2009-10 AP Psychology
2020-21 AP Psychology Course Syllabus
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement Program offers a course and exam in psychology for motivated students who would like to study a college-level course while still in high school. College credit may be acquired upon completing the AP Psychology exam, depending on a student's exam score and whether a given college/university accepts the AP Program.
Purpose of AP Psychology
The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of humans 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 learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
Course Objectives
• Describe the major theories currently used by psychologists of the past/present.
• Explain how these theories were/are applied to the study of behavior and mental processes.
• Define the core concepts and terminology of psychology.
• Apply concepts and terminology to popular/scholarly articles and to everyday life.
• Recall the different methods psychologists use to study behavior and mental processes.
• Interpret data that is extracted through experimental methods of study.
• Evaluate the design, reliability, and validity of past and current studies.
• Participate in critical and analytical thinking skills.
Text
Myers, D. G. (2018). Psychology For The AP Course, 3rd Edition. Bedford, Freeman & Worth.
This is David Myers’ 3rd edition of the updated AP Psychology textbook. It is by far the most widely used book by AP Psychology teachers. The language in the book is accessible, and Myers uses clear explanations of difficult concepts. An additional resource that offers excellent information and practice unit quizzes & reviews can be found at myers.
The AP Psychology exam will be given the afternoon of Tuesday, May 11th (late exam is available if necessary). The exam consists of two sections, a 70 minute multiple choice section and a 50 minute free response section. The multiple choice section contains 100 questions. The free response section contains 2 written sections that contain 7-8 specific vocabulary terms that must be used in the free response section. **All exam procedures and structures are subject to change depending on the pandemic and whether or not we are still doing in-person school or are forced into an online system.**
By taking the AP exam, you are not just distinguishing yourself in high school and in the college admissions process; you are building the critical thinking, time management, and perseverance skills you will need throughout your experience in college. As this is an AP designated course, you are expected to take the corresponding AP exam in May. Although you may be able to earn college credit by passing the AP exam, you should focus on the learning of the course to prepare you to be a successful learner in college.
The cost for each exam is $95 or $0 for those who qualify for fee reduction (must qualify by November 6, 2020; prices subject to change). Payment plans, additional fee assistance, and scholarships are available if needed. All fees will be placed on the student’s fee account with the school and can be paid through the webstore on the school website or in person in the financial office. Payment for exams should be made by Friday March 26th, 2021.
To register for exams students must register online using myap. by Friday, October 30th, 2020. Any additions after October 30th, 2020 will incur a fee of $40. If you are registered for an exam but chose to not take the exam you will not be charged. If you decide you want to take an exam after the deadline you may not be able to take the exam.
For questions or concerns please contact Amy Zulauf, Assistant Principal, 970-348-5410, azulauf@ or Zach Armstrong, AP Coordinator, zarmstrong@.
College Board Materials
Materials that will be utilized include:
• Various AP Psychology exams as well as other support materials provided by the College Board at the 2010 Cherry Creek AP Summer Institute.
• Various course information, practice exam resources, special focus materials, curriculum information, lesson plans, and teaching strategies from the AP Central Psychology web page.
Homework
Students will be required to maintain an adequate textbook reading schedule so as to succeed on the quizzes that will be given at the end of each week.
Research Projects
Each semester students will be expected to conduct a research project. Students will observe a human behavior, create a theory, formulate a testable hypothesis, and then test the hypothesis using an appropriate psychological methodology (i.e. experiment, survey, natural observation, interview, etc).
Grading
Students will be assigned grades based on the following scale: A (100-90%), B (89-80%), C (79-70%), D (69-60%), F (59-0%)
Grades will be weighted based on the following criteria: Exams 70%, Daily/Homework 20%, and Participation 10%
Exams consist of QUIZZES (weekly) and Unit Tests (Bi-Monthly). **Participation grade will be calculated at the end of each semester. Students begin each semester with a full 180 points for their semester participation grade. Students lose points from this 180 based on the following criteria: Unexcused absence is minus 10pts. each Tardies are minus 5pts. each.
