AP Psychology Syllabus
Peter Corr
Coventry High School
Course Description and Objectives
A full year course offered to qualified students of Senior standing who wish to complete studies
in secondary school equivalent to an introductory college level course in psychology. Course
focus will be based on preparation for the Advanced Placement Exam, which is required for all
students in this course. Students taking this course will be exposed to all the major subfields
within psychology as well as the ethics, research methods and history of psychology.
Resources
Text Book- Psychology AP edition, Zimbardo, Johnson, Weber, Greuber, Prentice Hall, 2007.
Supplemental material and summer reading.
Various articles, primarily from New York Times, Scientific American & Psychology Today
Magazine, combined with “Understanding Psychology” Supplemental material, Scientific
American, Boston Globe articles, as well as many other sources, printed and other media.
Summer reading assignment involves students reading either Night by Elie Wiesel or Man’s
search for meaning by Victor Frankl and completing a writing assignment designed to get them
to “Begin thinking like a Psychologist.”
Grading.
Quarterly grades are calculated based on the following scale.
Tests, (includes chapter or unit tests as well as large projects) ….40%
Quizzes, (includes end of week and smaller project grades)
.... 25%
Classwork / Homework assignments
.....25%
Class participation (attendance, discussion etc…. )
…. 10%
Assessment Practices
Tests or test weighted projects, are usually scheduled twice to three times per quarter. Most tests
consist of three sections, Multiple choice, Vocab / definitions and Free Response questions.
Quizzes or quiz weighted assignments, there is usually one quiz grade every other week, these
are either taken, or in the case of quiz weighted assignments due, on Friday.
In all cases, including class work & homework, grade assessment procedures and/or rubrics are
built into the assignment sheets or given separately.
Vocabulary terms are given in a packet at the beginning of the year and a midterm on vocab will
be administered, additional terms may be added as we cover those units during guided notes.
Schedule Organization
Courses are scheduled on a rotating block schedule of 8 classes (4 x 4). Classes meet for
approximately 85 minutes on each day. Typical week schedule; First block of the week,
Discussion of last week’s reading, segue into Introductory Guided note lecture on that weeks
theme or topics. Block Two, group work, individual project work or illustration activity on the
broad or important subtopic from day one’s lecture Day three (or end second half of class two on
a two day week) assessment of information from the week, followed by an article to connect and
introduce next weeks topic.
Prepared By Peter Corr 2009
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Full Year Course Overview
I. Introduction, History of Psychology and Schools of Psychological Thought
II. Research methods and Statistics
III. Biological Basis of Behavior
IV. Sensation & Perception
V. States of Consciousness
VI. Developmental Psychology
VII. Motivation and Emotion & Stress pt. 1
VIII. Personality Theories
IX. Thinking and Language
X. Learning
XI. Intelligence, Testing and Individual Differences
XII. Memory
XIII. Abnormal Psychology
XIV. Treatment of Psychological Disorders
XV. Social Psychology
XVI. Stress pt.2
Full Year Course plan
I. Introduction, History of Psychology and Schools of Psychological Thought
1. Intro lecture on the Origins and History of Psychology (Philosophy, Logic, Scientific
method)
2. Group research and presentations on the “Schools of Psychological Thought”
a. Functionalism, Key figure
b. Structuralism, Key figure
c. Psychodynamic, Key figures
d. Behaviorist, Key figures
e. Humanist, Key figures
f. Cognitive, Key figures
g. Biological, Key figures
3. Reading/ Article and reflection about BF Skinner and Behaviorism
4. Introspection activity & bias in research reading (Monty Hall demo)
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Early investigations into Psychological Oddities,” “The Brain
as an iPod,” “Shaping contest for the Mind”
II. Research methods, Ethics and Statistics
1. Intro lecture on Types of Research methods (Narturalistic observation, Case Study,
longitudinal study, Survey, Experiment etc..)
2. Hypothetical Case Studies of Ethical Dilemmas (code of ethics, human and animal)
3. Elements of Experimentation in groups explain the following, Bias, Variables, groups,
methods of Sampling, single vs. double blind studies.
