Download 2014-2015-A.P. Psychology

Advanced Placement Psychology
2014-2015—O-101
Instructor Information:
Contact Information
Period
Mr. Ed Whiting
1
Social Studies Dept.
2
AP Psychology
World History
World History
5
6
H: (605) 275-0695
3
World History
7
[email protected]
4
Daily Schedule
2 Sem:
Period
st
nd
1 Sem:
World History
Study Hall Supervision
8
1st Sem:
2nd Sem:
Lunch Supervision
Intro to
Arch&Constr.
Intro to
Arch&Constr.
Cabinet Making
Intro to
Arch&Constr.
Open
Course Description:
The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific
study of behavior and mental processes of human beings and animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts,
principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the
ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. (AP Psychology 2006-2007 Professional Development
Workshop Materials Course Description page 1. College Board, Advanced Placement Program.)
Resources:
 Philip G. Zimbardo…[et al.]. Psychology—AP Edition. (2007).
 Roger R. Hock. Forty Studies That Changed Psychology-7th Ed. (2013).
 Discovering Psychology—Updated Edition. Annenberg/CPB VHS series
 1999 & 2004 AP Released Exam in Psychology and other support materials provided by the College Board.
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Supplementary text (Provided by instructor)
On-line resources
Grading Guidelines:
 This course is structured around a weighted scoring system. Final score will be determined by the following:
o Course Work Including—Unit Tests, Unit Projects, Psychological applied practice Research Project,
Blogs, Attendance/Participation, and more (90%).
o Cumulative Semester Exam (10%).
 The Infinite Campus High School grading scale will be used which includes a truncated scoring system. This
means that reporting period grades will be rounded down to the nearest percentage point.
100%—92.5% →A
76.49%—68.5%→D
92.49%—84.5%→B
68.49%—0%→F
84.49%—76.5%→C
 When deemed fair and appropriate by the course instructor, there may be possibilities for students to obtain bonus
points throughout the semester. Students who have late and/or missing work will NOT be eligible for any bonus
points. Bonus points received prior to late or missing work are subject to removal. Bonus points are meant to
serve as a grade push and not a grade supplement. Bonus points will be applied to subsequent unit test score.
Bonus points are meant to act as a grade push, not a grade supplement.
 Special Note: As in most college courses, final grades in this course will be heavily determined by exam
performance. Students must do well on exams to reach “A” level marks at reporting periods.
Procedures:
 Homework—Homework is due at the beginning of the period on the assigned date. It is the students’
responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor to complete all work missed as a result of an absences,
excused or unexcused.
 Students are required to see the instructor for assignments prior any scheduled absence.
 In the case of an unscheduled absence, students are required to visit with the instructor outside of class time upon
arriving back at school to receive any make-up work. Student will be held accountable for any content missed
including supplementary material like class discussions and videos.
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Students will be allowed to turn in one assignment late and receive half credit for that assignment. Every late
assignment after the first will receive a “0” in the grade book.
Any excused work that is over one week past due will be scored as a zero in the grade book.
Any student with special needs should inform the instructor immediately so that the appropriate accommodations
can be made.
Exams and Student Assessment:
 All Unit exams will be given a 100-point value. This will be done by converting the percentage of correct
answers to a 100-point scale. All decimals will be rounded up to the nearest point. Example: 89.2% will be 90
out of 100 points.
 Alternative assessment tools are available on a student-to-student basis accompanied by a referral from academic
services or the administration.
 Students are required to take exam on the scheduled date. If the student is absent with cause, they are required to
take the exam the day of their return to class. Instructor should be contacted via email or phone prior to class time
to arrange a time to make-up the exam.
 Students who do not take exams at the scheduled time or a previously arranged time will take an alternative exam.
Alternative exams tend to have an increased level of difficulty.
 In the case of an excused school related absence, students are required to make arrangements to make-up the
exam prior to being absent without exception.
 If a student is unable to take an exam at the scheduled time an alternative exam will be used. Also, any curve
points awarded to the rest of the class will not be applied to late exams.
Academic Integrity/Plagiarism:
“At O’Gorman High School, we strive to form a community of faith and learning through Gospel
values and academic excellence. Academic integrity involves gospel values of honesty and respect.
Honesty is a value that holds each person to the truth, to tell the truth, and to defend the truth. Honesty
results in fairness for each member of our faith community. Integrity is firm adherence to our values with
and without the presence of others. Respect is treating others as we would like to be treated.
