Download AP Psych syllabus _2__docx2014-15

AP Psychology Syllabus
2014-15
Mr. Freeze
401-545-1746
TFreeze@ bcps.k12.md.us
The purpose of AP Psychology is 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.
Course Objectives
1. Students will develop critical thinking skills in order to become independent thinkers.
2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will be able to
define key terms in psychology and demonstrate their application.
3. Students will learn the concepts behind psychological research and experiments and conduct
their own field experiments
4. Students will understand the cultural relevance of psychology in relation to their own culture
as well as its relationship to alternate cultures.
Textbook and Resources
Meyers, David, Myers’ Psychology for AP: Worth Publishers, Michigan
Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. New York: Bantam, 1984.
Course Outline and AP Curricular Requirement
Unit I: The Evolution of Psychology
Topics addressed:
A. Psychology as a science and its evolution
B. Approaches/Perspectives [CR1]
C. Areas of research and specialties
D. Seven unifying themes
Objectives
• Define psychology and trace its historical development.
• Compare and contrast the psychological perspectives.
• Identify basic and applied research subfields of psychology.
• Clarify the seven unifying themes of psychology as related to subject matter and field of study.
Unit II: The Research Enterprise in Psychology (CR2)
Topics addressed:
A. Scientific Approach to Behavior
B. Experimental Research
C. Descriptive / Correlational Research
D. Statistics and Research
E. Evaluating Research
F. The Internet and Psychological Research
G. Ethics: Do the Ends Justify the Means? (CR16)
Objectives
• Clarify the relations among theory, hypotheses, and research
• Identify the steps in a scientific investigation
• Describe the experimental method, independent and defendant variables, and experimental and
control groups.
• Explain the role of naturalistic observations, case studies, and surveys in psychological research
• Explain correlational studies.
• Describe the three measures of central tendency and measures of variation.
Unit III: The Biological Bases of Behavior (CR3)
Topics addressed:
A. Communications in the Nervous System
B. Organization of the Nervous System
C. Looking Inside the Brain: Research Methods
D. The Brain and Behavior
E. Right Brain / Left Brain: Cerebral Laterality
F. The Endocrine System
G. Genetics, Heredity and related Behavior
H. The Evolutionary Bases of Behavior
Objectives
• Identify the various parts of the neuron and the main functions of the glial cells
• Describe neurons communicate at chemical synapses.
• Classify and explain major divisions of the nervous system.
• Explain how the EEG, lesioning, and electrical stimulation of the brain are used to investigate
brain function.
• Identify the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and their functions.
• Discuss the association areas.
• Explain how split-brain research changed our understanding of the brain’s hemispheric
organization.
• Describe the nature of the endocrine system and its interaction with the nervous system.
• Compare the special methods used to investigate the influence of heredity on behavior
• Describe some subsequent refinements to evolutionary theory.
Unit IV: Sensation & Perception [CR4]
Topics addressed:
A. Psychophysics: Basic Concepts and Issues
B. The Visual System
C. The Auditory System
D. Chemical Senses: Taste and Smell
E. The Sense of Touch
Objectives
• Articulate the basic thrust of signal- detection theory
• Describe evidence on perception without awareness and discuss its practical implications
• Describe the operation of the sensory systems (five senses).
• Explain the place and frequency theories of pitch perception.
• State the premise of Gestalt psychology, and describe Gestalt principles of visual perception..
• Discuss research on depth perception and cues. [CR15]
Unit V: States of Consciousness [CR5]
Topics addressed:
A. The Nature of Consciousness
B. Biological Rhythms and Sleep
C. The Sleep and Waking Cycle
D. The World of Dreams
E. Hypnosis
F. Meditation
G. Altering Consciousness with Drugs
Objectives
• Discuss the nature and evolution of consciousness
• Explain what is known about human biological clocks and their relationship to sleep.
• Discuss the nature of dreams and findings on dream content.
• Explain the three theories of dreaming.
• Discuss hypnotic susceptibility, and list some prominent effects of hypnosis.
• Explain the nature of meditation and describe its psychological correlates.
• Identify the major types of abused drugs, and explain why their effects vary.
• Describe the physiological and psychological effects of depressants, stimulants, and
hallucinogens.
Unit VI: Learning [CR6]
Topics addressed:
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Changing Directions in the Study of Conditioning
D. Observational Learning
Objectives
• Describe Pavlov’s demonstration of classical conditioning and the key elements in this form of
learning.
• 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 various types of schedules of reinforcement, and discuss their typical effects.
• Discuss the importance of cognitive processes and biological predispositions in conditioning.
• Discuss the effects of punishment on behavior.
• Describe the process of observational learning (Bandura’s experiments).
Unit VII: Human Memory (CR7)
Topics addressed:
A. Encoding
B. Storage
C. Retrieval
D. Forgetting
E. Physiology of Memory
F. Systems and Types of Memory
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.
