A.P. Psychology
Unit Outlines
Instructions:
Throughout A.P. Psychology, there will be 14 Units, each having a duration of
approximately 8-12 school days (1.5-2.5 weeks). For each Unit in A.P. Psychology,
you will be required to complete a Unit Outline.
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Unit Outlines should contain the following elements:
o Heading:
 Determined by the headings in the textbook (followed by a
question)
o Subheadings:
 General Topics
o Specific Key Information:
 Concepts
 Terms
 People
 Experiments
 Examples
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The number of headings in each unit will determine the number of headings
required in that unit’s outline
o For example, the Prologue contains 6 headings:
 Each heading begins with a question that can be answered within
that section. The first heading is “Psychological Science is Born,”
and is followed by the question “When and how did psychological
science begin?”
 In your outline, below each heading, you should create subheadings with general information, followed by specific key
information found in that section of the unit.
 For the Prologue, your outline should include 6 headings.
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Tips for writing Unit Outlines:
o Skim the textbook unit
 Skim the unit, paying close attention to the bold or italic words,
which indicate key terms and people
 Determine how many headings are in the unit, as this will
determine the number of headings in your outline
 Having a basic understanding of the unit content will better
help you organize your outline
o Read the unit
 Read the unit before writing your outline
 Feel free to write down brief notes or page numbers to refer to
late, as you read the unit
o Write your outline
 After reading the unit, use your notes to begin writing your
outline
 Use the textbook headings as the headings for your outline
 Include subheadings to organize general topics, followed by
specific information, including key concepts, terms, people,
experiments, and examples
o Search for the main ideas
 Search for the main ideas and subjects as you re-read the unit
 Under each heading, add subheadings, including key
information to elaborate on the subject
o Adhere to outline format
 Headings should be indicated by capitalized Roman numerals
(e.g. I., II., III.)
 Subheadings should be indicated by capitalized letters (e.g. A.,
B., C.)
 Subsequent subheadings should be indicated by Arabic
numerals (e.g. 1., 2., 3.) followed by lowercase letters (e.g. a.,
b., c.)
 See unit outline example
o Revisit the unit
 Revisit the unit once more after you finish writing your outline
to ensure that you have not missed any important information

Unit Outline Example:
I. Psychological Science is Born (“When and how did psychological science begin?”)
A. Psychology’s Beginnings
1. Philosophy
a. The study of the meaning of life
b. Aristotle
c. Ancient Greece: 300 B.C.
2. Early Schools of Psychology
a. Structuralism and Functionalism
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. Germany: 1879
B. Thinking About the Mind’s Structure
1. Structuralism
a. An early school of psychology that used introspection to
explore the structural elements of the human mind
b. Edward Bradford Titchener
c. Introspection
2. Functionalism
a. A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and
behavioral processes function – how they enable us to adapt,
survive, and flourish
b. William James
c. Charles Darwin
II. Psychological Science Develops (“How did psychology continue to develop from
the 1920’s through today?”
Requirements:
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Handwritten
Legible/Neatly Written
Completed Individually
Punctual (“On time”) or Early Submission