioral,
Humanistic, Cognitive, Group, Pharmacological
 Factors affecting the Prognosis of Recovery
 Symptom Recognition and Treatment Suicidal Individuals
 Does Therapy Work?
Topic Fourteen: Social Psychology [CR 14] (8-10%)
Study Guide – Chapter 18
 Non-Verbal Communication
 Attribution Theory
 Attitudes and Persuasion
 Prejudice, Discrimination, Scapegoating, Stereotypes
 Conformity (Asch), Compliance, and Obedience (Milgram)
 Group Dynamics and Groupthink
 Helping and Bystander Apathy
 Aggression
 Attraction, Love, Divorce
About the AP Exam
The AP Psychology exam tests knowledge of topics included in a one and two semester
introductory university and college courses in psychology.
The test consists of two sections:
Section One (66.67% of score): 100 multiple choice questions (70 minutes)
Section Two (33.33% of score): 2 free response questions (50 minutes)
The following table reflects the approximate percentage of the multiple-choice section of the
exam devoted to each content area:
2-4% History
6-8% Methods and approaches
8-10% Biological bases of behavior
7-9% Sensation and perception
2-4% States of consciousness
7-9% Learning
8-10% Cognition
7-9%
7-9%
6-8%
5-7%
7-9%
5-7%
7-9%
Motivation and emotion
Developmental psychology
Personality
Testing and Individual differences
Abnormal psychology
Treatment of psychological disorders
Social psychology
The free-response questions evaluate students' mastery of scientific research principles and their
ability to make connections among constructs from different psychological domains. Students
may be asked to analyze a general problem in psychology (e.g., depression, adaptation) using
concepts from different theoretical frameworks or subdomains in the field, or they may be asked
to design, analyze, or critique a research study.
Scoring the Test
 Multiple Choice Section: Each correct answer is awarded 1 point. You are in essence,
trying to “score points.” Don’t think about how many you get wrong, think about how
many you get right!
 Free-Response Section: For each of the two questions, a rubric is established. Questions
are usually scored on a point scale that is not determined until after you’ve taken the test.
AP
Psychology
February 2015
I have read the above syllabus for Ms. Zelmer’s A.P. Psychology course. By signing below, I
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Demonstrate that I understand the requirements of the course and agree to give my best
effort.
I will remember that this is a university level course and I will assume personal
responsibility for my work and progress in the class
Acknowledge that this is an Advanced Placement exam preparation course and I plan on
taking the A.P. Psychology test on May 4, 2015.
_______________________________ __________________________________________
Student Name (Printed)
Student Name (Signature)
_______________________________ __________________________________________
Parent Name (Printed)
Parent Name (Signature)