Download In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and

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In order to focus on student success, provide quality instruction, and communicate openly and honestly with students and parents, secondary
teachers will publish a course syllabus each term.
2015 Full-Year Course Syllabus for AP® Psychology, Terms I-IV
Teacher: Mrs. Tracy Manners Campbell
E-mail: [email protected]
Teacher’s Website: www.biloxischools.net/domain/300
Remind 101 for AP: https://www.remind101.com/join/appsy2015
Textbook Website*: http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myersAP1e/
Course Description:
This AP Psychology course 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 focus on the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. The aim of the
course is to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory
psychology courses. Students will learn to think critically, work independently and in groups, take initiative by
customizing their learning experience, make an impact on school and community through community service, and
explore their own curiosities within the fields of psychology.
Course Requirement:
Students are given a summer assignment prior to the beginning of school that will allow them to get ahead on their
learning for the class. All students enrolled in AP Psychology are encouraged and expected, though not required, to
take the AP Examination at the end of the course. Depending on the student’s score and the college, he or
she can earn up to six college credits (two courses). The cost of the AP Exam is approximately $87, so this
can be an excellent way to get required college courses and electives started early. Detailed information about
payment will be sent home.
Textbook:
Myers, David G. Psychology for AP, 2nd ed. New York: Worth, 2014. (Includes a study guide and online practice
site* complete with quizzes, tutorials, flashcards, podcasts, and videos.)
Basic Course Objectives:
1. Students will prepare earn college credit via the AP Psychology Examination on May 4, 2015, at noon.
2. 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 by making meaningful connections.
3. Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to
their own lives.
4. Students will develop critical thinking skills and become independent thinkers.
5. Students will relate information to current research and their own experiences to ensure relevance.
6. Students will have fun each day in a constructive way!
Class schedule:
Classes meet once a day for approximately forty-seven minutes, five days a week. The year is divided into four nineweek terms. Note that not all “nine-week” terms have exactly nine full weeks. After school sessions or weekend
sessions may be required throughout the year.
Tests and Grades:
Grading Scale: A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=65-69 F=below 65 I=incomplete
Grading follows the policies of the school district. A mid-term progress report and a report card following the end of each term are issued.
The student’s current grades are available via Internet Information On Demand/INOW. Parents and students will receive login information.
Unit/Mid-term/Chapter Tests: Most tests are modeled on the timed AP Exam, with approx. 35-50 multiple-choice
questions and/or one free-response/discussion question to be completed in one class period. The test may
be in the same format as the AP Exam, but the number of multiple-choice questions is reduced
proportionately to the time available in the period to maintain a similar time pressure. To allow diversified
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learning, some tests may follow a different format and will be outlined as such at that time. All tests will be
debriefed within a day of the original test date and most will either be given back to you to use as a study aid
or made available on my website/email for future perusal.
If you are absent, plan to take the exam the day you return. ALL tests are comprehensive.
You will have only five school days to make up missed work due to absences.
Term Exam: All term exams are comprehensive and will cover the material during each term and all previous
terms. These will also be modeled after the AP Exam.
(Tests=55% Activities/Daily/Quiz=35% Term Exam=20%)
Assignments, Projects, and Homework:
Homework and practice assignments are due as directed. Assignments are expected to be turned in on
time; NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. No technology excuses are accepted for late work. All missed
work due to valid lawful absences that was previously assigned will be made up/ turned in the day you
return. Zeroes are not acceptable in a college-level course. Students are expected to check my
website and weekly assignments board regularly to see what they missed when they were out. Most
assignments are available for download, and I would be happy to email them home if preferred. Please
email me if you will be out, and I will help you by providing work or assistance.
OBJECTIVES BY TERM (Subject to change)
FIRST NINE WEEKS:
NOTE: You must be able to connect all information learned to see a larger “picture” of what psychology is. Only
learning each objective independently will not lead to a greater comprehension or appreciation.
