AP Pscyh
Month
September
Content
Text
History and Approaches
 Pre-scientific
psychology
 Psychological science
develops
 Schools of thought
 Psychology’s subfields
Unit 1
Research Methods
 Scientific method
 Critical thinking
 Experimentation
 Descriptive methods
 Statistical reasoning
 Ethical guidelines
Essential Questions
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Unit 2
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Skills
What is psychology
and what makes it a
science?
How do the schools of
psychology
complement each
other?
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How do researchers
study behavior and
analyze the results?
It is ethical to
experiment on
animals?
Is it ethical to deceive
research study
participants?
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September/
October
Biological Basis of Behavior
 Neural
communication
 Nervous System
 Brain
 Endocrine System
 Genetics
 Evolutionary
Psychology
Unit 3
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How do the structures
of the brain control
mental process and
behavior?
How does the brain
function after trauma
and adapt to injury?
How does
evolutionary
psychology explain the
tendency for genetic
adaptation?
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Examine early
psychologists’ efforts to
understand the structures
of the mind
Analyze the different
perspectives from which
psychologists examine
behavior and mental
processes
Describe the relationship
between psychological
theories and scientific
research
Identify the basic elements
of an experiment
Explain why correlational
research fails to prove
cause-and-effect
Describe the pros and cons
of using the three measures
of central tendency when
analyzing research results
Explain how nerve cells
communicate
Describe the functions of
the lower, mid and higher
level brain structures
Discuss the capacity of the
brain to reorganize
following illness or injury
Analyze the impact of
evolutionary history on
genetically predisposed
behavior tendencies
Evaluate the positive
attributes and criticisms of
Activities and Alternate
Assessments
 Schools of psychology hand
mnemonic
 Analysis of the behavior of
an outrageous celebrity
 Ethical guidelines case
studies
 Thinking critically: the
Monty Hall problem
demonstration
 Demonstration and analysis
of a flawed experiment
 Empirically testing a
popular advertising slogan
through experimentation
activity
 Project: interview a
psychologist working in one
of psychology’s subfields
 Project: conduct a
naturalistic observation
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Human neuron chain
demonstration
Neuron mnemonic
The brain while you’re
driving a car activity
Project: silhouette with a
view poster
Assignment: research
report on new findings in
the field of
neuropsychology
evolutionary psychology
October
Sensation and Perception
 Five senses
 Body position and
movement
 Selective attention
 Illusions
 Perceptual
organization
 Perceptual
interpretation
 ESP
Unit 4
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How do we gather
information from the
environment through
our senses?
How do the five
senses function?
How do cues in the
environment help
perception?
How does experience
affect perception?
Can we always trust
our senses and
perceptions?
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November
Learning
 Classical conditioning
 Operant conditioning
 Punishments vs.
rewards
 Observational learning
Unit 6
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November
Cognition
Memory
 Information
processing
Unit 7
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What are the key
differences between
classical and operant
conditioning?
Is punishment
effective in deterring
unwanted behavior?
Do rewards influence
human behavior to
the point that they
diminish free will?
How did early
behaviorists attempt
to establish
psychology as a
science?
Is memory accurate?
How is information
stored and retrieved?