In an
environment of respect, work we turn in as our own is our own. Responsibility is the quality of being
accountable for our actions and accepting the consequences of our actions.
O’Gorman students should seek to be totally honest in their dealing with others. They should
complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic
dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited plagiarism, fabrication or
falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.
Cheating is any dishonest or deceptive act by which students represent the labor or knowledge of
another person as their own to gain an unfair advantage (Student handbook p. 26).”
See the O’Gorman High School Student Handbook page 26 to find further information regarding
Academic Dishonesty.
Class Rules:
 Students are expected to follow all rules and guidelines set forth in the student handbook.
 Ultimately, RESPECT is the #1 rule.
 Any student not in his/her assigned seat by the tardy bell will be marked tardy unless a pass accompanies them.
 Students are expected to come to each class period prepared to participate fully in discussion and classroom
activities. This includes staying current in content reading and having a text book in class every day. The use of
POP quizzes may be used to evaluate student preparedness.
 Dress code will be strictly enforced.
Miscellaneous:
 Approachability—I intend to give the impression that my door is always open. Please feel free to stop in and
address any concerns you may have regarding class or life at any time.
 This is an elective course; it is assumed that all students have taken this class because they have interest in the
content.
 All students are strongly encouraged to participate in the AP Exam in May.
Units of Study:
o Unit 1— Introduction and History of Psychology
o Unit 2—Research Methods
o Unit 3—BioPsychology
o Unit 4—Sensation and Perception
o Unit 5—States of Consciousness
o Unit 6—Learning
o Unit 7—Cognition
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Unit 8—Motivation and Emotion
Unit 9—Developmental Psychology
Unit 10—Personality
Unit 11—Testing and Individual Differences
Unit 12—Abnormal Psychology
Unit 13—Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Unit 14—Social Psychology
Unit overviews:
Unit 1—Introduction and History of Psychology
Key Questions:
1. What is psychology, and what are its roots?
2. What are the perspectives psychologists use today?
3. What do psychologists do?
Objectives:
1. Define psychology and explain why it is a science.
2. Name and describe the different fields and specialties in which psychologists are employed.
3. Identify and describe the following in the context of the history of psychology: a) structuralism, b)
functionalism, c) gestalt, d) behaviorism, and e) psychoanalysis.
4. Name and describe the different perspectives currently used in psychology.
Unit 2—Research Methods
Key Questions:
1. How do Psychologists develop new knowledge?
2. How do we make sense of the data?
Objectives:
1. Define the term empirical and differentiate psychology as a science from pseudoscientific and nonscientific ideas that are sometimes mistaken for psychological concepts.
2. Name the five steps of the scientific method and describe how they are used in the processes of
psychological investigation and discovery.
3. Name the most common types of research design used in psychology.
4. Define the term bias and list the most common sources of bias in psychological research.
5. Discuss typical ethical concerns that arise in applied psychology and in psychological research.
Unit 3—Biopsychology and the Foundation of Neuroscience
Key Questions:
1. How are genes and behavior linked?
2. How does the body communicate internally?
3. How does the brain produce behavior and mental processes?
Objectives:
1. Describe the processes of evolution and natural selection and their relevance to psychological processes.
2. Describe the fundamental components of genetic processes-DNA, genes, and chromosomes-and their
influence on human behavior and experience.
3. Describe the overall structure of the nervous system.
4. Describe the essential anatomy of a neuron.
5. Describe how neurons use electricity and chemicals to communicate.
6. Define the term “plasticity.”
7. Describe the influence of hormones on behavior.
8. Describe the important anatomical structures of the brain and their specific functions.
9. Discuss the specialized functioning of the two hemispheres of the brain.
Unit 4—Sensation and Perception
Key Questions:
1. How does stimulation become sensation?
2. How are the senses alike? And how are they different?
3. What is the relationship between perception and sensation?
Objectives:
1. Define and distinguish between the terms sensation and perception.
2. Describe how physical stimuli become neural messages that can be interpreted in the central nervous
system.
3. Define and discuss basic concepts from classical psychophysics and describe the significance of these
concepts in everyday psychological functioning.
4. Name the eight senses and describe their basic anatomy and functioning.
5. Describe how humans make perceptual judgments and what influences can cause these judgments to be
inaccurate.