Unit I. Study Skills, History and Approaches (2–4% of the AP exam); TEST 8/15
AP students will:
• Evaluate varying methods of study practices and research effective environments conducive to learning.
• Differentiate between massed and spaced practice and research basic concepts behind theories of learning.
• Recognize how philosophical perspectives shaped the development of psychological thought.
• Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior:
— Structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism in the early years;
— Gestalt, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, and humanism emerging later;
— Evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches.
• Recognize the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior.
• Distinguish the different domains of psychology and describe the connection between each:
— Biological, clinical, cognitive, counseling, developmental, educational, experimental, human factors,
industrial– organizational, personality, psychometric, and social.
• Identify the major historical figures in psychology (e.g., Mary Whiton Calkins, Charles Darwin, Dorothea Dix,
Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, William James, Ivan Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Margaret Floy
Washburn, John B. Watson, Wilhelm Wundt) and analyze their impact on the study of psychology as a science.
• Create a living timeline that showcases the major historical figures and their accomplishments, acted out by
students.
SOME HOT TOPICS!
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
PSYCHOLOGY’S ROOTS;A PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE DEVELOPS
CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY
UNCOVERING PSYCHOLOGY’S BIGGEST QUESTION
PSYCHOLOGY’S THREE MAIN LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
PSYCHOLOGY’S SUBFIELDS
TIPS FOR STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY
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Unit II. Research Methods (8–10%); TEST 8/29
AP students will:
• Explain why psychology is an empirical discipline and explore the purpose of research and its impacts.
• Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic observations,
and case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Describe how research design drives the reasonable conclusions that can be drawn (e.g., experiments are useful
for determining cause and effect; the use of experimental controls reduces alternative explanations).
• Identify independent, dependent, confounding, and control variables in experimental designs.
• Distinguish between random assignment of participants to conditions in experiments and random selection of
participants, primarily in correlational studies and surveys.
• Predict the validity of behavioral explanations based on the quality of research design (e.g., confounding variables
limit confidence in research conclusions).
• Distinguish the purposes of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
• Apply basic descriptive statistical concepts, including interpreting and constructing graphs and calculating simple
descriptive statistics (e.g., measures of central tendency, standard deviation).
• Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research.
• Identify how ethical issues inform and constrain research practices.
• Describe how ethical and legal guidelines (e.g., those provided by the American Psychological Association, federal
regulations, local institutional review boards) protect research participants and promote sound ethical practice
within the field.
SOME HOT TOPICS!
WHAT IS THE NEED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE?
DID WE KNOW IT ALL ALONG? HINDSIGHT BIAS AND OVERCONFIDENCE
THE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE AND CRITICAL THINKING
HOW DO PSYCHOLOGISTS ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS?
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
DESCRIPTION AND CORRELATIONAL VS. CAUSAL
EXPERIMENTATION
STATISTICAL REASONING:DESCRIBING DATA ANDMAKING INFERENCES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT STATISTICS OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
Unit III. Biological Bases of Behavior and Evolutionary Psychology (8–10%); TEST 9/17
AP students will:
• Support the following statement with evidence: Everything psychological is simultaneously biological (Myers,
2010).
• Identify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior, including parts of the neuron and the
process of transmission of a signal between neurons. Describe neural transmission using an extended metaphor to
compare to another unrelated event/ object.
• Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptake mechanisms) and describe the conditions for
which some of these drugs may be used (prescription, OTC, recreational/illegal).
• Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior and research diseases that cause issues with development
and mental processes (hypothyroidism, etc.)
• Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions:
— central and peripheral nervous systems;
— major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas;
— brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization. (Split Brain Experiment Game: nobelprize.org)
• Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research (case studies, splitbrain research, imaging techniques, new technologies, etc.).
• Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to shape
behavior.
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• Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
• Identify key contributors (Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke, et al).
• Evaluate “60 Second Psych,” a podcast courtesy of Scientific American commemorating October 4th, which marks
the anniversary of Darwin's return to his family home in 1836 after five years at sea, and the beginning of his
intellectual voyage to the theory of evolution.
