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Textbook:
Advanced Placement Psychology
Mr. N. Scott Bruins
nathan.bruins@scott.kyschools.us
www.mrbruins.com
Myers, David G. (2011). Myers’ Psychology for AP. (1st ed.). New York, Worth
Publishing, 2011.
“"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change."
- Carl Rogers
Welcome to Advanced Placement Psychology! I hope everyone is looking forward to the 2014-2015
school year! I am excited about our endeavor and I know that although it will be challenging, we will all enjoy
this year very much! This is a college level course that uses a college level textbook. You will be treated as
responsible intellectuals and I will expect you to be committed to learning the mechanics of psychology. Many
concepts we will study will be fun & exciting, some dry & foundational, and others with seriousness & maturity.
The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the
behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students will be exposed to the
psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. A
goal of this course is to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college
introductory psychology courses, in addition to preparing students for the AP Exam.
In this course, students will be expected to understand objective, empirical methods of collecting and
interpreting data, make meaningful interconnection between disparate concepts and analyze, evaluate and
critique thematic perspectives. Content will include, but not be limited to, methods, biological basis of behavior,
sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, cognition, motivation and emotion, developmental
psychology, personality, testing for intelligence and personality, abnormal psychology, treatment of disorders,
and social psychology. The course outline will adhere to the guidelines of the College Board.
This college level course will expand your knowledge, challenge your mind and, at times, actually be
entertaining! It will help you to better understand yourself and those around you. Psychology is a very dynamic
discipline, so there is a lot to learn! Psychology is ubiquitous!
I would like everyone to get started in the right direction. You will find this course much more
manageable if you set up a regular schedule for yourself. We will be covering a lot of material this year, so a
consistent schedule will be particularly helpful. This will help you to remain ahead of deadlines and have plenty
of time to complete assignments and readings. Students will be expected to come to class prepared for the day’s
lesson or exam, participate in class activities and discussions, and turn in all work on time. Organization, respect,
and responsibility are crucial for success in this class.
I am looking forward to teaching, working and learning with you. Because I am committed to your
success, as your instructor, I will do everything possible to make this class both interesting and challenging for
you. I will give my best, and I only ask the same from each of you. If any problems or concerns develop, please
do not hesitate to see me or email me. I cannot help you if you do not communicate your concerns to me.
Sincerely,
Mr. Scott Bruins
Course ObjectivesThe central question addressed in AP Psychology is “How do psychologists think?” The psychology
David Myers wrote that to think as a psychologist, one must learn to “restrain intuition with critical
thinking, judgmentalism with compassion, and illusion with understanding” (Sternberg, 1997).
Whether students choose to pursue a career related to psychology or one in some entirely different
field, this habit of mind will be of great value.
All students will be able to:
 Distinguish between the major core concepts and theories of psychology.
 Utilize key terms and use them in their everyday vocabulary.
 Demonstrate mastery of the explorations and discoveries made by psychologists over the past
century.
 Assess diverse approaches to psychology that are adopted by psychologists, including
biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and socio-cultural perspectives.
 Show basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to their
own lives through critical thinking skills.
Most important, students will come to an appreciation of how psychologists think, as well as an
appreciation of the kind of critical analysis that psychologists espouse in practice.
Lecture NotesYou must come to class prepared. It is vital for you to take detailed and clear notes on lectures,
readings, demonstrations, and journal studies. You should always date your notes and ask for
clarification on something you do not understand.
I also highly encourage you to use flash cards in learning the terminology. (You are not above
flashcards!) Memorizing the terms and concepts is a necessity. The vocabulary is challenging and
abundant. The use of flashcards will also come in handy when studying for my tests and the AP Exam.
We will discuss reading and study techniques that will help you conquer this textbook during the first
week of class.
AssignmentsAssignments will always be posted on the board and on my website. Each unit will require a different
amount of work that will adequately cover the chapter. Assigned readings are scheduled each week
with Key Concept note card/flashcard completion for each chapter, covering chapter material and
vocabulary. Other assignments given to students are Psych Simulation activities, experiments, class
presentations, collaborative projects, individual projects, and papers.
