AP Psychology Course Syllabus
Amanda Tripolone
Social Studies Teacher
White Oak High School
Jacksonville, North Carolina 28540
(910)-455-1541
Course Objective
 Students will obtain a basic introduction and develop a sense of inquiry and an appreciation for the mind
and behaviors of humans and animals through the study of psychology. Students will develop and learn
through the use of systematic and scientific study by being introduced to psychological facts, principles,
and phenomena associated with the major subfields within psychology.
Resources
 Textbook - Myer’s Psychology for AP
 Released AP Psychology Exams
Supplemental Resources
 Rubinstein, Joseph, and Brent D. Slife, eds. Clashing Views On Controversial Psychological Issues. 4thth
ed. Gulliford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group Inc, 1986. N. pag. Taking Sides
 Noll, James W., ed. Clashing Views On Educational Issues. 4thth ed. Guilford, CT: The Duskin Publishing
Group Inc., 1987. 204-303. Taking Sides.
 Alexander, Alison, and Jarice Hanson, eds. Clashing Views On Controversial Issues In Mass Media and
Society. 4thth ed. Gulliford, CT: The Duskin Publishing Group Inc., 1991. 1-74. Taking Sides.
 Encyclopedia of Psychology. 1984. N. pag.
Grading Policy
Quizzes
20%
Class work/Daily 20%
Journal
Projects
30%
Tests
30%
Course Outline
 Unit 1 History and Research
o Essential Questions
 What is psychology?
 What are the historical roots of psychology?
 What is a theory and how does it apply to psychology?
 What are major theories of psychology?
 What is subjective and objective?
 How do psychologists develop and research theories, ideas, and experiments?
 What are ethics?
 Why is it important to be fair and open-minded when conducting experiments in
psychology?
o Objectives – after completing this units students should be able to:
 Define psychology
 Name and describe different fields and occupations a psychologist can have.
 Identify and describe the contributions of different figures connected to psychology.

Understand and apply their knowledge of different theories and approaches to
psychology.
 Understand the purpose of a well, established, organized, and detailed and fair
experiment.
 Create and design their, own psychological experiment using the scientific method.
 Understand the need and purpose for ethics as it applies to subjects, the experimenter, and
the experiment.
o Projects/Assignments
 Interview with a psychologists – Students will conduct research on a specified
psychologist. They will then present information as if they were that psychologist in an
interview format to classmates.
 Create an experiment – Students will be given a broad issue that they must design an
experiment for using the scientific method. The experiment must be then executed,
analyzed, and reported on.

Unit 2 Brain and body
o Essential Questions
 How are genes related to behavior?
 What is the endocrine system, central and peripheral nervous system?
 How do the 3 systems connect to psychology?
 What are the parts of the brain?
 What are neurons and neurotransmitters?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Evaluate and analyze information to formulate their own opinion on genetics and its
influence on behavior and development (nature vs. nurture).
 Define and explain the functions of the parts of the body involved in the endocrine,
central, and peripheral nervous systems.
 Define and explain the parts and their functions of the brain.
 Describe the influence of hormones on behavior.
 Understand the connection between the biologics of the body and their influence on
psychology.
o Projects/Assignments
 Visual of the Brain and Body – Students will create a visual representation of the brain
and body including the endocrine system, central and peripheral nervous system. They
will be required to create not just an actual representation of the brain and body but, a
creative representation for each part reflecting its purpose and function for the body and
its influence on behavior.

Unit 3 Sensation and Perception
o Essential Questions
 What is sensation?
 What is perception?
 How are sensation and perception related?
 How does stimulation become sensation?
 How are senses alike and different?
 How do the different senses relay information to the brain and body?
 What are some different theoretical ideas about perception?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define and distinguish the difference and relationship between sensation and perception.
 Describe the process of stimulation becoming messages for the body.
 Name the senses and their basic functions and anatomy.
 Describe the difference between top-down and bottom-up processing.


Identify and discuss the major theoretical explanation of perception.
Describe how humans make perceptual judgments and the influences they can have on
behavior.
o Project/Assignment
 Create a Children’s Book – Students will create a children’s book describing sensation
and perception. They will include an explanation of the senses and the sensation process
as well as information on the different theories of perception. They must include a variety
of visuals for each concept to help give a full understanding of the sensation and
perception.
 ESP RAFT – Students will complete a RAFT assignment explaining the controversy over
ESP. They will be required to create a definition and give points for both sides of the
controversy. They will ultimately formulate their own opinion on the existence of ESP.

Unit 4 Motivation and Emotion
o Essential Questions
 What are motivations?
 What are emotions?
 What are different types of motivations?
 How do motivations influence people and decisions?
 What do our emotions do for us?
 What do emotions do for us?
 Where do emotions come from?
 How much control do we have over emotions?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define motivation and emotion.
 Distinguish between the different types of motivations.
 Explain the biological functions of motivations.
 Distinguish the difference between the influence of different intrinsic and extrinsic
motivations on behavior and decisions.
 Identify different universal emotions and characteristics of these emotions.
 Describe the biological basis of emotions.
 Distinguish and describe the different types of theories for emotions.
 Describe the influence of culture on emotional expression.
o Project/Assignment
 Create a Commercial – Students will develop a product and company they think could be
useful (preferably a food or beverage product). Students will then create a commercial
trying to target specific motivations and emotions of their intended customers.