What is the physiology
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Contrast the processes of
sensation and perception
Describe the effects of
noise on hearing and
behavior
Analyze the nature of
sensory interaction
Describe Gestalt
psychology
Describe perceptual
constancies and their
influence on illusions
Analyze the role of nature
and nurture in perception
Explain the importance of
context and experience in
perception
Explain the difference
between classical and
operant conditioning
Identify the different types
of reinforcers and
schedules of reinforcement
Discuss the importance of
cognitive processes’ impact
on behavior
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Describe memory in terms
of information processing
and distinguish among
sensory, short-term and
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Identify the scent lab
Video clips on change
blindness and inattention
blindness
Analysis of artwork using
perceptual cues
ESP demonstrations
Project: presentation on
one of the five senses
Assignment: create an
optical illusion based on
perceptual constancies and
environmental cues
Classically conditioning a
member of the class
Using operant conditioning
to lead a member of the
class to perform a simple
task
Lab activity: implicit
associations test,
conditioning Pavlov’s dog
and other learning
exercises
Project: choose a behavior
to modify
Short-term memory
demonstration
The memory chain/game of
telephone demonstration
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Encoding
Sensory, short-term,
long-term memory
Retrieval
Forgetting and
amnesia
Repressed and
recovered memories
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Thinking and Language
 Thinking
 Problem solving
 Making decisions
 Language structure
 Language
development
 Animal thinking and
language
December
December
States of Consciousness
 Waking consciousness
o Sleep and dreams
o Rhythm of sleep
o Sleep disorders
 Dreams
 Hypnosis
 Drugs and
consciousness
o Dependence and
addiction
o Psychoactive drugs
 Near-death
experiences
Motivation, Emotion and
Stress
 Instincts and
evolutionary
psychology
 Drives and incentives
 Hierarchy of needs
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Unit 5
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Unit 8
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behind forgetting?
Can forgotten
memories be
recovered?
Are repressed
memories valid?
How are decisions
made?
How much do
emotions interfere
with decision-making?
Do animals possess
language?
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Why do we dream?
Is hypnosis valid and
effective?
How do drugs affect
mental processing and
everyday functioning?
What is addiction?
Do people really “see
the light at the end of
the tunnel” in near
death experiences?
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What higher and
lower level
motivations influence
our behavior?
Do emotions serve a
purpose or are they a
hindrance?
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long-term memory
Analyze the implications
presented when viewing
memory as reconstructive
Evaluate the positive and
negative implications of
current
neuropsychologicallyfocused memory research
Discuss how our beliefs
distort logical reasoning
Describe the structure of
language
Analyze the nature/nurture
debate in terms of language
acquisition
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Contrast conscious and
subconscious information
processing
Describe the cyclical nature
and possible functions of
sleep
Identify the physiological
and psychological effects of
drugs
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Define motivation and
identify several theories of
motivated behavior
Describe Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs
Discuss physiological and
cultural influences on
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of constructed memory
Context and memory
demonstrations
Information processing:
stops on a train
demonstration
Project: compare
recollection of a memory at
different points in time
Assignment: readings on
the research of Elizabeth
Loftus and Eric Kandel
Dream interpretation
activity
Video clips on the various
uses of hypnosis
Psychoactive drugs
computer lab activity
Project: Sleep and dreams
log analysis
Assignment: “Ice Kube”
addiction simulation
Design your own Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs
Ostracism demonstration
“Harry” screen test to
express emotion through
expression, not words
Excerpts from Blink on
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January
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Hunger
Sex
Belonging
Theories of emotion
Physiology
Non-verbal
communication
Fear
Anger
Happiness
Stress
Developmental Psychology
 Prenatal development
 Infancy and childhood
 Gender
 Social development
 Moral development
 Adolescence
 Adulthood
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How does society
influence the
expression of
emotions?
How can we achieve
happiness?
What can we do to
minimize the negative
impact stress can have
on our health?
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Unit 9
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Are we products of
nature or nurture?
Are gender
differences a product
of genetics or society?
How are the elderly
viewed and valued?
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January
Personality
 Psychoanalytic
perspective
 Humanistic
perspective
 Trait perspective
 Social-Cognitive
perspective
 The Self
 The unconscious mind
Unit 10
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Are personalities
constant over time or
do they change with
new experiences?
Do personality tests
really assess
personality?
