AP Psychology Syllabus 2014-2015
Course Objectives
This class is designed to provide students with content equivalent to that of an introductory level college class.
Additionally, this course will teach and encourage students to use critical thinking skills and to apply a scientific
approach to understanding human behavior and mental processes.
Resources for AP Psychology:
Textbook: Myers’ Psychology for AP, First Edition, 2011
Supplements:
Past AP Exams
Magazine and Journal articles
The Human Brain, Rita Carter, 2009
Ciccarelli/White Psychology, Third Edition
Videos/primary resources
Grading Policy
Quarterly grades: 20%
Midterm Exam: 10%
Final Exam: 10%
While using a total points system, this is the approximate breakdown of assessment weight per marking period:
Tests: 50%
Projects: 20%
Quizzes: 20%
Operational Definitions (homework): 10%
Descriptions of assessments:
---Tests will typically be given at the end of each unit and will reflect the AP Psychology Exam with multiple
choice questions and one essay question. Approximately 100 points each
---Quizzes will usually consist of 15 multiple choice questions or 1 writing response. 30 points each
---Projects will consist of specific themes from a chapter to further reflect on the topic. All projects must be
presented in APA style format. 50 points each.
---Homework will consist of students completing operational definitions by defining and applying vocabulary
terms throughout the units. 10 points each.
Anticipated assessments for each grading period
Test
Quizzes
Operational
Definitions
1,2,3A,3B,3C, 4
Projects
MP1
1,2,3,4
2, 3A, 4
Brain, Illusion,
Summer Reading
Drug, Role Model
MP2
6,7,8
5,6,7A,8A
5,6A, 6B, 7A, 7B,
8A
Midterm
MP3
MP1-MP2
9,10,11
9,10,11,12
Development, Mirror
MP4
Final Exam
14
MP1-4
9,10,11,
12/13
14
13,14
Character Analysis
The numbers in each category refers to a unit in the text book
Course Outline
Topic
History &
Approaches
Duration:
2 blocks (also
includes summer
assignments)
Research
Types of
research
Duration:
4 blocks
Biology &
Behavior
Duration:
9 blocks
Sensation &
Perception
Duration:
5 blocks
Consciousness
Duration:
2 blocks
Learning
Duration:
6 blocks
Cognition
Duration:
7 blocks
Motivation &
Emotion
Duration:
6 blocks
Objectives
Explain the roots of psychology and how it has changed since its birth
Distinguish the differences between structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology and
behaviorism and explain how each influenced modern day psychology
Identify and explain the impact of significant historical figures in psychology such as 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
Use each of the following perspectives to explain behavior: biological, evolutionary,
psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, social-cultural
Explain the purpose of different types of research: case study, naturalistic observation,
survey, correlation, experiment
Explain research design and how it is applied to research in psychology
 Distinguish the difference between causation and correlation
 Compute simple statistics such as mean, medium, mode, charting graphs, measure central
tendency and standard deviation
Explain the importance of operational definitions
Properly apply the usage of operational definitions
Distinguish the difference between dependent and independent variables
Describe how and why ethical guidelines are used
Describe the parts and functions of neurons, the endocrine system, and the nervous systems.
Identify the major regions of the brain
Describe the functions and behaviors associated with each region of the brain
Discuss how research has impacted our knowledge of the brain (case studies: Phineas Gage,
split brain surgeries, brain imaging etc)
Explain how drugs interact with the body and brain, specifically how drugs work with
neurotransmitters
Discuss how heredity and genetic predispositions influence behavior
Explain how sensory perception is a cognitive process
Explain and distinguish the differences among sensory transduction, absolute threshold,
difference threshold, signal detection and sensory adaptation
Identify the pathways in the brain for each sense
Describe concepts of depth perception, perceptual constancies, and cues
Explain how Gestalt psychology contributed to the understanding of perception
Label parts of the eye and ear
Describe the sleep cycle
Explain sleep and dream theories
Identify major sleep disorders
Identify drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, withdrawal
Describe the process of classical conditioning and operant condition; identity the
unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned
response