Unit 5 States of Consciousness
o Essential Questions
 What is consciousness?
 What are the different natural states of consciousness?
 What cycles occur in everyday consciousness?
 What is the sleep cycle?
 Why is sleep necessary?
 What are different theories for why people dream?
 What are different sleep disorders or problems?
 What are different states of altered consciousness?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define consciousness.
 Distinguish and explain the difference between the different natural states of
consciousness.

Describe and explain different types of cycles that the body goes through (circadian
rhythm, sleep, ect).
 Explain the different stages of the sleep cycle.
 Describe what occurs to the body and mind during the night while a person is sleeping.
 Explain and describe different theories for why dreams are necessary.
 Describe different sleep disorders and their effects on the body.
 Distinguish and define the different altered states of consciousness (meditation, hypnosis,
and psychoactive drugs).
o Projects/Assignment
 Drug Essay – Students will be assigned a specific drug and complete an essay on the
effects the drug has on the body and behaviors or a person. They will also need to include
how their drug effects the daily cycles of the human body.

Unit 6 Learning
o Essential Questions
 What is classical conditioning?
 How does classical conditioning explain learning?
 What is operant conditioning?
 How do we learn new behaviors by operant conditioning?
 What are different types of reinforcements?
 What is cognitive psychology?
 How does cognitive psychology explain learning?
 What is observational learning?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define the general concept of learning.
 Describe the process of classical conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions and
behaviors that can be classically conditioned.
 Describe the process in operant conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions that can
be created or shaped by operant conditioning.
 Describe and explain the different types of reinforcements that can be used to condition a
person.
 Describe the difficulties in using punishment to shape voluntary behaviors.
 Describe the evidence for changes in mental processes without reinforcements as
presented by cognitive psychologists.
 Define the significance of observational learning.
o Projects/Assignments
 Homework and Rewards Essay – Students will complete research and write an essay on
the use of homework and rewards in schools. They will then use the information they
have researched to formulate their own opinion on whether they feel homework and
rewards are effect tools for learning and creating the desire to learn.

Unit 7 Psychological Development
o Essential Questions
 How do psychologists explain development?
 What is prenatal development?
 What are the abilities of a newborn and infant?
 How does the brain develop and change throughout a person’s lifespan?
 How does a person develop socially throughout their lifespan?
 What are the abilities developed in early childhood?
 What physical and developmental changes occur during a person’s lifespan?
 What is emerging adulthood?
 What is adulthood?
 What physical and developmental changes occur during middle and late adulthood?
 How do people deal with death and dying?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Describe techniques of research used to study genetic and environmental effects on
development.
 Describe the biological basics for prenatal development.
 Identify special capabilities of a new born and describe the importance of these early
developmental stages.
 Explain and understand the cognitive process from birth to death and how the human
brain develops and changes throughout a person’s lifespan including motor skills,
memory, thinking, intelligence, perception, reasoning, morality, etc.
 Explain and understand the social development process from birth to death including
attachment, socialization, parent and peer relations, forming and identity, commitments,
etc.
 Describe how genders develop physically, mentally, and socially differently and
similarly.
 Explain and describe the effects of puberty on both males and females physically and
developmentally.
 Explain and understand the different physical changes a person goes through in their
lifespan.
 Distinguish between the different stages of adulthood.
 Define the stages of death and its effects on spouses and children specifically in elderly
people.
o Project/Activity
 Lifespan Timeline – Students will create a visual representation of the human lifespan in
the form of a timeline. They will need to cover milestones in physical, cognitive, and
social development.

Unit 8 Cognition
o Essential Questions
 What is memory?
 How do we form memories?
 How do we retrieve memories?
 How does memory sometimes fail us?
 How can people improve memory?
 How does language develop?
 What are the components of thought?
 How do people problem solve difficult ideas or tasks?
 What is the relationship between language and thinking?
o Objective – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define the general concept of memory and describe its functions.
 Explain both the psychological and biological basis for how memories are processed and
stored both short term and long term.
 Describe the processing in sensory memory.
 Distinguish between the 2 different types of long-term memory.
 Distinguish between the different types of memory forgetting and memory distortion.
 Describe the different methods used to help with memory retention.
 Describe the progression of language development in early childhood.
 Identify the main components of thought.
 Define concepts and their role in the process of thought.
 Describe mental imagery and cognitive maps
 Explain different methods for problem solving.
 Explain the connection and relationship between language and thought.
o Project/Assignments
 Retroactive and Proactive Inference Experiment – Students will conduct an experiment
testing retroactive and proactive inference on different students following specific steps.
After completing their experiment they will write an essay stating their findings and their
opinion of the research gathered.