SOME HOT TOPICS!
NEURAL COMMUNICATION: NEURONS AND HOW THEY COMMUNICATE
HOW NEUROTRANSMITTERS INFLUENCE US
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM:THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
THE BRAIN
THE TOOLS OF DISCOVERY: HAVING OUR HEAD EXAMINED
OLDER BRAIN STRUCTURES AND THE CEREBRAL CORTEX
OUR DIVIDED BRAIN
RIGHT-LEFT DIFFERENCES IN THE INTACT BRAIN
BEHAVIOR GENETICS: PREDICTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
EVOLUTIONARY SUCCESS HELPS EXPLAIN SIMILARITIES
Unit IV. Sensation and Perception (6–8%); TEST 10/1
AP students will:
• Discuss basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute threshold, difference threshold, signal
detection, and sensory adaptation.
• Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain), including the
specifi c nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for
each of the senses.
• Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
• Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote stable awareness of the external
world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth perception).
• Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g., perceptual set, context effects).
• Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion.
• Discuss the role of attention in behavior.
• Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena.
• Identify the major historical figures in sensation and perception (e.g., Gustav Fechner, David Hubel, Ernst Weber,
Torsten Wiesel).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
THRESHOLDS AND SENSORY ADAPTATION
THE STIMULUS INPUT: LIGHT ENERGY
THE EYE: VISUAL INFORMATION PROCESSING
THE STIMULUS INPUT: SOUND WAVES
THE EAR: HEARING LOSS AND DEAF CULTURE; LIVING IN A SILENT WORLD
PERCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION AND INTERPRETATION
IS THERE EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION?CLAIMS, TESTS, AND PREMONITIONS
Cumulative Review: Five days of reinforcement through activities, free-response, discussion, and
practice tests. TERM EXAMS 10/9 AND 10/10
SECOND NINE WEEKS:
Unit V. States of Consciousness (2–4%); TEST 10/21
AP students will:
• Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
• Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming:
— stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle;
— theories of sleep and dreaming;
— symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
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• Create a graph that shows the class’s total sleep time each night for a two week period; students record perceived
effects in their journals.
• Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).
• Explain hypnotic phenomena (e.g., suggestibility, dissociation).
• Research comedy hypnotist acts and stage a mock comedy hypnotist act for classmates to promote social and
ethical awareness of the subject
• Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants) and classify specific drugs,
including their psychological and physiological effects.
• Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
• Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James, Sigmund Freud, Ernest Hilgard).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
THE BRAIN AND CONSCIOUSNESS
COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
DUAL PROCESSING
SLEEP AND DREAMS
BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS AND SLEEP
WHY DO WE SLEEP?
SLEEP DISORDERS
DREAMS
HYPNOSIS: FACTS AND FALSEHOODS
EXPLAINING THE HYPNOTIZED STATE
DRUGS AND CONSCIOUSNESS;DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION
PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG AND INFLUENCES ON DRUG USE
NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES
Unit VI. Learning (7–9%); TEST 11/5
AP students will:
• Distinguish general differences between principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and
observational learning (e.g., contingencies).
• Describe basic classical conditioning phenomena, such as acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery,
generalization, discrimination, and higher-order learning. (Video of “Dog Whisperer” and virtual dog training
program “Pavlov’s Dog Game” on nobelprize.org/educational)
• Predict the effects of operant conditioning (e.g., positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment,
schedules of reinforcement).
• Predict how practice, schedules of reinforcement, and motivation will influence quality of learning.
• Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
• Provide examples of how biological constraints create learning predispositions.
• Describe the essential characteristics of insight learning, latent learning, and social learning.
• Apply learning principles to explain emotional learning, taste aversion, superstitious behavior, and learned
helplessness.
• Suggest how behavior modification, biofeedback, coping strategies, and self-control can be used to address
behavioral problems.
• Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning (e.g., Albert Bandura, John Garcia, Ivan Pavlov, Robert
Rescorla, B. F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike,
Edward Tolman, John B. Watson).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: PAVLOV’S LEGACY
TRAUMA AS CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
SKINNER’S LEGACY AND TRAINING OUR PARTNERS
MIRRORS IN THE BRAIN
BANDURA’S EXPERIMENTS
APPLICATIONS OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
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Unit VII. Cognition (8–10%); TEST 11/20
AP students will:
• Complete active problem-solving puzzles and apply research in cognition and memory by doing hands-on
activities
•Compare and contrast various cognitive processes:
— effortful versus automatic processing;
— deep versus shallow processing;
— focused versus divided attention
• Research attention-related and memory/cognitive disorders and describe common treatment methods.
• Describe and differentiate psychological and physiological systems of memory (e.g., short-term memory,
procedural memory).
• Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of memories and create a
memory timeline that showcases poignant memories in their lives.
• Describe strategies for memory improvement.
• Synthesize how biological, cognitive, and cultural factors converge to facilitate acquisition, development, and use
of language.
• Identify problem-solving strategies as well as factors that influence their effectiveness.
• List the characteristics of creative thought and creative thinkers.
• Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., B.F. Skinner, Noam Chomsky, Hermann Ebbinghaus,
Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
THE PHENOMENON OF MEMORY
STUDYING MEMORY: INFORMATION PROCESSING MODELS
FORGETTING
MEMORY CONSTRUCTION: DISCERNING TRUE AND FALSE MEMORIES
IMPROVING MEMORY
WHAT IS COGNITION?
SOLVING PROBLEMS, MAKING DECISIONS AND FORMING JUDGMENTS
LANGUAGE STRUCTURE ANDLANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
THE BRAIN AND LANGUAGE: LANGUAGE INFLUENCES THINKING
THINKING IN IMAGES; CREATIVITY
WHAT DO ANIMALS THINK?DO ANIMALS EXHIBIT LANGUAGE?
THE CASE OF THE APES
Unit VIII. Motivation and Emotion (6–8%); TEST 12/11
AP students will:
• Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals (e.g.,
instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
• Discuss the biological underpinnings of motivation, including needs, drives, and homeostasis.
• Compare and contrast motivational theories (e.g., drive reduction theory, arousal theory, general adaptation
theory), including the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Describe classic research findings in specific motivation systems (e.g., eating, sex, social)
• Discuss theories of stress and the effects of stress on psychological and physical well-being.
• Compare and contrast major theories of emotion (e.g., James–Lange, Cannon–Bard, Schachter two-factor
theory).
SOME HOT TOPICS
INSTINCTS AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
DRIVES AND INCENTIVES; OPTIMUM AROUSAL
A HIERARCHY OF MOTIVES
THE NEED TO BELONG: MOTIVATION AT WORK
I/O PSYCHOLOGY AT WORK; PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY
ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: MOTIVATING ACHIEVEMENT
DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD: “THE GREAT EXPERIMENT”
EMOTIONS: EMBODIED, EXPRESSED, EXPERIENCED
GENDER, EMOTION, AND NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR
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CULTURE AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
THE EFFECTS OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
HOW TO BE HAPPIER
THE RELAXATION RESPONSE
MANAGING STRESS: PETS ARE FRIENDS, TOO
Cumulative Review: Five days of reinforcement through activities, free-response, discussion, and
practice tests. TERM EXAMS 12/18 AND 12/19
THIRD NINE WEEKS:
Unit IX. Developmental Psychology (7–9%); TEST 1/21
AP students will:
• Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural variations) in the determination of behavior.
• Explain the process of conception and gestation, including factors that influence successful fetal development
(e.g., nutrition, illness, substance abuse).
• Discuss maturation of motor skills.
• Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment and appropriate socialization.
• Explain the maturation of cognitive abilities (e.g., Piaget’s stages, information processing).
• Compare and contrast models of moral development (e.g., Kohlberg, Gilligan).
• Discuss maturational challenges in adolescence, including related family conflicts.
