Download AP Psychology Syllabus File

AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
Instructor: Deana Wojtkiewicz
Rm: B103
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 708-367-2836
General Description:
A.P. Psychology is a one-year introductory course, designed to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to
that of a college level Psychology course, and to prepare students for the A.P. Psychology exam. This course is designed
to allow students to experience an in-depth exploration of human thought processes and behavior through various
psychological perspectives, including the psychoanalytic, biological, cognitive, behavioral, sociocultural, and humanistic
schools of thought. Key terms, concepts, leaders, and principles of psychology are introduced, as well as contradicting
viewpoints as to how these basic factors can be interpreted. Topics such as history of the study, research methods,
behavior, psychobiology, consciousness, sensation, perception, emotion, learning, memory, language, personality,
psychological disorders, and psychological treatments are studied through lecture, discussion, research, observation,
case studies, books, movies, introspection, journal-writing, a variety of student assessments, and an A.P. text. Students
enrolled in this course must commit to engaging in a strong amount of coursework and homework, including reading,
outlining, research, discussion, essay writing, as well as various assessments. Major goals of the course are to expand
students’ knowledge of Psychology, allow students to apply course concepts to themselves and the surrounding world,
and to fully prepare students for the A.P. Psychology exam.
Course Objectives:
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Students will prepare to do acceptable work on the AP Psychology Exam.
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.
Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to their
own lives.
Students will develop critical thinking skills.
Student Materials:
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Three-ring binder (3-inch recommended)
(14) Three-ring binder dividers (to separate each unit of study)
Paper
Pens/Pencils
A.P. Psychology folder
Textbook: Myers’ Psychology for AP
Summer Reading book: My Lobotomy
3x5 Notecards for vocabulary
Course Syllabus
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
Grade Determination
Grades will be weighted by categories. Your quarter average will be based on 60% for Assessments, 10% Homework,
15% Notes, and 15% Classwork. Exams will be given at the end of each unit and will consist of multiple-choice questions
and one free-response question (simulating the AP Exam). Other assignments given to students may include class
presentations, group projects, and papers. These assignments vary with the unit being covered. Quizzes may be
administered periodically and without notice as students are expected to study the course material every night.
Grading Scale:
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
Below 60% = F
Late Work:
In order to receive full credit, students are expected and required to submit all assignments when they are due.
If assignments are not submitted when due, students will receive partial credit. For one day late, the assignment grade
will drop 60%. After more than one day late, students will not receive credit for their assignment. However, students
are still expected and required to submit such assignments.
Plagiarism/Cheating:
Please refer to the student handbook. Any assignment that involves cheating or plagiarism will result in a 0% and may
result in disciplinary action.
Format of the AP Exam and Unit Exams:
The AP Psychology Exam includes a 70-minute multiple-choice section that accounts for two-thirds of the exam grade
and a 50-minute free-response section made up of two questions that accounts for one-third of the exam grade. Unit
tests in this course will be designed to reflect the types of questions that will appear on the AP Psychology Exam. Unit
tests will be given approximately every two weeks. The majority of the questions will cover the new material from the
current unit, however there will also be questions included from previous units as well. Students will also write essays
periodically, either as part of the test or as stand-alone assignments, which are similar to the types of free-response
questions that appear on the AP Psychology exam.
Papers/Projects/Presentations:
Throughout the course of the semester, students will be assigned papers, projects, and presentations (group and/or
individual). Such assignments will be assessed through content, as well as grammar, organization, structure, and
neatness. All papers are to be written in American Psychological Association (APA) format.
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
Quizzes:
Students will be formally assessed regularly (approximately half-way through each unit) through quizzes, which will
serve as “benchmarks” to monitor student learning. Quizzes will assess students’ understanding of unit vocabulary
terms, and will consist of both matching and free-response vocabulary terms.
Class Work/Homework/Research Studies:
Students will receive various class work and homework assignments throughout the course of the semester. Such
assignments will include, but are not limited to, textbook readings/questions, outlines/note-taking, hand-outs,
participation in internet discussion forums, and research/case studies.
All completed assignments, including outlines, must be typed and printed for submission. I will not accept emailed
assignments. Please use the following heading for all assignments:
Upper left-hand corner:
Name
Date
Class
Assignment Title
Course Outline:
Your textbook is divided into 14 units of study. Each unit is broken down further into modules. Each module is designed
to be covered in 1-2 class periods. There are reviews at the end of each module that will be assigned.
I. History and Approaches – One Week—2-4% of AP Exam Multiple Choice section
* The History and Approaches Section is woven throughout all units but is formally covered in this section.
A. History of Psychology
B. Approaches
C. Careers in Psychology
Essential Questions:
How do the different perspectives in psychology compare and contrast?
Who were the key figures in the evolution of psychology as a science?
II. Research Methods – One Week—8-10%
* The Research Methods Section is woven throughout all units but is formally covered in this section.
A. Experimental, Correlational, and Clinical Research
B. Statistics
1. Descriptive
2. Inferential
C. Ethics in Research
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
Essential Questions:
How do psychologists use the scientific method to study behavior and mental processes?
Which methods of research are appropriate for the study of different behaviors?
How do psychologists draw appropriate conclusions about behavior from research?
How do psychologists make ethical decisions about researching behavior with human and animal subjects?
