HONORS PSYCHOLOGY
I.
NATIONAL STANDARDS (American Psychological Association):
Students successfully completing Honors Introduction to Psychology will meet objectives
selected from the following standards consistent with course content for one semester:
1. METHODS: The student will be able to define the science of psychology, describe its
history, identify methods for examining behavior and mental processes, and review scientific
careers available.
(Introduction, Research Methods)
2. BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL: The student will be able to explain how the brain processes
information and how the body adapts to the demands of its environment.
(Neuroscience, Sensation/Perception, Motivation and Emotion, Stress/Health)
3. COGNITIVE: The student will be able to identify the importance of understanding the
cognitive processes.
(Learning, Memory, Thinking/Language, States of Consciousness)
4. DEVELOPMENTAL: The student will be able to identify individual, group, and cultural
similarities and differences in processes that occur in life.
(Developing Person)
5. SOCIOCULTURAL: The student will be able to identify individual abilities and
characteristics are measured, scientific explanation for personality, investigate patterns of
behavior considered deviant, methods of diagnosis/treatment, identify how social and cultural
contexts influence behavior.
(Personality/Assessment, Psychological Disorders, Treatment of Psychological Disorders, Social
Psychology)
HONORS PSYCHOLOGY
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
*Entire Course = 21st century skill – HL
PHILOSOPHY: The philosophy of this class is to introduce the students to the basic
concepts of psychology through class discussions, group activities and visual
demonstrations so they will understand how psychology relates to their own lives and be
prepared to deal proactively with psychological issues in the lives of their loved ones or
themselves.
TEXTBOOK: PSYCHOLOGY PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE, HOLT—2007
WEB SITE: go.hrw.com and click on Social Studies, then Psychology, then our
textbook name
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER 1—WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY: (4 CLASSES)
What is psychology, what different approaches to psychology are there, and what
career options are there for me in psychology?
1

CHAPTER 2—PSYCHOLOGICAL METHODS (2 CLASSES)
How is basic research conducted and what ethical issues do psychologists face?
UNIT 2: BODY AND MIND

CHAPTER 5—CONSCIOUSNESS (6 CLASSES)
What is consciousness, what happens when we sleep and dream, how do we
change our level of consciousness through meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, and
what effect do drugs have on our consciousness?
UNIT 3: LEARNING

CHAPTER 6: LEARNING (5 CLASSES)
How do we learn how to act? How are we conditioned by our active experiences and
what we see others do? How do we train animals?
UNIT 4: COGNITION

CHAPTER 7—MEMORY (5 CLASSES)
How does our memory work, and how can we improve our memory?
UNIT 5: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 10—INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD (5 CLASSES)
How do we develop physically, cognitively and socially when we are babies and
children?

CHAPTER 11—ADOLESCENCE (3 CLASSES)
How do we develop physically and socially during adolescence, and how do we
form our identity?
UNIT 6: HEALTH AND ADJUSTMENT

CHAPTER 17—STRESS AND HEALTH (2 CLASSES)
What is stress, what causes stress, and how can we cope constructively with the
stresses in our lives?

CHAPTER 18—PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS (5 CLASSES)
What are psychological disorders and how do we determine whether someone has
one? What are anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders,
mood disorders and schizophrenia?
OUTCOMES FOR PSYCHOLOGY: Upon completion of this course, the student
should be able to:
2
1. The student will be able to define the science of psychology, describes its history,
identify methods for examining behavior and mental processes, and review
scientific careers available.
(Introduction, Research Methods)
2. The student will be able to explain how the brain processes information and how
the body adapts to the demands of its environment.
(Neuroscience, Sensation/Perception, Motivation and Emotion, Stress/Health)
3. The student will be able to identify the importance of understanding the cognitive
processes.
Learning, Memory, Thinking/Language, States of Consciousness)
4. The student will be able to identify individual, group, and cultural similarities and
differences in processes that occur in life.
(Developing Person)
5. The student will be able to identify individual abilities and characteristics are
measured, scientific explanation for personality, investigate patterns of behavior
considered deviant, methods of diagnosis/treatment, identify how social and
cultural contexts influence behavior.
(Personality/Assessment, Psychological Disorders, Treatment of Psychological
Disorders, Social Psychology)
3