AP Exam
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. Random guessing is unlikely to improve test scores on the multiple choice section because one-fourth of the number of questions answered incorrectly will be subtracted from the number of questions answered correctly. If you can eliminate incorrect choices it might be advantageous to guess from the remaining choices. The free-response question will evaluate your mastery of scientific research principles and ability to make connections among constructs from different psychological domains. You may be asked to identify a general problem in psychology using concepts from different theoretical frameworks or sub domains in the field, or to design, analyze, or critique a research study. – The College Board
The topics on the AP exam are as follows (the percentage listed is the frequency that this topic will appear on the multiple choice section of the AP Exam):
History and Approaches 2-4% Research Methods 8-10%
Biological Basis of Behavior 8-10% Sensation and Perception 6-8
Cognition 8-10% Motivation and Emotion 6-8%
Developmental Psychology 7-9% Personality 5-7%
Testing and Individual Differences 5-7% Abnormal Psychology 7-9%
Treatment for Psychological Disorders 5-7% Social Psychology 8-10%
Curriculum Outline
Unit 1-History and Approaches / Research Methods
A. Psychology's Roots
B. Psychological Science Develops (historical development of psychology as a social science)
C. Psychology's Biggest Question
D. Psychology's Three Main Levels of Analysis (biopsychosocial approach)
E. Psychology's Subfields (psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, evolutionary, neurological)
F. Did We Know It All Along? Hindsight Bias / Overconfidence (sources of bias and error)
G. The Scientific Attitude / Critical Thinking
H. The Scientific Method (psychological theories guide scientific research)
I. Descriptive Methods (case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation)
J. Correlational Methods (positive/negative correlation, prediction versus cause-effect relationships, illusory correlations, order perception in random sequences)
K. Experimentation (isolation of cause and effect, sampling and control)
L. Describing Data (statistical principles, graphs, measures of central tendency, effects of extreme scores, measures of variation)
M. Making Inferences (principles for making generalizations from samples, deciding whether differences are meaningful)
N. FAQs About Psychology (use of simplified laboratory conditions, generalization of psychological research across cultures and genders, ethics of psychological experimentation and practice, influence of personal values on research and application, psychology's potential to manipulate people)
Unit 2-Biological Bases of Behavior
A. Introduction (justification of studying human biology, phrenology theory)
B. Neurons (neuron structure, generation of neural impulses)
C. How Nerve Cells Communicate
D. How Neurotransmitters Influence Us (neurotransmitters, drugs and other chemicals)
E. The Nervous System
F. The Peripheral Nervous System / The Central Nervous System (parts and function)
G. The Endocrine System (nature and function of the endocrine system and its interaction with the nervous system)
H. The Tools of Discovery: Having Our Head Examined (techniques for studying the brain)
I. Older Brain Stuctures (components of the brainstem, functions of the brainstem, thalamus, and cerebellum, structures and functions of the limbic system, control of the pituitary gland)
J. The Cerebral Cortex (structure of the cerebral cortex, functions of the four lobes, functions of the motor cortex and the sensory cortex, importance of the association areas, the brain's plasticity)
K. Our Divided Brain (split-brain research, functions of right/left hemispheres, brain organization and handedness)
Unit 3-Sensation and Perception
A. Sensing the World: Some Basic Principles (sensation and perception, and bottom-up/top-down processing)
B. Thresholds (absolute/difference thresholds, and subliminal/unchanging stimuli)
C. The Stimulus Input: Light Energy (characteristics of visible light)
D. The Eye (process by which the eye converts light energy into neural messages, processes that occur as information travels from the retina to the brain's cortex)
E. Visual Information Processing (parallel processing and its role in visual information processing)
F. Color Vision (Young-Helmholtz and opponent-process theories)
G. The Stimulus Input: Sound Waves / The Ear (auditory process, stimulus input, structure and function of the ear, place and frequency theories, pitch perception, pinpointing sounds)
H. Hearing Loss and Deaf Culture (two types of hearing loss, cochlear implants and Deaf culture)
I. Touch (sense of touch, kinesthesis and vestibular sense)
J. Pain (purpose of pain, biopsychosocial approach to pain)
K. Taste / Smell (sense of taste and smell, sensory interaction.
L. Perceptual Organization (Gestalt psychology)
M. Form Perception (perceptual grouping in form perception)
N. Depth Perception (binocular and monocular cues)
O. Motion Perception (basic assumptions in our perceptions of motion, deception)
P. Perceptual Constancy (perceptual constancies and meaningful patterns)
Q. Sensory Deprivation and Restored Vision / Perceptual Adaptation (restored vision, sensory deprivation, perceptual adaptation, nature-nurture interplay in our perceptions.