4. Compare correlations, Statistics, Measures of central tendency and of Variation.
(scatter plots, histograms, range, descriptive vs. inferential)
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Ethical Dilemmas,”
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III. Biological Basis of Behavior
1. Intro Lecture on Neurons, nervous system organization & pamphlet project on
Neurological diseases
2. Phineas Gage story leading into the lobes / structure of the brain
3. Brain damage investigation activity (association areas left vs. right brained)
4. Neurotransmitter and hormone (endocrine system) guided notes
5. Lobotomy “Demonstration” w/ Practice Free Response
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Why is she numb?” Excerpts from Surviving the Extremes:
What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance by Kenneth Kamler,
“Girl with Half a Brain, (split brain studies)” “My genes made me do it,” Samples from Dr.
Penfield’s book.
IV. Sensation & Perception
1. Intro Lecture, Reintroduction to the mass between our ears
a. How the brain gathers info (w/ review of J.N.D., thresholds, Signal Detection,
Sensory adaptation)
b. Intro to the Senses (w/ sensation vs. perception)
2. Vision and illusion group research, explanation and presentation (Young–Helmhotlz /
opponent-process, cues, depth perception)
3. Hearing, (pitch perception) balance and touch
4. Smell and taste Lab (J.N.D. in action / Thresholds in action)
5. How we view the world.
a. Gestalt and illusions
b. Top down vs. Bottom up processing article and discussion
c. Blindfold Challenge Lab conclusion activity
d. Impact of attention
Sample Articles and or Readings “A mingling of the senses,”
V. States of Consciousness
1. Intro Lecture, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation and The mind off in its own world
2. Sleep and Dream (stages, REM / NREM, Circadian cycles, dream interpretation,
disorders)
3. Day dreams and Awake altered states
a. Hypnosis
b. Meditation
c. Drug Effects on Consciousness
4. Drugs and the Brain, Fact sheet activity and presentation
Sample Articles and or Readings “Benefits of Meditation” “Hypnosis and Pain Suppression”
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VI. Developmental Psychology
1. Infancy and Childhood
a. Intro lecture on development in Infancy and Childhood (physical & cognitive)
b. Timeline of typical life and personal past including social dev. (Stage theorists,
Freud, Erikson, Piaget, Kohlberg)
c. Parenting styles activity (w/ attachment theory, Ainsworth)
d. Moral development reading and discussion
e. Stage Theory vs. continuous
B. Adolescence
a. Adolescence guided notes
i. Physical (w/ sexuality)
ii. Social & Gender roles (w/ more sexuality)
b. Gender role activity
c. Music and the Adolescent activity
d. Free Response practice on the development of the “teenager”
C. Adulthood, old age & Death and Dying
a. Guided notes on Physical changes
b. Ageism research and presentation
c. Timeline of typical life and goals for future (Kubler-Ross, Levinson)
Sample Articles and or Readings. “The Methuselah Report,” The Overbooked Child,”
“Preschool puberty and a search for the causes,” “Nation of Wimps,” “The Rise and Decline of
the teenager,” “The Pill Paradox,” “Locked in,”
VII. Motivation and Emotion & Stress I
1. “Touching the Void” Reading and/or movie essay assignment
a. Theories of Motivation, analyzing which theories work for what
situations (Instinct, drive – reduction, cognitive, arousal, incentive)
b. Biological and Social Motives, how they differ, their importance (hunger,
thirst, sex, pain)
c. Theories of Emotion (James- Lange Theory, Cannon- Bard Theory, Two Point
Theory (A.K.A. Schachter– Singer Theory)
d. Intro to stress and its direct effects on the body (G.A.S., biological / physical)
Sample Articles and or Readings. Excerpts from Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void.
VIII. Personality Theories
1. Intro lecture on Freudian Psychoanalytic theory and its basis
a. Defense Mechanism Picture books (demo of Jungian theory)
b. Biographical study of Sigmund Freud
2. Group work and Presentations on Trait Theory (G. Allport, R. Cattell, H.Eysenck
etc..)
3. Guided notes on other personality Theories and Assessment techniques (Behavioral,
Social learning, Humanistic, Cognitive)
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Am I normal?” “Type T personalities” “Are you a risk
taker?” “What I meant to say.”