Follow the reading schedule and do not get behind. Nightly reading will probably be about 5 – 10
pages. No less than an hour should be committed each evening to studying and reading. You must
follow the reading schedule and be sure to stay with the class. I expect you to either take notes or
outline each chapter as you read and complete note cards and assignments accordingly. From time to
time, I may offer an open-note quiz. If you do not take notes, then you choose to suffer the
consequences.
You are responsible for finding out what you missed when absent. You will have the district assigned
amount of time to make up any work missed from an excused absence. If you were in class the day
the assignment was given, you will be expected to turn it in the day you return. I do not accept late
homework. If there is an issue, it is always better to contact me before the work is due.
Assessment Practices: Tests and Quizzesa. Tests will be in similar format to the AP exam-stem questions with 5 choices. There will always
be a complete unit test.
b. Tests may be comprehensive with some questions from previous units.
c. Pop quizzes do occur. These are generally based on notes and readings presented in class.
d. For any section that is not mastered on unit tests, students will complete a mini-project on those
concepts and present it to the class for partial credit toward test grade.
ProjectsThroughout the year, there will be a variety of projects varying in length and complexity. Some
projects may be individual and others may be group, some will be researched-based and others more
creativity-based. All projects will have required presentations to show student knowledge of the
terminology being studied.
Psych Journal/ PortfolioMany of the psychological principles to be studied in class are apparent in our daily lives. Students
need to enhance their awareness regarding the connections between classroom learning and their daily
lives and will have opportunities to write down feelings about specific concepts.
Suggested Supplemental Resources Hock, R.R., PhD. (2005). Forty studies that changed psychology: Explorations into the history of
psychological research. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Maitland, L.L. (2004). Five steps to a five on the AP: Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill. (* You may
substitute this with either Barron’s or Kaplan)

Sachs, Oliver. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Suggested Supply ListStudents are required to have a 3 ring binder. The binder should be of either 1 ½” or 2” variety.
Organizers or dividers are recommended to separate materials by unit but are not required. Students
will also need at least several packs of note cards. These will be used with each unit as study guides.
Furthermore it is highly suggested that students purchase one of the many AP Review books on the
market. Lastly students may take notes with whatever writing instrument they choose, but all work to
be turned in should be written in ink.
Grading –
Students will be evaluated using a total points system. Each assignment will be given a point value
based on how much work is involved and how difficult the assignment. On average Quizzes, Tests and
Essays will count for 20% of your grade, while homework, class work, class participation, notebook and
project grades account for between approximately 80% of the total points. Makeup work will be
arranged between the teacher and the student. Make-up tests may be in the form of an essay at the
teacher’s discretion.
1. All test are created to be Mock-AP tests.
2. Each test will be timed. Modifications in line with IEP’s and 504’s will be made.
3. Each Unit will have note cards for the vocabulary and a vocabulary quiz
Assignment Description Tests and Projects
Quizzes and Daily Work
Exams
Percentage of Grade 40%
40%
20%
Course Units The following schedule includes the order in which we will be studying that particular unit and
the corresponding chapter in your text. The number of day is an approximate and includes
testing day, project presentations, guest speakers, and any subject video.
**
This syllabus may change and is definitely subject to revision.
*** There will be a series of review sessions prior to Chapter Tests and the AP Exam TBA.
Contacting the teacher and office hours
For quick response, please email me at scottbruins@gmail.com. My office hours are before
school from 7:30 AM until school starts. I am also available during 5th period. For students
who need to see me after school, I am available after school every day until 4:15 PM and by
appointment.
Course Curriculum
Unit
1. Introducing Psychology
-Historical Perspectives
2. Research Methods
3. Neurology
-The Brain
-Genetics
4. Sensation & Perception
-The Senses
5. States of Consciousness
-Sleeping & Dreaming
-Drugs
6. Learning
Conditioning
7. Cognition
-Memory
8. Motivation & Emotion
-Hunger
-Sex
9. Developmental Psych
-Infancy to Adulthood
10. Personality
11. Intelligence
12. Abnormal Psych
13. Treatment
14. Social Psych
Chapter
Tentative
Calendar
Chapter 1
8/6-8/15
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
8/18-8/29
9/2-9/19
Chapter 4
9/22-10/3
Chapter 5
10/13-10/14
Chapter 6
10/27-11/7
Chapter 7
11/10-11/28
Chapter 8
12/1-12/19
Chapter 9
1/5-1/23
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
Chapter
1/26-2/6
2/9-2/20
2/16-2/27
3/2-3/13
3/16-4/10
10
11
12
13
14
AP Psych Psychology Test Curriculum
I.