6. Distinguish between bottom-up and top-down processing.
7. Describe what we can learn about sensation and perceptions from examining illusions.
8. Identify and discuss the major theoretical explanations of perception.
9. Define perceptual set and discuss its significance in understanding human behavior and experience.
Unit 5—States of Consciousness
Key Questions:
1. What is the nature of consciousness?
2. What are the cycles of everyday consciousness?
3. What other forms can consciousness take?
Objectives:
1. Define consciousness and describe its functions and structures.
2. Discuss the controversies related to the proposed existence of an “unconscious mind.”
3. Describe the cycle of and states that comprise the circadian rhythm.
4. Describe the stages and cycle of sleep and the unique physiological states associated with sleep stage.
5. Define the term “REM.”
6. Discuss the problems of sleep dept and sleep disorders.
7. Discuss theories of and research on the meaning of dreams.
8. Define “hypnosis” and describe some of its practical applications.
9. Define “meditation.”
10. List and describe the classes of commonly used psychoactive drugs.
11. Define the terms “dependence” and “addiction” as they relate to psychoactive drugs.
Unit 6—Learning
Key Questions:
1. How does classical conditioning explain learning?
2. How do we learn new behaviors by operant conditioning?
3. How does cognitive psychology explain learning?
Objectives:
1. Define the general concept of learning.
2. Describe the focus of the controversy between behaviorists and cognitive psychologists.
3. Describe the processes involved in classical conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions and behaviors
that can be classically conditioned.
4. Define the term conditioned taste aversion and describe its significance in understanding classical
conditioning processes.
5. Describe the processes involved in operant conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions that can be
created or shaped by operant conditioning.
6. Describe what is meant by intermittent reinforcement and name the various schedules of reinforcement.
7. Describe some of the difficulties involved in using punishment to shape voluntary behavior.
8. Describe some effective alternatives to punishment.
9. Describe the evidence for changes in mental processes without reinforcement as presented by cognitive
psychologists.
10. Describe the significance of Bandura’s research on observational learning.
Unit 7—Cognition
Key Questions:
1. What is memory?
2. How do we form memories?
3. How do we retrieve memories?
4. Why does memory sometimes fail us?
5. How do children acquire language?
6. What are the components of thought?
7. What abilities do good thinkers posses?
Objectives:
1. Define the general concept of memory and describe its functions.
2. Name the stages of memory and describe what psychologists know about the biological basis of memory
processing and storage.
3. Describe in detail processing in sensory memory.
4. Describe in detail processing in the working memory and its relationship to the storage of long-term
memories.
5. Identify the two divisions of long-term memory and describe the types of memories stored by them.
6. Distinguish between implicit and explicit memories.
7. Describe the processes of priming, recall, and recognition and their function in memory retrieval.
8. Name and describe the types of forgetting and memory distortion.
9. Discuss what is known about repression of memories and the formation of false memories.
10. Describe some of the methods for improving retention of learned material.
11. Describe the progress of language development in early childhood.
12. Identify the main components of thought.
13. Define the two kinds of concepts and discuss the role of concepts in the process thought.
14. Describe and discuss mental imagery and cognitive maps.
15. Identify and discuss the different strategies for problem solving.
16. Discuss strategies and common errors of decision-making.
Unit 8—Emotion and Motivation
Key Questions:
1. What do our emotions do for us?
2. Where do our emotions come from?
3. How much control do we have over our emotions?
4. Motivation: What makes us act as we do?
5. How are achievement, hunger and sex alike? Different?
6. How and why do we experience stress?
Objectives:
1. Describe the functions of emotion.
2. Identify the primary emotions and discuss the influence of culture and learning upon emotional
expression.
3. Describe what is known about the biological basis of emotion.
4. Discuss the challenges of developing emotional intelligence and control.
5. Define motivation and discuss the leading theories that attempt to explain it.
6. Define over justification and discuss the problems that arise in the use of extrinsic motivators.
7. Discuss what is understood about the need for achievement.
8. Identify and discuss the complex set of factors that contribute to hunger.
9. Discuss sexual motivation and the different scientific perspectives of human sexuality.
10. Identify and relate the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome.
Unit 9—Psychological Development
Key Questions:
1. How do psychologists explain development?
2. What capabilities does the newborn possess?
3. What are the developmental tasks of childhood?
4. What developmental changes occur in adolescence and adulthood?
Objectives:
1. Discuss the complex influence of the nature-nurture interaction of human development.
2. Describe techniques of research employed to study genetic and environmental effects on development.
3. Describe the key phases of prenatal development.
4. Identify the special capabilities of the newborn and explain why these skills and potentials are important.
5. Describe the progress of physical development in infancy and toddler hood.
6. Describe the most important facets of cognitive, emotional and social development over the course of
childhood.