R. Perceptual Set (perceptual set, differing perceptions in different contexts)
S. Perception and the Human Factor (creating user-friendly machines and physical environments)
T. Claims of ESP (three most testable forms of ESP)
U. Premonitions or Pretensions / Putting ESP to Experimental Test (skepticism of ESP claims)
Unit 4-States of Consciousness
A. Introduction (consciousness in the history of psychology)
B. The Brain and Consciousness / Cognitive Neuroscience (contributions of cognitive neuroscience)
C. Dual Processing (two-track mind, selective attention, unattended stimuli)
D. Biological Rhythms and Sleep (circadian rhythm, sleep cycle stages)
E. Why Do We Sleep? (individual differences in sleep duration, effects of sleep loss, reasons we need sleep)
F. Sleep Disorders
G. Dreams (content of dreams, major perspectives on why we dream)
H. Facts and Falsehoods (susceptibility to hypnosis, effect of hypnosis on people's memory, will, health, and perception of pain)
I. Explaining the Hypnotized State (arguments for and against hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness)
J. Dependence and Addiction (drug dependence/addiction, misconceptions about addiction)
K. Psychoactive Drugs (effect of depressants on nervous system activity and behavior, alcohol use/abuse, major stimulants, stimulants effect on neural activity/behavior, physiological/psychological effects of hallucinogens, effects of LSD/marijuana)
L. Influences on Drug Use (biological/psychological/social-cultural factors that contribute to drug use)
M. Near-Death Experiences (debate over whether it is an altered state of consciousness)
Unit 5-Learning
A. Sensing the World: Some Basic Principles (sensation and perception, bottom-up and top-down processing)
B. Thresholds (absolute and difference thresholds, subliminal and unchanging stimuli)
C. The Stimulus Input: Light Energy (characteristics of visible light)
D. The Eye (eye converts light energy into neural messages, levels of processing)
E. Visual Information Processing (parallel processing)
F. Color Vision (Young-Helmholtz and opponent-process theories)
G. The Stimulus Input: Sound Waves / The Ear (auditory process, place and frequency theories, pitch perception, pinpointing sounds)
H. Hearing Loss and Deaf Culture (hearing loss, cochlear implants, Deaf culture)
I. Touch (sense of touch, kinesthesis and vestibular sense)
J. Pain (purpose of pain, biopsychosocial)
K. Taste / Smell (sensory interaction)
L. Perceptual Organization (Gestalt psychology)
M. Form Perception (perceptual grouping in form perception)
N. Depth Perception (binocular and monocular cues)
O. Motion Perception (basic assumption we make, how perceptions of motion can be deceiving)
P. Perceptual Constancy (organize our sensations into meaningful patterns)
Q. Sensory Deprivation and Restored Vision / Perceptual Adaptation (nature-nurture interplay)
R. Perceptual Set (different perceptions in different contexts)
S. Perception and the Human Factor (user-friendly machines and physical environments)
T. Claims of ESP (most testable forms of ESP)
U. Premonitions or Pretensions / Putting ESP to Experimental Test (skepticism of ESP claims)
Unit 6-Cognition
A. Introduction (learning)
B. How Do We Learn? (forms of learning)
C. Classical Conditioning (behaviorism)
D. Pavlov’s Experiments (adaptive value of acquisition, higher-order conditioning, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination)