History Approaches and Research Methods: (Combined 10-14% of the test)
II.
Learning: (7 – 9 % of the test)
III.
The Biological Bases of Behavior (8 – 10% of the test)
A. History Historical and Philosophical Development of psychology including functionalism and
structuralism
B. Modern Perspectives on Psychology: Behavioral/Learning, Neuroscience, Cognitive; Psychodynamic,
Humanistic, and Evolutionary
C. Scientific Methodology:
1) Research methods including introspection, naturalistic observation, case study survey,
controlled experiments
2) Strengths and weaknesses of each method and generalizability
3) Research ethics including the use of animals and human participants
D. Statistics: Descriptive Statistics including measures of central tendency, and variance. Inferential
statistics and correlation
A. Historical Origins of the Behavioral movement
B. Classical Conditioning
1) Basic Concepts
a) Acquisition
b) Extinction and spontaneous recovery
c) Generalization and discrimination
d) Key studies including Pavlov and Watson
2) Applications including emotional learning, taste aversions, learned helplessness
3) Critiques – Cognitive and Biological Limitations
C. Operant Conditioning
1) Thorndike – The Law of Effect
2) BF Skinner
a) Concepts such as schedules of reinforcement
b) Walden Two
3) Critiques Cognitive and Biological Limitations
D. Observational Learning – Albert Bandura and modeling.
A. The Neuron
1) Neural Structure and Firing
2) Neurotransmitters
B. The Nervous System
1) Central Nervous System
2) Peripheral Nervous System
C. The Brain
1) Research Techniques
2) Brain structures
3) Hemispheric specialization
D. The Endocrine system
E. Behavioral Genetics and heritability
IV.
Sensation and Perception: (6 – 8% of the test)
A. Psychophysics Thresholds – Absolute and Difference Thresholds, Weber’s Law and Signal Detection
Theory
B. Sensation
1) Vision – structure of the eye, color vision and feature detection
2) Audition – structure of the ear, hearing pitch, and echolocation
3) Other senses – olfactory, taste, proprioception
C. Perception
1) Attention
2) Perceptual Organization including Gestalt principals, depth perception and motion perception
3) Cultural and other factors contributing to our perception
V.
Developmental Psychology (7 – 9% of the test)
A. Methodology in Developmental Psychology: Longitudinal and Cross Sectional Studies.
B. Key Debates in Developmental Psychology: Nature Vs Nurture, Stability Vs Change and Stages Vs
Continuity
C. Major Theorist
1) Cognitive Development
a. Piaget
b. Vygotsky
2) Psychosexual and Psychosocial development
a. Freud
b. Erikson
3) Moral and Gender Role Development
a. Kohlberg
b. Gilligan
D. Major stages of development – infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
VI. Motivation and Emotion (7 – 9% of the test)
A. Key Concepts in Motivation – Instincts, Drives, Optimal Levels of arousal, Maslow’s Heirarchy of
Needs
B. Hunger and Eating Disorders
1) Chemical mechanisms of hunger
2) Brain/body mechanisms of hunger
3) Learning/cultural influences on hunger
C. Sexuality and Sexual Orientation
D. Achievement Motivation
E. Theories of Emotion
1) James-Lange Theory
2) Cannon-Bard
3) Schacter-Singer
F. Psychology and physiology of fear, anger and happiness
G. Expression of Emotion – Darwin and Ekman
VII. Memory, Thinking and Language (8 – 10% of the test)
A. Theories of Memory
1) Traditional (3 Stores) model of memory
2) Working Memory
3) Levels of Processing
4) Procedural versus declarative knowledge
B. Mnemonics, memory construction, misinformation and eyewitness testimony
C. Forgetting
D. Key Cognitive Concepts – thinking, cognition, concept, prototype, serial and parallel processing
E. Problem Solving
1) Algorithms, Heuristics, and Insight Learning
2) Obstacles to problem solving
F. Language
1) Characteristics of Language
2) Language Acquisition
a. Stages of language development
b. Skinner
c. Chomsky
d. Critical Period Hypothesis
e. Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis
VIII. Individual Differences (Intelligence and Personality combined 10 –14% of the test)
