AP Psychology Summer Assignment
Study Guide: It’s highly recommended that you purchase the AP Psychology prep book 5 Steps to a 5 AP Psychology
(2014-2016 editions) by Laura Maitland, published by McGraw Hill. These are listed at Barnes & Noble for approximately
$15, but new/used copies can be found at amazon.com for as low as $3. You will use this book independently as a study
tool throughout the year as a supplementary textbook.
All summer work is due the first day of class.
Vocabulary (Part I) must be handwritten. Parts II and III may be typed or handwritten legibly. If I
can’t read it, I can’t grade it.
A rubric for each part can be found at the end of this document!
If you lack internet resources, you can connect your smartphone or iPad/iPod to any free public wi-fi
(this can be found at places like Starbucks, the Mall, and the Public Library). You can also reserve a
computer or check out psychology resources at the library.
Part I
VOCABULARY EXPECTATIONS
Using your AP prep book or internet resources (allpsych.com/dictionary or psychologydictionary.com), DEFINE each of
the bold terms below and give an ORIGINAL example of each term (do not use the examples from the text!).
Please number each term and keep them in order. This can be done on notecards or as a list/chart. There are 65 terms
here and close to 600 to know by the AP exam. It will be combined with your other summer assignments and count as a
test grade.
You must be 1 intrinsically motivated to be in this class for there are very few 2 extrinsic motivators. Hopefully you’ll get
in the 3 flow even before class begins because there is a 4 positive correlation between 5 happiness and higher test
scores. I’m certain that all of you did not miss the 6 critical period; therefore you should be able to use both 7 fluid
intelligence and 8 crystallized intelligence to find answers. Additionally, you will be using your 9 Broca’s area and 10
Wernicke’s area to communicate with everyone in our class while using correct 11 grammar, proper 12 syntax, 13
morphemes, and 14 phonemes. There will be all sorts of 15 transduction and 16 parallel processing happening in our
brains as we journey into the world of 17 Psychology. Our 18 hippocampi will be very busy as we 19 encode and find 20
storage for information. New information will undergo 21 assimilation and 22 accommodation in your 23 cognitive
schemas. You’ll be asked to 24 recall and 25 retrieve for the AP exam without the use of 26 artificial intelligence or other
assistance. Instead you can use 27 elaborative rehearsal techniques such as 28 mnemonics, 29 chunking, 30 imagery, and 31
acronyms to enhance your retention. Even though your 32 hormones may be raging and your 33 neurotransmitters
flowing, hopefully no one in our class will be suffering from 34 narcolepsy, 35 sleep apnea, 36 insomnia, 37 night terrors, 38
split brain, or a 39 lobotomy, as that will make 40 learning and studying very difficult to say the least! I can guarantee that
this class will test your ideas of what is and is not a 41 norm. I can also guarantee that this class will at times upset you, 42
conditioning you into 43 critical thinking, 44 self-disclosure, and into 45 belief perseverance. At the same time, this class
will enlighten you about those of us who may have 46 psychological disorders or 47 intellectual disabilities, and help to
remove our 48 fixations (non-Freudian definition here please), 49 functional fixedness, 50 prejudices, and 51 stereotypes.
But don’t have a 52 panic attack, even though we enter the world of the abnormal, we head right into 53 therapy to help
us solve some problems and may inspire us to be more 54 altruistic. Your 55 creativity will be valued in this class. Your 56
attitude is critical for success and 57 social loafing, slacking, procrastinating, copying or cheating are never good ideas.
Working together to pass the AP Exam is one of our 58 superordinate goals. By the time you walk into to the testing
room on Monday, May 2, 2016 you will have 59 self-efficacy because you will have learned that if you are confident in
your ability to get a 5, you will! So, have a wonderful summer. Keep your 60 neural networks going and be certain to
protect your 61 neurons, 62 brainstem, 63 limbic system, and 64 cerebral cortex safe as our brains have only so much 65
plasticity.
Part II
“What is a Perspective (School of Thought)?”
A perspective is a school of thought or a way of describing/viewing some phenomenon such as mental illness or
behavior.
Many topics in psychology can be viewed in a number of ways. For example, let’s consider the subject of aggression.
Someone who emphasizes a biological perspective would investigate how the brain and nervous system impact
aggressive behavior. A professional who stresses a behavioral perspective would investigate how environmental
variables reinforce aggressive actions. Another psychologist who utilizes a humanistic approach might consider that
behavior to be a choice with acceptable consequences, etc.