E. Extending Pavlov’s Understanding (cognitive processes and biological predispositions)
F. Pavlov’s Legacy (understanding of learning and to improvements in human health and well-being)
G. Operant Conditioning (contrasting classical conditioning from operant conditioning.
H. Skinner’s Experiments (operant conditioning, shaping procedure, reinforcers, schedules of reinforcement, punishment and negative reinforcement, drawbacks of punishment, cognitive processes and biological predispositions, controversy over Skinner's views, applying operant conditioning principles)
I. Contrasting Classical and Operant Conditioning
J. Learning by Observation / Bandura’s Experiments
K. Applications of Observational Learning (prosocial modeling)
Unit 7-Motivation
A. Intro (motivation)
B. Motivational Concepts (four perspectives)
C. A Hierarchy of Motives (Maslow)
D. The Physiology of Hunger (physiological determinants of hunger)
E. The Psychology of Hunger (psychological, cultural, and situational influences on hunger, eating disorders)
F. Obesity and Weight Control (research findings)
G. The Physiology of Sex / The Psychology of Sex (human sexual response cycle, sexual disorders, sexual motivation and behavior)
H. Adolescent Sexuality (factors, sexually transmitted infections)
I. Sexual Orientation (homosexuality, environmental and biological influences)
J. Sex and Human Values (values in sex research)
K. The Need to Belong (social attachments, healthy and unhealthy consequences)
L. Motivation at Work (flow, industrial-organizational psychology)
M. Personnel Psychology (employee selection, work placement, performance appraisal)
N. Organizational Psychology: Motivating Achievement (motivating employees, fostering employee satisfaction)
O. Managing Well (effective management techniques)
Unit 8-Emotion
A. Theories of Emotion (components of emotion, James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, two-factor theory)
B. Emotions and the Autonomic Nervous System (emotional arousal, arousal and performance)
C. Physiological Similarities Among Specific Emotions / Physiological Differences Among Specific Emotions (physiological states and specific emotions)
D. Thinking Critically About: Lie Detection (polygraph in detecting lies)
E. Cognition and Emotion (experiencing emotions prior to conscious thought)
F. Detecting Emotion (nonverbal)
G. Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior
H. Culture and Emotional Expression
I. The Effects of Facial Expressions (emotional experience)
J. Experienced Emotion (basic emotions, differentiating emotions)
K. Fear (ways we learn fear, biological components of fear)
L. Anger (causes and consequences of anger, catharsis hypothesis)
M. Happiness (causes and consequences of happiness, duration of emotions)
N. Stress and Health / Stress and Illness (pervasiveness of stress, behavioral medicine, response to stressful events, “fight-or-flight”, general adaptation syndrome, health consequences)
O. Stress and the Heart (heart disease, Type A/Type B personalities)
P. Stress and Susceptibility to Disease (psychophysiological illness, immune system functioning)
Q. Coping With Stress (coping, lack of control can affect health, outlook on life)
R. Managing Stress (aerobic exercise, biofeedback, relaxation training, meditation, complementary/alternative medicine, religiosity)
Unit 9-Developmental Psychology
A. Introduction (areas of change that developmental psychologists study, major issues in developmental psychology)
B. Conception / Prenatal Development (prenatal development, teratogens, abilities of the newborn)
C. The Competent Newborn / Physical Development (brain and motor abilities during infancy and childhood, earliest memories)
D. Cognitive Development (Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, current views)
E. Social Development (nourishment/body contact/familiarity and infant social attachment, secure and insecure attachment, basic trust, parental neglect/family disruption/day care and attachment patterns/development, children's self-concept, parenting styles)
F. Adolescence
G. Physical Development (physical changes during adolescence)
H. Cognitive Development (adolescents' reasoning abilities/moral development, according to Piaget and Kohlberg, emotional intuitions and moral judgments)
I. Social Development (Identify Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development, identity and intimacy, parental and peer influences during adolescence)
J. Emerging Adulthood
K. Physical Development (physical/sensory changes in middle adulthood and later life)
L. Cognitive Development (impact of aging on memory and intelligence)
M. Social Development (adult development relationship with chronological age, importance of love/marriage/children/work in adulthood, life satisfaction across the life-span, reactions to death)
N. Continuity and Stages / Stability and Change
Unit 10-Personality
A. Introduction (personality)
B. The Psychoanalytic Perspective (Freud)
C. Exploring the Unconscious (id, ego and superego, psychosexual stages, fixation, defense mechanisms)
D. The Neo-Freudian and Psychodynamic Theorists (contrast with Freud)
E. Assessing Unconscious Processes (assessing personality)
F. Evaluating the Psychoanalytic Perspective (current assessment of Freud’s theory)
G. Abraham Maslow’s Self-Actualizing Person / Carl Rogers’ Person-Centered Perspective
H. Assessing the Self (assessing personality)
I. Evaluating the Humanistic Perspective (major criticisms)
J. The Trait Perspective (personality types)
K. Exploring Traits (research efforts)
L. Assessing Traits (personality inventories)
M. The Big Five Factors (trait dimensions)
N. Evaluating the Trait Perspective (person-situation controversy)
O. The Social-Cognitive Perspective
P. Personal Control (personal control, learned helplessness, optimism)
Q. Assessing Behavior in Situations (realistic situations)
R. Evaluating the Social-Cognitive Perspective (major criticism)
S. Exploring the Self (justifying research)
T. The Benefits of Self-Esteem (human well-being)
U. Self-Serving Bias (evidence, defensive/secure self-esteem)
Unit 11-Testing and Individual Differences
A. What is Intelligence? (defining intelligence, reify intelligence)
B. Is Intelligence One General Ability or Several Specific Abilities (Gardner’s and Sternberg’s theories)
C. Intelligence and Creativity (factors)
D. Emotional Intelligence (aspects, criticisms)
E. Is Intelligence Neurologically Measureable? (intelligence and brain anatomy, perceptual speed, neural processing speed, intelligence.