A. Intelligence
1) Psychological Testing – Methodology, Norms, reliability and validity
2) Intelligence – Factor Analysis, General Intelligence, Multiple Intelligences
3) Implications and issues in intelligence – Nature Vs Nurture the eugenics movement, Savant
Syndrome
B. Personality
1) The Psychodynamic Perspective on Personality – Freud, Jung, Adler
2) Trait Perspective – Allport, Factor Analysis the Big Five, Myers-Briggs MMPI
3) Humanistic Perspective – Rogers and Maslow
4) Social-Cognitive Perspective – Bandura and Seligman
IX. Stress and Health/States of Consciousness (2 – 4% of the test)
A. Stress and Health
1) Stress and our bodies including coronary heart disease, Type A & B personalities, Stress and
diseases
2) Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
3) Sleep Stages
4) Strategies for coping with stress.
B. States of Consciousness
1) Sleep including biological rhythms, and sleep stages
2) Theories on why we sleep and sleep disorders
3) Dreams and theories on why we dream.
4) Hypnosis and theories on hypnosis
C. Drugs and their effects
1) Dependence and addiction
2) Effects of various types of drugs including depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens
3) Biological and Cultural influences on drug use.
X. Disorders and Treatment (combined (12 – 16% of the test)
A. Abnormality – approaches and definitions
1) The Medical Model
2) Biopsychosocial Model
3) Diathesis Stress Model
B. Classifying Disorders – the DSM IV
C. Major Disorders
1) Anxiety Disorders
2) Mood Disorder
3) Dissociative Disorders
4) Schizophrenia
5) Personality Disorders
D. Major Approaches to Psychotherapy – Psychoanalysis, Behavioristic, Humanistic, Cognitive, Group
and Psychopharmacology
E. Assessing the effectiveness of therapy
XI. Social Psychology (8 – 10% of the test)
A. Attitudes and Behavior
1. Making and Changing Attitudes
2. Fundamental Attribution Error
3. Cognitive Dissonance
B. Group Influence
1. Conformity
2. Obedience
3. Social Facilitation and Social Loafing
4. Group Think
5. Role Playing – Zimbardo Prison Studies
C. Prejudice and Scapegoating
D. Altruism
E. Aggression
AP EXAM REVIEW ………………………………………….…approx April 20- May 1, 2015
Advanced Placement Exam …………………………………………… May 4, 2015
Advanced Placement Psychology
Students and Parents,
Advanced Placement courses give students the opportunity to participate in college-level work in high
school and gain valuable skills and study habits for college. It is an accelerated program that
encourages critical thinking and good writing. Thousands of colleges worldwide give credit or
advanced placement for a qualifying grade on the AP Exam. The commitment required in these
courses certainly does pay off for students and their parents. The semester work to prepare for this
exam can be daunting, and yet, extremely rewarding. The major ingredients students must possess to
be successful in this program are the willingness and ability to do the required work and regular
attendance in class.
In Advanced Placement Psychology, students will be expected to understand objective, empirical
methods of collecting and interpreting data, make meaningful interconnections between disparate
concepts and analyze, evaluate, and critique thematic perspectives.
Please be assured that our collective goal is student success. I am personally looking forward to
teaching your child and having a great year!
By your signatures below, you are acknowledging you read and understand the syllabus and are
making the commitment to put forth maximum effort in order to be successful in Advanced Placement
Psychology.
Please return this sheet no later than Friday, August 8th, 2014. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mr. Scott Bruins, AP Psychology Instructor
Student Name:
________________________________________________
Student’s Signature:
________________________________________________
Parent’s Signature:
________________________________________________
Parent’s Phone and/or Email:
________________________________________________