Bullis Upper School Summer Reading Assignment
Course: AP Psychology
Required Text: Opening Skinner’s Box by Lauren Slater
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ISBN-10: 0393326551
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ISBN-13: 978-0393326550
Available: Mbsdirect.com and amazon.com
Assignment:
 Read required text and annotate carefully.
 Pick five chapters and answer the questions for that chapter. Each
answer should be one paragraph, use proper grammar and
punctuation, and demonstrate that you read the chapter. Please be
sure to include details to support your answers and to illustrate your
understanding of the book. In addition, share thoughtful insights,
opinions and your perspective with evidence. Try to be creative and
original in your answers.
 Discuss viewpoints in class in a discussion group.
Assignment Goals:
To expose students to ten classic psychology experiments in the last
century.
To have students relate the psychological research to their own lives and
to society.
Expectations:
 I expect that each student will read the book and complete the
assignment by the first day of class.
 I expect that each student will bring a typed hard copy of the
assignment to the first day of class.
 I expect that each student will share their perspective and opinions
about the book during the first few days of class.
Assessment
 This assignment will be worth 100 points: 10 points for each chapter
completed.
Rubric:
For each chapter:
10: Fully answered all questions. Used powerful supporting details from
the text to illustrate their understanding of the book. Supported his or her
perspective with thoughtful insights and evidence. Included creative and
original ideas.
5: Answered questions. Used some details for support. Provided some
support for his or her perspective. Ideas were average.
1: Did not fully answer the questions. Did not use details for support. Did
not offer his or her perspective. Ideas were not original or creative.
Chapter 1: B.F. Skinner’s Rat Race
What did Skinner find were the most effective ways of shaping
behavior? Is it evil for the government to use the shaping techniques like
Skinner’s to make its citizens more virtuous?
Chapter 2: Stanley Milgram and Obedience to Authority
Why were almost two-thirds of Milgram’s subjects willing to deliver what
they believed to be a lethal shock to a complete stranger? What types of
people were most willing to deliver the lethal shock? What would you have
done?
Chapter 3: On Being Sane in Insane Places
What, if anything, did Rosenhan’s experiment prove? What, if anything, did
Slater learn about psychiatry today in her reenactment of Rosenhan’s
experiment?
Chapter 4: Darley and Latane’s Training Manual—A Five Stage
Approach
What factors determine whether or not someone will help in an emergency
situation? Have you ever experienced the “bystander effect” or have you
ever intervened in an emergency? Describe either situation and compare it
to one of the experiments or demonstrations in the chapter.
Chapter 5: The Experiments of Leon Festinger
Give an example of cognitive dissonance (real or just realistic) and
describe what you or others you’ve witnessed have done to reduce it?
Chapter 6: Monkey Love
According to Harlow’s experiments, what do infant monkeys need in order
to develop normally? Was the knowledge gained from this experiment
worth the suffering the animals were put through? In general what should
be the guidelines about experimenting on animals?
Chapter 7: Rat Park
What did the Rat Park experiment demonstrate? Do you agree with
Alexander’s conclusions about addiction? Why do you think his ideas are
not more widely accepted?
Chapter 8: Lost in the Mall
What does the Lost in the Mall experiment tell us about memory? Why are
the results so controversial? Is Loftus’ personal life relevant to her scientific
career?
Chapter 9: Memory Inc.
What is the role of CREB in our memories? Is the development of a perfect
memory drug something that the government should encourage or
discourage? If the pill existed, would you take it?
Chapter 10: Chipped: This Century’s Most Radical Mind Cures
Should psychosurgery be performed if the results are uncertain? Knowing
what we know now, should Moniz have been allowed to perform the
lobotomies that he performed? When is experimental surgery ethical?