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hunger and sex
Identify three components
of emotion
Describe the relationship
between physiological
states and specific
emotions
Identify the types of
stressors and the stages of
the general adaptation
syndrome
Summarize the impact of
stress on health
Discuss the impact of
physical maturation on
children’s memory and
motor skills
Describe Piaget’s view of
how the mind develops
Identify Erikson’s stages of
social development
Explain Kohlberg’s theory of
moral development
Summarize current views
regarding continuity versus
stages and stability versus
change
Describe Freud’s view of
personality structure in
terms of the Id, Ego and
Superego
Analyze the contributions
of Neo-Freudians
Describe the humanistic
perspective
Discuss research regarding
the consistency of behavior
over time and across
situations
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reading microexpressions
Meditation session
Assignment: analysis of
motivation in advertising
Assignment: biodot
biofeedback reflection
Project: research a topic
presented in the chapter
Analyze song lyrics to
determine which stage of
Erikson’s social
development they fit
Living will activity and
reflection on mortality
Assignment: design a
Piagetan task to try on a
preschooler
Assignment: aging
simulation and write-up
Project: Baby Book
assignment
Kiersey Temperament
sorter, MMPI, TAT,
Rorschach and other
personality tests
Analysis of fictional
characters’ personalities
from the various
perspectives
Defense mechanisms skits
Project: personality
analysis paper
February
Testing and Individual
Differences
 Assessing intelligence
 Test construction
 Cultural bias
 Group differences
 Genetic influences
 Environmental
influences
 Extremes of
intelligence
Unit 11
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Is there one form of
intelligence?
Can creativity be
assessed by a test?
Are intelligence tests
culturally biased?
What accounts for the
differences in
intelligence scores?
Can intelligence be
faked?
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Discuss whether
intelligence should be
considered a general
mental ability or may
specific abilities
Discuss whether
intelligence tests are
culturally biased
Describe group differences
in intelligence tests
Discuss the stability of
intelligence scores
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March
Abnormal Psychology
 Defining and
classifying
 DSM-IV
 Anxiety disorders
 Mood disorders
 Dissociation
 Schizophrenia
 Personality disorders
 Prevalence
Unit 12
Therapy
 Psychoanalysis
 Humanistic
 Behavioral
 Cognitive
 Biomedical therapies
o Drugs
o Surgery
o Electroconvulsive
Unit 13
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What defines
“normal” and
“abnormal” behavior?
What is the most
common disorder?
How does society view
the mentally ill?
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Is there one type of
treatment that works
best for each
disorder?
Why do therapists use
an eclectic approach
when treating
patients?
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Identify the criteria for
judging whether behavior is
psychologically disordered
Describe the aims of the
DSM-IV
Describe the prevalence
and symptoms of various
disorders and the timing of
their onset
Evaluate the benefits of
and problems related to
diagnostic labeling
Discuss the rationale and
benefits of group therapy
Describe the commonalities
and differences among the
psychotherapies
Identify the common forms
of drug therapy
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Divergent thinking/creative
intelligence activity: find
various uses for common
objects
Intelligence tests:
Australian, AustralianAmerican, Chitling
Analysis of the various
intelligences in fictional
characters and real life
figures
Assignment: design an
intelligence test, avoiding
cultural bias and testing for
all types of intelligence
Project: design a lesson
around one of Gardner’s
multiple intelligences
Case studies of mentally ill
patients
Reading on the Rosenhan
pseudopatient study
Therapy skits
Project: Fractured Fairytale
April
April
Social Psychology
 Attitudes and actions
 Conformity and
obedience
 Social relations
o Prejudice
o Aggression
o Conflict
o Attraction
o Altruism
Unit 14
AP Exam Review
All units
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How do attitudes
influence actions?
Why is conformity
valued so highly in
society?
Why are people
attracted to each
other?
Do opposites really
attract?
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Identify the conditions
under which attitudes have
a strong impact on actions
Explain the foot-in-the-door
phenomenon
Discuss the results of
experiments on conformity
Discuss how group
interaction can facilitate
group polarization and
groupthink
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May/June
Final Project
Any unit
or
multiple
units
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Why study
psychology?
How does psychology
apply to our everyday
lives?
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Analyze an aspect of
psychology
Apply terminology for
multiple units in the final
project
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Evaluation of your teacher’s
personality based on
situational influences
Milgram and Stanford
Prison Experiment original
footage
Demonstrations of a social
trap, groupthink and group
polarization
Assignment: violate a
social norm
Student-created summary
outlines of each unit
Review games by unit
Choice of projects, with
approval and some general
requirements