Unit 9 Personality
o Essential Questions
 What is personality?
 How does personality develop?
 What influence did Freud have on the research of the personality?
 What are the different perspectives of personality development?
 What biological basis is involved with personality?
 What persistent patterns are found in personalities?
 What influence does culture have on personality?
o Objectives – after completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define personality.
 Name and describe the major theories of personality including psychoanalytical, neoFreudian, psychodynamic, humanistic, trait, and social-cognitive.
 Evaluate and compare the major personality theories.
 Analyze and explain the main influences and concepts Freud had with personality.
 Distinguish between nature and nurture and their influence on personality.
 Define the term “personality trait” and discuss trait and temperament theories of
personality.
 Discuss the possible social and cultural influences of personality.
o Project/Assignment
 Defense Mechanisms Pamphlet – Students will create a pamphlet of the different defense
mechanisms that people use for coping with situations. They will include visuals,
explanations, and examples for each of how people use them.

Unit 10 Testing and Individual Differences
o Essential Questions
 What is intelligence?
 How do we measure individual differences?
 What the reliability and uses of intelligence tests?
 What are the different theories of intelligence?
 What is emotional intelligence?
 What are the neurological functions involved with intelligence?
 What are external influences on a person’s intelligence?
o Objectives – after completing this unit students should be able to:
 Define intelligence.
 Describe the history and modern ways for assessing people’s intelligence.
 Distinguish between the different types of tests for assessing intelligence.
 Discuss and determine the reliability and validity of the different types of tests.
 Define and compare the different theories of intelligence including Gardner’s,
Sternberg’s, Spearman’s, etc.
 Define emotional intelligence.
 Describe the physical functions involved in intelligence.
 Explain the different types of environmental factors that may influence intelligence.
o Project/Assignment

Multiple Intelligence Analysis – Students will be given a list of people and their
biographies. Using their knowledge of multiple intelligence and a questionnaire sheet
they will determine what are the person’s strengths in intelligence and weaknesses in
intelligence. After doing some in class biographies they will then complete them on
students and faculty within the school.

Unit 11 Abnormal Psychology and Treatments
o Essential Questions
 What is abnormal?
 How are psychological disorders classified and determined?
 What are the consequences of labeling people?
 What are different types of psychological disorders?
 What is therapy?
 What are the different approaches and theories for treating psychological disorders?
 What are commonalities and differences between the different treatment methods of
psychological disorders?
 Who can treat psychological disorders?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:
 Explain the main characteristics that classify abnormal behavior.
 Define and explain the use of the DSM-IV in treating and classifying psychological
disorders.
 Explain a stigma and the effects short and long term effects of labeling a person with a
psychological disorder.
 Define and classify the different types of psychological disorders including childhood,
anxiety, dissociative, somatoform, mood, psychotic, personality, etc.
 Compare and contrast the symptoms and development of the disorders above.
 Explain biological causes of the different types of psychological disorders.
 Define therapy.
 Define and distinguish between the different types of therapy methods including
psychoanalysis, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, group and family, etc.
 Compare and contrast the different types of therapies and their effectiveness for different
disorders.
 Explain different types of biological interventions used to treat psychological disorders
including drugs, psychosurgery, brain stimulation, etc.
 Compare and contrast between the different people that can legally treat psychological
disorders and their qualifications.
o Project/Assignment
 TV Character Therapy Project – Students will select a TV Character (past or present) and
they will create a psychological analysis for the TV character giving specific details
symptoms the character has. Once they have analyzed and “diagnosed” them with a
disorder(s) they will then explain the different ways in which they would treat their
patient. They also need to include the least effect ways to treat their character.

Unit 12 Social Psychology
o Essential Questions
 How do social situations affect our behavior?
 What influence does conformity and compliance have on behavior?
 How is our behavior affected by the presence of others?
 What are norms and how do they affect behavior?
 What influences our judgments of others?
 What psychological and physical factors may trigger aggressive and violent behavior?
o Objectives – After completing this unit students should be able to:




Define social psychology.
Determine whether what we do affects how we think or how we think affects what we do.
Explain the different ways that attitudes are developed and influence our behaviors.
Define conformity, obedience, and group think and explain their influence on a person’s
behavior.
 Understand the different conditions that strengthen and weaken conformity, obedience,
and group think.
 Define norms and distinguish between the 3 main different types of norms including
folkways, mores, and laws.
 Discuss how norms are taught and enforced throughout cultures.
 Define prejudice and describe the psychological tendencies that are related to prejudice
and discrimination.
 Explain the biological and psychological aspects of aggression.
 Discuss the cultural influence of aggressive behavior and better ways to resolve and
prevent unnecessary conflict, violence, and terrorism.
 Compare the different ideas for how people are attracted to people (friend and
romantically) and how social conflict is created between people.
o Project/Activity
 Norms Activity – Students will select a norm to either break or get a bystander to comply
with (must be legal and school appropriate). They will then complete a journal response
on how their experience with this situation (people’s responses, how they felt, etc.).