Explain: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination
Label parts of the eye and ear Explain and give examples of observant learning
Describe the effects of punishment, reinforcement, and its relation to behavior
Identify the contributions by Albert Bandura, Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike,
John B. Watson
Distinguish the abilities and many faults of memory
Identify problem solving skills, algorithms, and heuristic
Explain acquisition, development and usage of language
Describe implicit/explicit memory
Identify the contributions by Noam Chomsky, Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Kohler,
Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller
Compare, Contrast and Identify Motivational Concepts and Theories
Explain biological bases for motivation, hunger, and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation
Explain the influence of culture on motivation (reward systems)
Explain the role of neuroscience in motivation and emotion
Assessments
Exam
Quiz
Exam
Quiz
Exam
Brain Project
Quiz
Exam
Illusions
Project
Quiz
Drug Project
Quiz
Exam
Role Model
Project
Quiz
Exam
Quiz
Exam
Course Outline Continued
Topic
Developmental
Duration:
6 blocks
Personality
Duration:
7 blocks
Intelligence
Duration:
5 blocks
Abnormal
Behavior and
Treatment
Duration:
3 blocks
Social
Psychology
Duration:
5 blocks
Objectives
Explain the impact and debate of Nature v Nurture
Explain conception and gestation
Explain maturation
Identify stages of infancy through adulthood
Define attachment, socialization, culture
Explain the physical and cognitive stages of development
Identify contributions by Mary Ainsworth, Albert Bandura, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud,
Lawrence Kohlberg, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky
Identify and provide examples of the approaches: psychoanalytic, humanist, cognitive, trait,
social learning, behavior
Asses research methods and assessments
Explain the influence of culture on personality
Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa, Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung,
Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers
Explain the assessments used to measure intelligence
Identify the differences between abstract and verbal, speed of processing
Explain the role of cultural influences and biases on intelligence tests
Alfred Binet, Howard Gardner, Charles Spearman, Robert Sternberg, Louis Terman, David
Wechsler
Explain the purpose of the DSM and problems with diagnostic labeling
Identify anxiety and somatoform disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, personality
disorders, and dissociative disorders
Identify psychotherapeutic intervention
Compare and Contrast behavioral, cognitive, humanistic therapy
 Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis, Sigmund Freud, Mary Cover Jones, Carl Rogers, B.F. Skinner,
Joseph Wolpe
Explain social thinking, power of the situation, attitudes and actions
Identify fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias
Identify structure and function of group behavior
Explain social influences, conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram) and authority,
prejudice, scapegoating, attraction,
Describe the bystander effect and social exchange theory
Assessments
Quiz
Exam
Development
Portfolio
Project
Quiz
Exam
Mirror BFI 54
Project
Quiz
Exam
Quiz
Character
Analysis
Project
Quiz
Exam
Project Descriptions

Brain
o Students will create a proportionate model of the brain with explanation of functions.

Illusions
o Students will choose 2 illusions and explain what sense it is influencing and what is causing the
illusion.

Drug
o Students will be assigned a topic related to a drug and will explain the effects on the body .

Role Model
o Students will observe a person who possesses a skill the student admires and wants to improve.
After observing the behaviors and conducting an interview, students will report what they
learned to change their own behavior to be more like their role model.

Development Portfolio
o Students will create questions and then interview a person experiencing a developmental
milestone, a follow-up report will conclude if the person fit into the expectations for his/her
developmental range.

Mirror, BFI-54
o After taking the BFI-54, students will create a mask (mirror image) representing their personality
as the BFI-54 measured.

Character Analysis
o Each student will select a movie from an instructor-approved list, or suggest a character and
receive instructor approval. The student will then list symptoms, diagnose, and develop a
treatment plan for one of the characters.