• Distinguish between implicit and explicit memory.
• Describe the importance of retrieval cues.
Unit VIII: Language and Thought
Topics addressed:
A. Defining Language and its Processes
B. Problem Solving
C. Decision Making
Objectives
• Outline the key properties of language, and describe its structure.
• Evaluate the controversy regarding language acquisition in animals.
• Compare the behaviorist, nativist, and interactionist perspectives on language acquisition.
• Review a variety of general problem-solving strategies and heuristics.
• Identify language developmental stages (babbling, one word, etc.).
• Explain how the nature-nurture debate is illustrated in the theories of language development.
• Discuss research on factors that influence decisions about preferences, including a features
study on the deliberation-without-attention effect.
Unit IX: Intelligence and Psychological Testing (CR11)
Topics addressed:
A. Key Concepts in Psychological Testing
B. The Evolution of Intelligence Testing
C. Basic Questions about Intelligence Testing
D. Extremes of Intelligence
E. Heredity and Environment as Determinants of Intelligence
F. New Directions in the Assessment and Study of Intelligence
Objectives
• Describe the principle categories of psychological tests.
• Identify the contributions of Galton and Binet to the evolution of intelligence testing.
• Summarize the contributions of Termin and Wechsler to the evolution of intelligence testing.
• Summarize evidence on the reliability and validity of modern IQ test scores.
• Clarify the meaning of deviation IQ scores on modern intelligence tests.
• Review what is known about the causes of intellectual disability.
• Summarize evidence that heredity affects intelligence, and discuss the concept of heritability.
• Discuss evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on intelligence.
• Contrast Sternberg’s triarchic theory with Gardiner’s theory of multiple intelligences.
Unit X: Motivation and Emotion [CR8]
Topics addressed:
A. Motivational Theories and Concepts
B. The Motivation of Hunger and Eating
C. Sexual Motivation and Behavior
D. Achievement
E. Elements of Emotional Experience
F. Theories of Emotion
Objectives
• Compare drive, incentive, and evolutionary approaches to understanding motivation.
• Summarize evidence on the psychological factors implicated in the regulation of hunger.
Explain
how food availability, culture, learning, and stress influence hunger.
• Outline the four phases of the human sexual response.
• Describe how the need for achievement is measured
• Describe the cognition component of emotion.
• Explain the two-factor theory of emotion, and describe the evolutionary theories of emotion.
Unit XI: Human Development across the Lifespan (CR9)
Topics addressed:
A. Prenatal Development
B. Childhood
C. The Transition of Adolescence
D. The Expanse of Adulthood
Objectives
• Outline the major events of the three stages of prenatal development.
• Illustrate development changes in physical, social, and cognitive areas.
• Describe Harlow’s and Bowlby’s views on attachment, and discuss research on patterns of
attachment.
• Describe Vgotsky’s sociocultural theory, and evaluate the notion that some cognitive abilities
may be innate.
• Describe the theories of Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg.
• Summarize research on neural development in adolescence.
• Distinguish between longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. [CR15]
Unit XII: Personality: Theory, Research, and Assessment [CR10]
Topics addressed:
A. Nature of Personality
B. Psychodynamic Perspectives
C. Behavior Perspectives
D. Humanistic Perspectives
E. Biological Perspectives
F. Terror Management Theory
H. Culture and Personality
Objectives
• Describe the construct of personality in terms of consistency and distinctiveness.
• Clarify what is meant by a personality trait, and describe the five-factor model of personality.
• Describe the contributions of the neo-Freudians.
• Distinguish among the three components of personality and the three levels of awareness in
Freud’s theory.
• Review how Skinner’s principles of operant conditioning can be applied to the development of
personality.
• Describe Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and discuss the Featured Study on personality and
people’s dwellings.
• Describe the humanistic perspective on personality in terms of Maslow’s focus on selfactualization and Rogers’ emphasis on people’s potential for growth.
• Summarize the findings of behavioral genetics research on personality.
• Understand the chief concepts and hypotheses of terror management theory. Discuss research
on cross-cultural similarities and disparities in personality.
Unit XIII: Stress, Coping, and Health (CR12)
Topics addressed:
A. The Nature of Stress
B. Responding to Stress
C. Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning
D. Effects of Stress on Physical Health
E. Factors Moderating the Impact of Stress
F. Health-Impairing Behavior
G. Reactions to Illness
Objectives
· Evaluate the impact of minor stressors, and discuss the importance of people’s appraisals of
stress.
· Identify the three basic types of conflict and discuss which types are most troublesome.
· Describe the fight-or-flight response, Selye’s general adaptation syndrome, and other
psychological responses to stress,
· Describe some psychological problems that may be stress related, and explain how stress may
have positive effects.
· Discuss how stress affects immune functioning, and assess the link between stress and illness.
· Understand how health-impairing lifestyles develop.
