A.P. Psychology Content Outline
Semester One:
Unit 1 – Introduction to Psychology: History, Approaches & Methods
 Defining Psychology as a science
 Importance of empirical evidence
 Psychology's Goals
 Early Development of Psychology - Wundt, Structuralism, Functionalism,
Behaviorism, Gestalt, Psychoanalysis, Humanism - contributions to
modern psychology
 Modern Perspectives - Psychodynamic, Behavioristic, Humanistic,
Biopsychological, Cognitive, Sociocultural
 Specialties in Psychology - basic vs. applied research subfields; major areas
of specialization, training for psychologists; comparison to psychologyrelated fields
 Scientific Research - Scientific method; Methodologies: naturalistic
observation, correlational, experimental, clinical, survey; benefits and
problems of each method
 Ethics of animal and human research, code of conduct
 Parapsychologies and psuedopsychologies
Chapter 1
(3 weeks)
Unit 2 – Biological Bases of Behavior
 Neurons - parts/ structure, nerve impulses/action potentials,
neural communication, synapses and neurotransmitters
 Nervous System - major divisions, functional organization of
Central NS and Peripheral NS; subsystems, spinal cord, types
of neurons
 Methods of Studying the Brain - electrical stimulation and
recording: deep lesioning, ESB, EEG: scans: CT, MRI, PET;
clinical studies, ablation
 Brain Structure - organization/function of brain areas, parts;
cerebral cortex: importance to human intelligence; hemispheres,
hemispheric specialization, lobes, association areas, split-brain
studies; subcortex: hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
 Endocrine System - glands: pituitary, pineal, thyroid, adrenal, testes
and ovaries - their location and function, hormones, impact of
over/under activity interaction with the nervous system
Chapter 2
(4 weeks)
Unit 3 – Developmental Psychology
 Methodology - longitudinal vs. cross-sectional studies
 Child Development - nature vs. nurture argument; interaction between
both factors
 Genes and Chromosomes - transmission of inherited traits, genetic
programming
 Environment - critical periods, prenatal influences, childbirth, deprivation
Chapters 3-4
(3 weeks)
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vs. enrichment
Neonates - reflexes, development tied to maturation; early development
in motor, emotional, social, language and cognitive areas; attachment;
maternal and paternal influences: roles, parenting styles, child discipline;
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Gender and Gender Roles
Life-Span Development - Erikson's Stages of Crisis
Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood
Moral Development - Kohlberg's theory
Unit 4 – Sensation, Perception & Consciousness
 Sensation - psychophysics: absolute, difference thresholds,
Weber's law, perceptual defense, subliminal perception
 Structure and operation of the sensory systems (5 senses)
 Sensory adaptation, selective attention, sensory gating
 Perception - perceptual constancies, perceptual organization,
Gestalt Principles, depth perception, perceptual learning;
effect of attention, motive, values, etc. on perception
 Consciousness - States of consciousness
 Sleep and Dreaming: functions of sleep, stages of sleep,
sleep disturbances, dream theories
 Hypnosis - hypnotic susceptibility, inducement, effects
 Sensory deprivation
 Drug-Altered Consciousness - effect on brain, dependency;
types and effects of depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens;
addiction
Chapters 5-7
(3 weeks)
Unit 5 – Learning, Cognition, Intelligence
 Learning - Classical Conditioning: Pavlov's experiments,
processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery,
generalization, discrimination, desensitization
 Learning - Operant Conditioning: role of reinforcement, Skinner's
experiments, types/timing of reinforcers, shaping, feedback,
punishment
 Learning - Cognitive Learning: Cognitive maps, latent learning,
discovery learning, observational learning, Bandura's experiments
 Biological influences on learning
 Memory - Stages of memory, types of memory, memory tasks,
forgetting, memory formation
 Cognition - mental imagery, concept formation, types of concepts,
language structure and acquisition, problem-solving, creative thinking
 Intelligence - Defining intelligence; testing reliability, validity and
standardization
 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, IQ, Weschler Tests; IQ ranges,
classifications, and variations, controversy regarding IQ testing
 Intelligence - Nature vs. Nurture
 Intelligence - general intelligence vs. multiple intelligence theory -
Chapters 8-11
(5 weeks)
Spearman, Gardner, Sternberg