F. The Origins of Intelligence Testing (history)
G. Modern Tests of Mental Abilities (aptitude/achievement tests, WAIS)
H. Principles of Test Construction (standardized psychological tests, distribution of scores, reliability/validity)
I. Stability or Change? (life span)
J. Extremes of Intelligence
K. Twin Adoption and Studies (genetic)
L. Heritability
M. Environmental Influences
N. Group Differences in Intelligence Test Scores (gender, ethnic, genetic, environmental)
O. The Question of Bias (bias, stereotype threat phenomenon)
Unit 12-Abnormal Psychology
A. Defining Psychological Disorders (criteria)
B. Thinking Critically About: ADHD (diagnosis)
C. Understanding Psychological Disorders (medical model, biopsychosocial approach)
D. Classifying Psychological Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)
E. Labeling (dangers, benefits)
F. Anxiety Disorders
G. Generalized Anxiety Disorders / Panic Disorder
H. Phobias
I. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
J. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (survivor resiliency)
K. Understanding Anxiety Disorders (learning and biological perspectives)
L. Somatoform Disorders
M. Dissociative Disorders
N. Dissociative Identity Disorder
O. Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder (diagnosis)
P. Mood Disorders
Q. Major Depressive Disorder / Bipolar Disorder
R. Understanding Mood Disorders
S. Symptoms of Schizophrenia (delusions and hallucinations)
T. Subtypes of Schizophrenia (Table 14.3)
U. Onset and Development of Schizophrenia (chronic/acute)
V. Understanding Schizophrenia (brain, prenatal viral infections, genetic, early warning signs)
W. Personality Disorders (three clusters)
X. Antisocial Personality Disorder / Understanding Antisocial Personality Disorder
Y. Rates of Psychological Disorders (prevalence pf psychological disorders, poverty)
Unit 13-Treatment of Psychological Disorders
A. Introduction (psychotherapy, biomedical therapy, eclectic approach)
B. Psychoanalysis (aims, methods, criticisms)
C. Humanistic Therapies (basic characteristics, Carl Rogers)
D. Behavior Therapies (exposure therapy, aversive conditioning, operant conditioning, behavior modification)
E. Cognitive Therapies (cognitive therapy vs. cognitive-behavior therapy, depression)
F. Group and Family Therapies (rationale, benefits)
G. Is Psychotherapy Effective? (overestimation of effectiveness, misperceptions)
H. The Relative Effectiveness of Different Therapies
I. Evaluating Alternative Therapies (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, light exposure)
J. Commonalities Among Psychotherapies (benefits)
K. Culture and Values in Psychotherapy
L. Close Up: A Consumer’s Guide to Psychotherapists (selecting a therapist)
M. Drug Therapies (psychopharmacology, double-blind studies, antipsychotic, antianxiety, antidepressant, mood-stabilizing drugs)
N. Brain Stimulation / Psychosurgery (treatment)
O. Therapeutic Life-Style Change
P. Preventing Psychological Disorders (mental health programs)
Unit 14-Social Psychology
A. Introduction (main focuses of social psychology)
B. Attributing Behavior to Persons or to Situations (fundamental attribution error)
C. Attitudes and Actions
D. Conformity and Obedience (chameleon effect, Asch, Milgram)
E. Group Influence (social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, polarization, groupthink)
F. The Power of Individuals (minority positions that sway majorities)
G. Prejudice (overt/subtle prejudice, social factors, scapegoating, cognitive processes)
H. Aggression (psychology’s definition, biological influences, social-cultural triggers, video games)
I. Attraction (proximity, physical attractiveness, similarity, physical arousal, enduring companionate love)
J. Altruism (bystander intervention, social exchange theory, social norms)
K. Conflict and Peacemaking (social traps, mirror-image perceptions, reducing conflict)
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