Complete the following IN A CHART FORMAT: (Typed in a legible font).
a. Research each perspective using one or more valid internet sites or your AP prep book.
b. Define each perspective IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
c. List any people associated with the founding of each perspective. Who are the notable psychologists in each
perspective?
d. In your OWN WORDS describe a “real life” example of each using a “real life” problem. (You may have to
research a bit to understand the concept enough to do this) Your conclusions may be incorrect – and that is
okay – it is your reasoning that I am seeking. In other words, you are answering the question “How is this
perspective applied (used) in real life situations?”
Example:
Real Life Application/Example: Schizophrenia can be described best by the Biological (Neuroscience)
perspective because research states that the ventricles of the human brain are larger in people with
schizophrenia. So, there’s a biological reason for the behavior of people with schizophrenia. Also medication
(which affects brain chemistry) can help relieve many symptoms of the disorder.
7 major perspectives in modern psychology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The Biological Perspective (Neuroscience)
The Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Perspective
The Behavioral Perspective
The Humanistic Perspective
The Cognitive Perspective
The Socio-Cultural Perspective
The Evolutionary Perspective
Sample Chart:
PERSPECTIVE
Biological
EXPLANATION OF
PERSPECTIVE
Explain in a complete
sentence.
WHO IS ASSOCIATED
WITH IT?
REAL LIFE APPLICATION/
EXAMPLE
Examples must be in
complete sentences.
Part III
FREE RESPONSE
Directions: Read and answer the essay question. The application of a particular psychological perspective is similar to
what you will experience on the AP exam. It is important to present a cogent (clear and organized) argument based on
your critical analysis of the questions posed, using the appropriate psychological terminology. A rubric with scoring
guidelines is provided.
Philip, single, 25 years old, unemployed, had been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Prior to the suicide attempt,
Philip had run into an old girlfriend and her new boyfriend. They had a few drinks together before Philip, in a jealous
rage stormed out of the restaurant. He began to think about how he could “pay her back.”
Several years before this attempt he had felt frequently depressed for brief periods of time. He was especially critical of
himself for his limited social life. He had never had a serious relationship because he became very critical of his
girlfriends and demanded that they always meet his every need. During the past 3 years a psychiatrist had given him a
drug that resulted in an unusual reaction requiring a hospital stay. Due to his hostile demands during his hospital stay he
left the hospital against medical advice.
Philip views his father as weak, ineffectual, and completely dominated by his (Philip’s) overbearing and cruel mother. He
hates his mother with a passion he can barely control due to harsh name calling and abuse endured during childhood.
He believes that his parents view him as lazy, irresponsible, and has a behavior problem. His parent state that Philip’s
problem began when his brother was born (Philip was 10 years old).
Philip doesn’t remember being difficult to discipline and states that his mother was once hospitalized for depression. As
an adult Philip has had difficulty keeping a job and has had innumerable interactions with teachers, friends, employers in
which he felt offended or unfairly treated.
 Describe/explain Philip’s behavior from each of the 7 perspectives (Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Humanistic,
Cognitive, Biological, Evolutionary, Socio-Cultural). Give specific examples.
 You don’t have to explicitly define the perspective again, but it should be evident from your response
that you understand it.
 How would each perspective explain why Philip has attempted suicide and experienced depression and
trouble interacting with others?
 Write in complete sentences!
Part I Scoring Rubric for Vocabulary (40 points)
All 65 terms defined?
65 examples or real word
applications?
NO POINTS if….
_____/20 points
0.3 points per term
_____/20 points
0.3 points per term
TOTAL:
Terms are not
numbered
Terms are out of
order
Definitions/Examples
have been copied
(not in your own
words)
Part II Scoring Rubric for “What is a Perspective?” Chart (21 points)
Explanation (1 pt)
Person/Group Associated (1 pt.)
Real World Ex/Application (1 pt.)
Biological
Psychodynamic
Behavioral
Humanist
Cognitive
Socio-Cultural
Evolutionary
Part III Scoring Rubric for Free Response (14 points)
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Psychodynamic approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Behavioral approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Humanistic approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Cognitive approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Biological approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Evolutionary approach.
Completely described/explained Philip’s behavior with specific examples according to the
Socio-Cultural approach.
__________/2 points
__________/2 points
__________/2 points
__________/2 points
__________/2 points
__________/2 points
__________/2 points