Semester Two:
Unit 6 – Motivation & Emotion
 Categories of motives - primary (biologically based), stimulus
(stimulation/information), secondary (learned)
 Hunger - physiological factors, cultural influences; obesity,
eating disorders
 Other primary motives: thirst, pain, sex drive
 Stimulus motives - arousal theory, levels of arousal, Yerkes-Dodson
law, circadian rhythms
 Secondary motives - opponent-process theory, social motives,
need for achievement, need for power
 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
 Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
 Primary emotions - Plutchik's theory
 Physiology of emotion - Autonomic Nervous System effects
 Theories of Emotion - James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, SchachterSinger
 Attribution, appraisal
 Facial Feedback Hypothesis - Darwin, Izard, Ekman
 Contemporary model of emotion
 "Emotional Intelligence"
 Gender and Sexuality - sexual development, gender identity,
origins of male-female differences, gender roles, androgyny,
arousal, sexual orientation
 Stress - appraising stressors, responses to stress, defense
mechanisms
 Types of conflicts - approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance,
approach-avoidance, multiple conflicts
 Stress and health - biological responses, stress management
Chapt. 12,13,15
(3 weeks)
Unit 7 – Personality
 Personality - defining, traits, types, self-concept
 Trait theories - Eysenck, Allport, Cattell, Big Five model
 Classification of traits
 Heredity and personality traits
 Psychoanalytic Theory - Freud, interactions of Id, Ego, and
Superego, psychosexual stages of development
 Psychodynamic Theories - Adler, Horney, Jung
 Learning Theories of Personality - Behaviorial and Social
Learning theories - Bandura, Millard and Dollard
 Humanistic Approach - Maslow, Rogers, self-actualization,
congruence, humanistic view of development
 Personality assessment - methods: interview, direct observation,
Chapter 14
(3 weeks)
 situational testing, questionaires, projective tests; Meyers-Briggs,
MMPI, Rorschach, TAT
Unit 8 – Abnormal Behavior & Psychological Disorders
 Defining "normal" vs. "abnormal"; core features of disordered
behavior
 Classification of mental disorders- DSM-IV-R
 Major categories of disorder - characteristics and possible causes:
childhood-diagnosed disorders, organic-cognitive disorders,
schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform,
dissociative disorders, personality disorders
 Risk factors for psychopathology - social, family, psychological,
biological factors
 Psychological perspectives as to causes of disorder - Psychodynamic,
Humanistic-Existential, Behavioristic, Cognitive
Chapter 16
(3 weeks)
Unit 9 – Treatment & Modes of Therapy
 Psychotherapy -dimensions of therapy (individual, group, insight,
action, directive, nondirective, time-limited, supportive)
 Origins of therapy
 Core features, effectiveness of psychotherapy
 Psychoanalysis - Freud's techniques: free association, dream
analysis, analysis of resistance, analysis of transference; modern
psychoanalysis
 Humanistic Therapies - Client-centered therapy, Existential therapy,
Gestalt therapy
 Behavioral Therapies - Behavior modification, Aversion therapy,
Desensitization, Non-reinforcement and Extinction, Reinforcement
and Token Economies
 Cognitive Therapy - Changing thinking patterns; cognitive therapy for
depression, Rational-emotive behavior therapy
 Medical (Somatic) Therapies - for major mental disorders pharmacotherapy (drug treatment), electroconvulsive therapy (shock
treatment), psychosurgery (lobotomy, deep lesioning), hospitalization,
deinstitutionalization, community mental health programs
Chapter 17
(3 weeks)
Unit 10 – Social Psychology
 Social roles, group structure, cohesion and norms
 Attribution theory, fundamental attribution error, actor-observer
bias, double standards
 Need for Affiliaton - Social Comparison Theory - Festinger
 Factors influencing interpersonal attraction - proximity, physical
attractiveness, competence, similarity, self-disclosure, gender,
Social Exchange theory
 Social Influence - conformity - Asch experiment; groupthink - Janis;
social power; obedience - Milgram's experiment; compliance
 Attitude formation, measurement
chapters 18-19
(2 weeks)
 Attitude Change - persuasion, role-playing, Cognitive Dissonance
Theory - Festinger; brainwashing, cults
 Prejudice and Discrimination - development, scapegoating,
prejudice-prone personality, inter-group conflict, stereotypes
 Aggression - explanations for: instincts, biology, frustration,
aversive stimuli, observation, desensitization to violence
 Altruism - bystander effect