• Characterize the development of decisions related to intimacy as people mature.
• Predict the physical and cognitive changes that emerge as people age, including steps that can be taken to
maximize function.
• Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
• Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert Bandura, Diana Baumrind,
Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev
Vygotsky).
SOME HOT TOPICS
CONCEPTION TO OLD AGE: THE WORLD’S A STAGE.
NATURE/NURTURE: HOW DO GENETIC INHERITANCE AND EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE DEVELOPMENT?
CONTINUITY/STAGES: IS DEVELOPMENT A GRADUAL, CONTINUOUS PROCESS OR DOES IT PROCEED THROUGH SEPARATE
STAGES?
STABILITY/CHANGE: DO OUR EARLY PERSONALITY TRAITS PERSIST THROUGH LIFE, OR DO WE BECOME DIFFERENT PERSONS
AS WE AGE?
AUTISM AND “MIND-BLINDNESS”
PARENTS AND EARLY EXPERIENCES
CULTURE AND THE SELF
GENDER SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
THE NATURE OF GENDER AND THE NURTURE OF GENDER
Unit X. Personality (5–7%); TEST 2/2
AP students will:
• Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality: psychoanalytic, humanist,
cognitive, trait, social learning, and behavioral.
• Describe and compare research methods (e.g., case studies and surveys) that psychologists use to investigate
personality.
• Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory [MMPI], the
Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the
instruments.
• Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development, especially as it relates to selfconcept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic cultures).
• Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae,
Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
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THE PERSPECTIVES
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT) AND RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST
FACEBOOK AND THE BIG FIVE FACTORS
ASSESSING BEHAVIOR IN SITUATIONS
THE BENEFITS OF SELF-ESTEEM
Unit XI. Testing and Individual Differences/Intelligence (5–7%);
AP students will:
TEST 2/13
• Define intelligence and list characteristics of how psychologists measure intelligence:
— abstract versus verbal measures;
— speed of processing.
• Discuss how culture influences the definition of intelligence.
• Compare and contrast historic and contemporary theories of intelligence (e.g.,Charles Spearman, Howard
Gardner, Robert Sternberg).
• Explain how psychologists design tests, including standardization strategies and other techniques to establish
reliability and validity.
• Interpret the meaning of scores in terms of the normal curve.
• Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (e.g., gifted, cognitively disabled).
• Debate the appropriate testing practices, particularly in relation to culture-fair test uses.
• Identify key contributors in intelligence research and testing (e.g., Alfred Binet, Francis Galton, Howard Gardner,
Charles Spearman, Robert Sternberg, Louis Terman, David Wechsler).
SOME HOT TOPICS
IS INTELLIGENCE ONE GENERAL ABILITY OR SEVERAL SPECIFIC ABILITIES?
THE ORIGINS OF INTELLIGENCE TESTING
MODERN TESTS OF MENTAL ABILITIES
PRINCIPLES OF TEST CONSTRUCTION
GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON INTELLIGENCE
GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN INTELLIGENCE TEST SCORES
THE QUESTION OF BIAS
Unit XII. Abnormal Behavior (7–9%); TEST 3/4
AP students will:
• Describe contemporary and historical conceptions of what constitutes psychological disorders.
• Recognize the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the
American Psychiatric Association as the primary reference for making diagnostic judgments.
• Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders, mood disorders,
schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and dissociative disorders, and their corresponding
symptoms.
• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of various approaches to explaining psychological disorders: medical
model, psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and sociocultural.
• Identify the positive and negative consequences of diagnostic labels (e.g., the Rosenhan study).
• Discuss the intersection between psychology and the legal system (e.g., confidentiality, insanity defense).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
DEFINING AND UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
CLASSIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS: THE NEW DSM
THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT: ADHD
RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
THE MEDICAL MODEL: THE BRAIN IS A BODY PART
THE VALUES IN ACTION CLASSIFICATION OF STRENGTHS QUESTIONNAIRE, A.K.A. THE “UN-DSM”
Cumulative Review: Four days of reinforcement through activities, free-response, discussion, and
practice tests. TERM EXAMS 3/12 AND 3/13
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FOURTH NINE WEEKS:
Unit XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior (5–7%); TEST 3/26
AP students will:
• Describe the central characteristics of psychotherapeutic intervention.