· Review the extent to which people tend to adhere to medical advice.
Unit XIV: Psychological Disorders (CR12)
Topics addressed:
A. Abnormal Behavior: Myths, Realities, and Controversies
B. Anxiety Disorders
C. Somatoform Disorders
D. Dissociative Disorders
E. Mood Disorders
F. Schizophrenic Disorders
G. Personality Disorders
H. Psychological Disorders and the Law
I. Culture and Pathology
Objectives
· Evaluate the medical model, and identify the most commonly used criteria of abnormality.
· Outline the history and structure of the DSM diagnostic system.
· Identify five anxiety disorders and the symptoms associated with each.
· Describe and explain the development of somatoform, dissociative, and mood disorders.
· Outline the general characteristics of schizophrenia, its subtypes, and the course of
schizophrenia.
· Discuss the nature of personality disorders and problems with the diagnosis of such disorders.
· Articulate the legal concept of insanity, and clarify the grounds for involuntary commitment.
· Assess the extent of cultural variability in the existence and presentation of mental disorders.
· Describe the subtypes, history, and prevalence of eating disorders.
Unit XV: Treatment of Psychological Disorders (CR13)
Topics addressed:
A. Elements of the Treatment Process
B. Insight Therapies
C. Behavior Therapies
D. Biomedical Therapies
E. Current Trend and Issues in Treatment
F. Institutional Treatment in Transition
Objectives
· Identify the three major categories of therapy, and discuss patterns of treatment seeking.
· Explain the logic of psychoanalysis and the techniques by which analysts probe the
unconscious.
· Discuss new approaches to insight therapy inspired by the positive psychology movement.
· Evaluate the efficacy of behavior therapies.
· Summarize the therapeutic actions and side effects of antianxiety and antipsychotic drugs.
· Articulate the concerns that have been expressed about the impact of managed care on the
treatment of psychological disorders.
· Discuss the merits of blending approaches to therapy, including the Featured Study on
combining insight therapy and medication.
· Analyze the barriers that lead to underutilization of mental health services by minorities and
possible solutions to the problem.
· Assess the effects of the deinstitutionalization movement.
Unit XVI: Social Behavior (CR14)
Topics addressed:
A. Person Perception: Forming Impressions of Others
B. Attribution Processes: Explaining Behavior
C. Close Relationships: Liking and Loving
D. Attitudes: Making Social Judgments
E. Conformity and Obedience
F. Behavior in Groups
Objectives:
· Clarify how stereotypes and other factors contribute to subjectivity in person perception.
· Explain what attributions are, and distinguish between internal and external attributions.
· Describe the cultural variations in attributional tendencies.
· Evaluate the roles of physical attractiveness, similarity, reciprocity, and romantic ideals in
attraction.
· Outline the evidence of love as a form of attachment.
· Analyze the structure (components, and dimensions) of attitudes and the link between attitudes
and behavior.
· Review Asch’s work on conformity.
· Describe the Featured Study by Milgram on obedience to authority, and assess the ensuing
controversy.
· Discuss cultural variations in conformity.
· Describe the Stanford Prison Simulation and its implications.
· Clarify the nature of groups and the bystander effect.
Expectations for Psychology Students
 Book review: Students will have to complete an analysis on one book.
 Requirements: The Flowers for Algernon review should be approximately 2-4 pages. This
will be a critical analysis with approximately one page allowed for your personal
thoughts and reflections.
 Come to class prepared. Students are given a participation grade which will be lowered if
a student is unprepared for class.
 Students will always use complete sentences when appropriate for written work.
 Students will use Cornell notes during class in order to prepare for exams and quizzes.
Some exams will be open note, not open book. This will ensure that students are taking
notes during class.
 All work is to be turned in on time. Late work, including homework, will have 10%
deducted from grade for each day late. No work will be accepted after three days.
 Planned absences require the student to inform the teacher in advance and develop a plan
to complete missed assignments.
 Missed tests and quizzes will be made up after school on the day the after the student
returns unless otherwise coordinated with the teacher.
 Homework is due at the beginning of the class period and will be considered late after
that point in time.
Grading Policy: Grades are weighted to achieve term averages. Items to be graded are as
follows:
Homework assignments: 20%
Classwork: 40%
Participation: 20%
Projects, papers, reports: 20%
Classroom Procedures and Rules
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Students are required to come to class prepared to learn. This means that you must bring
your notebook and a writing instrument.
I do not assign seats unless a student shows a lack of maturity in class.
Cell phones and other electronics are not tolerated. The student will receive a zero for the
day if they use their electronic devices or phone. This includes all work, including tests.
If by chance you received a 100 on a test, you will receive a zero. No exceptions.
Students will not be permitted to leave class without a pass.
Profanity will not be tolerated.
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All students will follow the school dress code.
A Redo policy for tests is attached.
Parents will be notified if their child is in danger of failing.
Parent signature: _________________________________________