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IX. Thinking and Language
1. Intro lecture on Thinking and Reasoning (nature of concepts and prototypes)
2. Problem Solving & Creativity (trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, & insight)
3. Language storybook (phonemes, morphemes)
a. Grammar
b. Language Development
c. Language Acquisition and how language effects thought
d. Animal communication and cognition
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Looking for a sign,” selection from “Jabberwocky,”
X. Learning
1. Intro demonstration w/explanation of Classical Conditioning (intro w/ Pavlov)
2. Student designed C.C. Comic Strip (vocab terms of Classical Conditioning)
3. Guided Notes lecture on Operant Conditioning and biological factors (refer back to
intelligence)
4. Group work and Presentation on other theories of learning (observational, latent, social
etc… includes learned helplessness)
5. “How To book” assignment demonstrating understanding of learning concepts
(reinforcement/ punishment, schedules of reinforcement, token economy,
behavior modification, self control, shaping & chaining, review back to “self- actualization”)
Sample Articles and or Readings. “Superstitious Pigeons,” “Learning how to unlearn Fear,”
XI. Intelligence, Testing and Individual Differences
1. Project on designing a test that measures the following
a. Theories of intelligence / defining intelligent behavior (origins, Binet)
b. Measuring intelligence / Intelligence tests
c. Reliability & Validity (of tests)
d. Standardization & Norms (of tests)
e. Bias in Testing & Ethics
f. Nature vs. Nurture in Intelligence
2. Group work on topics and key figures (individuals) from Testing and Intelligence
(Binet, Gardner, Sternberg, Thurstone, Spearman, etc..)
3. Free Response practice on Reliability and Validity, testing
Sample Articles and or Readings. “A multiplicity of Intelligences,” “The General Intelligence
Factor.”
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XII. Memory
1. Intro lecture on biology and structure of Memory
2. Encoding, Storage and Retrieval
3. Long-Term Memory
a. Retrieval Cues
b. Flashbulb memory activity
c. Recall vs. Recognition competition activity
4. Forgetting
a. Proactive vs. Retroactive interference
b. Theories of Decay
c. Mnemonic Devices
Sample Articles and or Readings; “Remembering Details,” Flashbulb Memories” “Recreating
Memory”
XIII. Abnormal Psychology
1. Intro lecture; Flashback to aspects of Personality and what is “normal” / Define
abnormal. (DSM-IV, introduce research topics – overview of disorders)
2. Major disorders
a. Student research projects See description in Major Assignments and Projects
(Anxiety disorders, Somatoform disorders, Mood disorders, Schizophrenic
disorders, Organic Disorders, Personality Disorders, Dissociative
disorders)
b. Student Presentations & Fact sheets (same topics as above)
3. Societal Views of Mental Disorders discussion and debate
Sample Articles and or Readings; “Manic Depressive illness and creativity,” Depression’s
Double standard,” selections from “Girl, interrupted,” “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest,” and
other student selections from presentations.
XIV. Treatment of Psychological Disorders
1. Approaches to treatment of Mood and Major Disorders
2. Therapies, Psychoanalytical, Humanistic, Behavioral, Biomedical (role of values and
culture)
a. Group therapy
b. Drug therapy
c. Psychosurgery
d. ECT (shock therapy)
e. Preventative approaches
Sample Articles and or Readings; “The placebo effect”
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XV. Social Psychology
1. Intro Lecture overview of Social Psychology / Social Influence
a. Conformity
b. Compliance
c. Obedience
d. Group Dynamics
e. Attribution process
2. Prejudice and Discrimination & Positive and Negative Social Behavior (group
dynamics, altruism, social norms, organizational behavior, aggression / Antisocial
behavior)
3. Social Cognition, Advertising and Psychology
Sample Articles and or Readings “The Wave” “Mean Girls”
XVI. Stress pt.2
1. Re-Intro to stress and its effect on the body (Mental)
a. Mental illness & stress
b. Mental and Physical connections of stress, article and response discussion
c. Coping with stress
Sample Articles and or Readings “Stress, its worse than you think,” Packet of short articles on
stress effects.
Major Assignments and Projects
1. Motivation and Emotion Assignment “Touching the Void” (see topics in Motivation and
Emotion section)
2. Mid term Vocab test (see assessment procedures)
3. Abnormal Psychology Research Presentation; Alone or with a partner students research and
deliver a presentation about a particular disease, disorder or category of mental illness. Students
must include a fact sheet, quotes from a person or character who has the disorder and a visual aid
in their presentation. Fact sheet info is included in the chapter test for this section of the course.
4. Altered States Drug Pamphlet and Presentation or “Mice on Drugs” task; Done during the
section about States of Consciousness, this presentation can be done alone or with a partner.
Students must research and deliver a presentation and pamphlet about the origins, history,
effects, addictive properties, withdrawal symptoms, and treatment methods of a specific or
particular class of drugs.
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