• Describe major treatment orientations used in therapy (e.g., behavioral, cognitive, humanistic) and how those
orientations influence therapeutic planning.
• Compare and contrast different treatment formats (e.g., individual, group).
• Summarize effectiveness of specific treatments used to address specific problems.
• Discuss how cultural and ethnic context influence choice and success of treatment (e.g., factors that lead to
premature termination of treatment).
• Describe prevention strategies that build resilience and promote competence.
• Identify major figures in psychological treatment (e.g., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis, Sigmund Freud, Mary Cover
Jones, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Joseph Wolpe).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
MODERN THERAPY: OUT OF THE DARK AGES IN THE HISTORY OF TREATMENT
CULTURE AND VALUES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
CLOSE-UP: A CONSUMER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOTHERAPISTS
BIOMEDICAL TREATMENT
THERAPEUTIC LIFE-STYLE CHANGES
PREVENTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Unit XIV. Social Psychology (8–10%); TEST 4/20
AP students will:
• Apply attribution theory to explain motives (e.g., fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias).
• Describe the structure and function of different kinds of group behavior (e.g., deindividuation, group
polarization).
• Explain how individuals respond to expectations of others, including groupthink, conformity, and obedience to
authority.
• Discuss attitudes and how they change (e.g., central route to persuasion).
• Predict the impact of the presence of others on individual behavior (e.g., bystander effect, social facilitation).
• Describe processes that contribute to differential treatment of group members (e.g., in-group/out-group
dynamics, ethnocentrism, prejudice).
• Articulate the impact of social and cultural categories (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity) on self-concept and relations
with others.
• Anticipate the impact of behavior on a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Describe the variables that contribute to altruism, aggression, and attraction.
• Discuss attitude formation and change, including persuasion strategies and cognitive dissonance.
• Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon Festinger, Stanley Milgram, Philip
Zimbardo).
SOME HOT TOPICS!
SOCIAL THINKING: ATTRIBUTING BEHAVIOR TO PERSONS OR TO SITUATIONS
SOCIAL INFLUENCE: CONFORMITY AND OBEDIENCE, GROUP INFLUENCE, THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS
SOCIAL RELATIONS:ONLINE MATCHMAKING AND SPEED DATING
ALTRUISM, CONFLICT AND PEACEMAKING
AGGRESSION AND PREJUDICE
PARALLELS BETWEEN SMOKING EFFECTS AND MEDIA VIOLENCE EFFECTS
THE BIG Cumulative Review: Nine days of reinforcement through activities, free-response,
discussion, and practice tests. TERM EXAMS 3/12 AND 3/13
AP PSYCH EXAM is Monday, May 4th at noon.
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REMINDER – SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS PROCEDURES
WILL BE AVAILABLE DAILY VIA MY WEBSITE.
Some of the assignments and projects we will complete during the course (most are regularlyoccurring for each unit and term) are:
Autobiography
The autobiography will be assigned the first week of classes. It not only serves to tell the story of the individual, but to allow the
student to explore his life in terms of nature vs. nurture.
Unit Journals
You will continue writing in your double-entry journals approximately twice each week (or as directed) throughout the course.
These journals facilitate deep processing of learning and differentiation of instruction by encouraging critical thinking and
independent exploration. They also provide an additional forum for me to give feedback to guide individual students. Entries
must be linked to the unit that is being studied and contain the following elements:
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student reflection on readings and notes
class discussions and activities
personal experiences
recent news or television broadcasts, or
internet research
Online Practices and Quizzes
Worth Publishers has provided a superb site that allows you to study and complete practices for each chapter. I will give you
details about login and procedures during term I and you will be expected to use this as a part of your regular study routine.