7. Identify the major areas of transition and development in adolescence.
8. Name the developmental challenges of early and middle adulthood.
9. Identify the major areas of transition and development in adulthood.
10. Describe Erikson’s phases of adult development.
11. Describe the tasks identified by Erikson for each phase of adult development.
12. Discuss the change roles and challenges for men, women and family.
Unit 10—Personality
Key Questions:
1. What forces shape our personalities?
2. What patterns are found in personality?
3. What “theories” do people use to understand each other?
Objectives:
1. Define personality.
2. Name and describe the major theories of personality.
3. Evaluate the major personality theories.
4. Define the term “personality trait” and discuss trait and temperament theories of personality.
5. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used personality assessment techniques.
6. Discuss the concept of implicit personality theories.
7. Discuss the possible social and cultural influences on personality.
8. Define and discuss the fundamental attribution error.
Unit 11—Testing and Individual Differences
Key Questions:
1. How is intelligence measured?
2. What are the components of intelligence?
3. How do psychologists explain IQ differences among groups?
Objectives:
1. Describe the history of intelligence testing, and the appropriate uses and misuses of IQ tests.
2. Discuss the significance of the classifications “mental retardation” and “gifted.”
3. Define and compare the competing theories of the structure of intelligence.
4. Discuss the apparent facts of and controversy about the differences in IQ between ethnic and racial
groups.
Unit 12—Psychological Disorders
Key Questions:
1. What is psychological disorder?
2. How are psychological disorders classified?
3. What are the consequences of labeling people?
Objectives:
1. Describe the evolution of the concept of psychological disorder.
2. Identify and describe the major perspectives for defining and understanding psychological illness.
3. Describe the symptoms that are commonly associated with psychological disorders.
4. Describe development and organization of the classification system used to define various psychological
illnesses, the DSM-IV.
5. Name the major categories of psychological illness in the DSM-IV and give some examples of disorders
in these categories.
6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of the DSM-IV and give some examples of disorders
in these categories.
7. Describe the ecological model of psychological disorder and how it accounts for the sociocultural context
in which psychological illness occurs.
8. Accurately describe the circumstances under which the insanity plea is used, and the consequences of a
successful plea.
Unit 13—Therapies for Psychological Disorders
Key Questions:
1. What is therapy?
2. How do psychologists treat Psychological Disorders?
3. How is the biomedical approach used to treat Psychological Disorders?
Objectives:
1. Define the term psychotherapy.
2. Describe the history of psychotherapy as a mental health treatment.
3. Identify and describe the different types of mental health professional who provide psychotherapy.
4. Describe the rationale for and typical interventions associated with behavior therapies.
5. Name and describe the major types of insight therapy.
6. Describe cognitive-behavioral therapy.
7. Discuss the effectiveness of the different types of psychotherapy.
8. Discuss the basis for the use of drug therapy in the treatment of mental illness.
9. Discuss the appropriate use of psychosurgery, ECT and other biomedical therapies.
10. Discuss the major issues associated with hospitalization, deinstitutionalization and community-based
treatment of persons who suffer from mental illness.
Unit 14—Social Psychology
Key Questions:
1. How does the social situation affect our behavior?
2. What influences our judgments of other?
3. What are the roots of violence and terrorism?
Objectives:
1. Define the term situationism and discuss the influence of roles, norms and scripts.
2. Name and describe some of the key studies in social psychology and discuss their significance in
expanding our knowledge of social influences on behavior.
3. Understand the principle of diffusion of responsibility and the bystander effect and how to counteract
these tendencies.
4. Understand how our interpretation of the social situation influences the judgments that we make about
other.
5. Define principles of social cognition such as proximity, similarity, and the matching hypothesis and
describe how they influence social interactions.
6. Define the term cognitive dissonance and give an example of how an individual might resolve it.
7. Define the term fundamental attribution error and explain why it is more commonly made in
individualistic cultures.
8. Describe the psychological tendencies that are related to prejudice and discrimination.
9. Describe some principles of social psychology that can help us to better resolve and prevent unnecessary
conflicts, violence, and terrorism.