III. Biological Bases of Behavior – Three Weeks—8-10%
A. Physiological Techniques (e.g., imaging, surgical)
B. Neuroanatomy
C. Functional Organization of Nervous System
D. Neural Transmission
E. Endocrine System
F. Genetics
G. Evolutionary Psychology
Essential Questions:
How do biological processes relate to behavior?
How do the biological processes work to create and sustain behavior?
How does damage to a biological process or part affect behavior?
IV. Sensation and Perception – Two Weeks—6-8%
A. Thresholds and Signal Detection Theory
B. Sensory Mechanisms
C. Attention
D. Perceptual Processes
Essential Questions:
How do the five senses receive and translate signals to the brain for processing?
How do sensation and perception differ?
How does the brain process sensory signals accurately? Inaccurately?
V. States of Consciousness – Two Weeks—2-4%
A. Sleep and Dreaming
B. Hypnosis
C. Psychoactive Drug Effects
Essential Questions:
How do psychologists define consciousness?
What happens during the sleep cycle?
How do psychoactive drugs affect behavior?
How do we know whether hypnosis is a real psychological phenomenon?
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
VI. Learning – Two Weeks—7-9%
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Cognitive Processes
D. Biological Processes
E. Social Learning
Essential Questions:
How do psychologists define learning?
How do principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning work to create learning?
What is the importance of cognitive processes and biological predispositions in conditioning and learning?
VII. Cognition – Three Weeks—8-10%
A. Memory
B. Language
C. Thinking
D. Problem Solving and Creativity
Essential Questions:
What are the processes involved in encoding, storage, and retrieval of sensory input?
What are the various forms of memory (i.e., episodic, semantic)? Describe each.
How are heuristics and algorithms used to solve problems?
Describe the development and structure of language.
What role does language play in the thought process?
VIII. Motivation and Emotion – Two Weeks—6-8%
A. Biological Bases
B. Theories of Motivation
C. Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Pain
D. Social Motives
E. Theories of Emotion
F. Stress
Essential Questions:
In what ways are humans motivated to behave?
What methods of motivation are more effective than others?
How does hunger operate?
How do maladaptive eating patterns affect behavior?
What role do emotions play in behavior?
How does physical arousal and cognition affect emotions?
How does stress influence health and behavior?
IX. Developmental Psychology – Two Weeks—7-9%
A. Life-Span Approach
B. Research Methods (e.g., longitudinal, cross-sectional)
C. Heredity – Environment Issues
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
D. Developmental Theories
E. Dimensions of Development
1. Physical
2. Cognitive
3. Social
4. Moral
F. Sex Roles and Gender Roles
Essential Question:
How do people grow and develop physically, cognitively, socially and morally throughout the lifespan?
X. Personality – Two Weeks—5-7%
A. Personality Theories and Approaches
B. Assessment Techniques
C. Growth and Adjustment
Essential Questions:
How do psychologists define and study personality?
What advantages and limitations exist for each theory’s description of personality?
How do psychologists reliably measure personality?
XI. Testing and Individual Differences – Two Weeks—5-7%
A. Standardization and Norms
B. Reliability and Validity
C. Types of Tests
D. Ethics and Standards in Testing
E. Intelligence
Essential Questions:
How do psychologists define and study intelligence?
How do psychologists know whether a test is reliable and/or valid? Why are these qualities of tests important?
How do testing scores differ between group and individual administrations of intelligence tests? Between genders?
Races? Socioeconomic groups?
XII. Abnormal Behavior – Three Weeks—7-9%
A. Definitions of Abnormality
B. Theories of Psychopathology
C. Diagnosis of Psychopathology
D. Types of Disorders
1. Anxiety
2. Somatoform
3. Mood
4. Schizophrenic
5. Organic
6. Personality
7. Dissociative
AP Psychology Syllabus
2015-2016
Essential Questions:
What are the criteria for determining and diagnosing abnormal behavior?
Describe the use of the DSM-IV.
What are the symptoms and origins of mood, personality, and dissociative disorders?
Compare and contrast various approaches (i.e., cognitive, behavioral, biological) on the origins of depression.
Discuss the characteristics of recent research on the origins of schizophrenia.
XIII. Treatment of Psychological Disorders – Two Weeks—5-7%
A. Treatment Approaches
1. Psychodynamic
2. Humanistic
3. Behavioral
4. Cognitive
5. Biological
B. Modes of Therapy (i.e., individual, group)
C. Community and Preventative Approaches
Essential Questions:
What are the various approaches to the treatment of disorders?
What are the goals and methods of psychoanalysis?
What is the approach to treatment of humanist psychologists?
Synthesize the assumptions and goals of cognitive psychology.
What are the various biological treatments for psychological disorders?
Differentiate among various modes of therapy such as one-on-one, group counseling, and family therapy.
XIV. Social Psychology – Three Weeks—8-10%
A. Group Dynamics
B. Attribution Processes
C. Interpersonal Perception
D. Conformity, Compliance, Obedience
E. Attitudes and Attitude Change
F. Organizational Behavior
G. Aggression/Antisocial Behavior
H. Cultural Influences
Essential Questions:
How do people explain (or attribute) the behavior of others?
How are individuals affected by groups?
Under what conditions do people obey, conform, make friendships, find love, and help others?
How do attitudes and actions influence individual and group behavior?
XV. Review for AP Psychology Exam – Two Weeks
Projects/Experiments: Review of Psychology Theories and Principles
Testing: Practice Exams (Multiple Choice and Essay)