Instructor Website
I have a website that I regularly update with necessary information and lagniappe information that will aid you during the scope
of this course. Once you find it, be sure to bookmark the page so that you can return to it easily. If you are absent, this should be
the first place you look to find assignments, handouts, links, etc.
Team Building and Class Collaboration
Working in teams and collaborating with your classmates is a huge part of the social success of this class. The more memories
you make with your classmates while you study, the more likely you will be to remember the concepts you were working on. Be
sure to meet the people around you and introduce yourself to people with whom you are not familiar. By working together,
whether it be by copying notes because of an absence or leaning on a buddy to explain a difficult concept, you can not only learn
about psychology, but also about yourself and others during the process.
Forward Thinking/Present Tense/Looking Back
Each chapter and unit students will incorporate elements of future chapters in their studies whilst reflecting on current issues,
prior knowledge, and cross-curricular studies. This will be incorporated into journals, free-responses, class discussions, and
other projects and presentations. For example, when studying the biological basis of behavior, you would uncover how sleep
disorders have a biological impact on the brain’s functioning; research the principles behind the design and success of The Brain
and Cognitive Sciences Complex (BCSC) at MIT, the largest neuroscience center in the world; or analyze the novel Lord of the
Flies from your English class in terms of Freudian theory. “Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards.”-- Philosopher
Søren Kierkegaard, 1813–1855
Flashcards
You will create flashcards for major vocabulary terms, concepts, and theorists. You are to use 3x5 lined cards written in your own
handwriting. The creation and use of flashcards is an excellent study tool; because of this, these will be graded and given back to
you. Later in the year you will be allowed to use digital flashcards using website generators such as Quizlet. As a general rule,
there will be approximately 100 cards per chapter, sometimes more.
Applications of Developmental Psychology
Students work in small groups to research a recent topic related to the unit on development (e.g., the benefits of Head Start
programs, effectiveness of sex or drug education programs, effects of divorce on children) and then present their findings to the
class in an oral report of 15 to 20 minutes. Groups must highlight research methods used and explain ethics involved with their
topic. The project uses library and online research tools in psychology as well as APA documentation. (Term III)
Ethics and Research
Students will watch classic and new studies on video and discuss the impacts of these studies on the field. You will engage in
class discussions to uncover other aspects to further research about these videos that your will share with the class. Topics
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follow each of the core objectives within the class (learning, memory, biological basis of behavior, etc.) Among some of the
selected videos are Schachter’s Affiliation Experiment, Does Self-Confidence Intimidate Others?, Ethics in Human Research:
Violating One’s Privacy, Ethics in Animal Research: The Sad Case of Booee the Chimp, The Boy Who was Made to Cry, and
Parkinson’s Disease: A Case Study. (Term I)
Team Teaching
Students will be assigned to teach aspects of the chapter reading to the class using varied methods that will engage others in fun
learning using reliable techniques. This will require the use of incentives, technology, audio/visual aids, and props. Students will
use fundamentals of learning and assessment to aid their presentations.
Class Debates, Discussions, and Fishbowls
The class will be assigned a controversial issue (such as Nature vs. Nurture) in psychology to research and then debate in class
using prior knowledge. Before debating, students will watch Nature Versus Nurture: Growing Up Apart, Designer Babies?, and
100 Years Old and Counting: Psychological and Biological Factors. Students will also engage in meaningful discussion on topics
assigned in reading, both as a class and in small groups (fishbowl).
Free Response Questions (FRQ’s)
Students will practice writing logical, coherent responses to issues that will require the connection of concepts, paradigms, and
schools of thought to situations in the real world using prior knowledge. These will be completed many times each term with new
sets of concepts to connect (see “Forward Thinking” above). This is a part of the AP examination.
Parenting Styles
Students will read background information on Diana Baumrind's Prototypical Descriptions of Three Parenting Styles and
research current findings and studies on this topic. Then as a class you will propose a new parenting style (or styles) of your own
creation, giving logical examples and descriptions based on your research.
Abstracts/ Research Summaries
You will research articles on topics related to the content/unit being studied using online databases or print copies of
professional journals or psychological magazines. Each student will be assigned a day (alphabetically) to present his or her
summary before class begins. Be prepared to discuss these with the class and not just present the information. Students will
email a typed summary and reaction to the article formatted in APA style. You will be expected to refer to these as prior
knowledge in written responses and FRQ’s. Formats can be found on my website.
Research Paper
You will research a topic of your choice (Which may not be during term 1). The final APA-formatted paper must develop an
original thesis on a controversial topic using adequate documentation and resources for a college-level assignment. Research
must be presented logically and coherently, while making connections to concepts learned in class and during independent
study.
Careers in Psychology
Students will select a field of psychology that interests them and research careers in that field. The research must be presented to
the class in PowerPoint format and include information such as job description, examples of places of employment, educational
requirements, sample work day description, famous or prominent persons in the field, and related careers.
Classroom Environment
Students will research the physical characteristics of learning environments and their emotional, cognitive and behavioral
consequences. You will discuss areas of psychology that relate most directly to classroom design and learning environments
(environmental, educational, human factors (engineering), industrial/organizational, and social psychology). As a team, your
goal is to actually change our room to create a classroom environment that produces positive emotional states and can be
expected to facilitate learning and the development of place attachment to your custom expectations. You will gather feedback
from other students/classes who use the room to gain insight as to the impact it has on their perceived experience.
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Important Schoolwide Dates:
Aug. 12 – Back to School Night/PTA
Meeting, 6 p.m. BHS Sports Arena
Aug. 8-13 – Class orientations during 1st
period beginning with 9th graders
Aug. 14 – Jostens Class Ring Delivery
Aug 18-19 – Club sign ups begin at lunch
Aug. 19 – Late buses begin T/Th
Aug. 22 – Shrimp Bowl Pep rally
Aug. 23 – Shrimp Bowl 7:30 pm
Aug. 26 – First Club Meetings after school
(every other Tuesday)
Aug. 27 – Last day for senior ads purchased
at registration to be submitted
Aug. 28 – Ninth grade class elections
Sept. 1 – Labor Day holiday, no school
Sept. 3– School Pictures in English Classes
Sept. 10 – Mid-term progress reports
Sept. 17 – Homecoming apps due
Sept. 25 – School Picture Retakes
Sept. 19 – First pep rally
Sept. 29-3 – SATP Re-tests
Oct. 3 – Practice ACT
Oct. 8 – SATP/PARCC Parent Night
Oct. 9-10 Term I Exams
Oct. 13 – No School, Columbus Day
Oct. 14, 15 – Homecoming decorating 3-5
Oct. 16 – WLOX Pep rally, 7:30 am
Oct. 17 – Homecoming pep rally
Oct. 17 – Senior portrait deadline for
current/returning and November 10 for new
students to BHS/newly classified seniors.
Call Broome Studio at 228-388-4390 to
schedule a sitting.
Oct. 18 – Homecoming Dance, 8-11
Oct. 20 – Term I Report Cards
Oct. 22 – National Buy Your Yearbook Day –
Indian Echo Pre-Sale-abration, Activity
Period
Oct. 24 – Jostens here in cafeteria to take
cap/gown orders
Oct. 27 – Senior Ad deadline: Sales began at
registration with discounted price. Although
they will accept ads until Dec. 17, there will
be a late fee of $25 for each ad sent after Oct.
27.
Dec. 16 – Last day to buy a yearbook for $70
Jan 9 – Yearbook staff recruitment info
meeting #1, 2:30-330
Jan 15 – Last day to put books on layaway
Jan 30 - Yearbook staff applications due
Jan. 15 - Last day to put books on
layaway/last day to buy books at school
Jan. 20 - Last day to pre-order yearbooks
online
March 12 – Last day to pay yb layaways in
full before deficiency list
April 24 – Yearbook Distribution &
Dedication