AP Psychology 120

Kennebecasis Valley High School

Course Syllabus, 2006-2007

Peter T. Smith, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.

peter.smith@nbed.nb.ca

 

Introduction

·        Psychology is the science that studies mental processes and behavior in humans and other animals; it is also the profession which applies the knowledge of this science to practical problems.

·        This course is the equivalent of an introductory psychology course taught at the university level.  Don’t take it if you don’t want to be challenged.

·        You will learn new concepts daily and have required readings every night.  You will be required to attend classes after school in January, and complete reading assignments over March Break and Easter Weekend. 

·        If you choose to write the AP exam, you may qualify for advanced standing or credit at university.  Check with individual institutions for the AP policies.

Resources

 

The text is Wayne Weiten’s Psychology: Themes and Variations, 6e (2004).  The book companion site is www.wadsworth.com.  Information on the AP exam can be found at http://apcentral.collegeboard.com.  These and other useful sites, as well as notes for the course, can be found at www.kvhigh.com.

 

Marking Scheme

 

Term Mark (70%)

 

60%     Tests                            There will be a test every three units, five tests in total.

20%     Final Project                 You will work on your final project after the AP exam.

10%     Class Mark                  Based on class participation, preparation, and homework.

10%     Quizzes                        There will be a quiz every Friday until the AP exam.

 

Exam Mark (30%)

 

The exam is optional if your term mark is 80% or higher and you’ve written the AP exam.

 

Course Content

 

NB: Dates are subject to change.

 

Unit 1: History & Approaches (To be completed before the course begins.  Classes will be held after school in January.)

 

Ref: Chapter 1, The Evolution of Psychology

  1. The Development of Psychology
    1. Wilhelm Wundt & Stanley Hall
    2. Structuralism & Functionalism
    3. Behaviorism: Watson & Pavlov
    4. Freud & the Unconscious
    5. Skinner & Behaviorism
    6. Rogers, Maslow, & the Humanists
    7. Psychology as a Profession
    8. Cognition & Biology
    9. Culture & Psychology
    10. Evolutionary Psychology
  2. Psychology Today
    1. Research Areas in Psychology
    2. Professional Specialties in Psychology
  3. Seven Key Themes in Psychology

Unit 2: Research Methods (To be completed before the course begins. Classes will be held after school in January.)

Ref: Chapter 2, The Research Enterprise in Psychology

  1. The Scientific Approach
    1. Goals of Science
    2. The Scientific Method
    3. Advantages of the Scientific Method
  2. Experimental Research
    1. Experimental Research
    2. Variations in Experimental Design
    3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Experimental Research
  3. Descriptive & Correlational Research
  4. Statistics
    1. Descriptive Statistics
    2. Inferential Statistics
  5. Evaluating Research
    1. Evaluating Research
    2. Flaws in Research
  6. Research Ethics
    1. Deception
    2. Animal Research
    3. APA Ethical Guidelines for Research
  7. Critical Thinking

Unit 3: The Biological Bases of Behavior (Jan 31 to Feb 6; Test Units 1-3 on Feb 7)

Ref: Chapter 3, The Biological Bases of Behavior

  1. Communication in the Nervous System
    1. Nervous Tissue
    2. The Neuron Impulse
    3. The Synapse
    4. Neurotransmitters and Behavior
  2. Organization of the Nervous System
    1. The Central Nervous System
    2. The Peripheral Nervous System
  3. Researching the Brain
  4. The Brain
    1. The Hindbrain
    2. The Midbrain
    3. The Forebrain
  5. Cerebral Laterality
  6. The Endocrine System
  7. Heredity and Behavior
    1. Genetics
    2. Research Methods and Heredity

Unit 4: Sensation & Perception (Feb 8-13)

Ref: Chapter 4, Sensation and Perception

  1. Psychophysics
    1. Psychophysics
    2. Thresholds
    3. Just Noticable Difference (JND)
    4. Signal Detection Theory
    5. Subliminal Perception
    6. Sensory Adaptation
  2. Vision
    1. Light
    2. The Eye
    3. The Retina
    4. Vision and the Brain
    5. Color Vision
    6. Perceiving Patterns & Objects
    7. Depth Perception
  3. Hearing
    1. Sound
    2. Sensory Processing in the Ear
    3. Theories of Auditory Perception
    4. Auditory Localization
  4. Taste and Smell
  5. Touch
  6. Other Systems

 

Unit 5: States of Consciousness (Feb 14-16)

 

Ref: Chapter 5, Variations in Consciousness

  1. Consciousness
  2. Biological Rhythms
  3. Sleep
    1. Stages of Sleep
    2. Sleep Deprivation
    3. Sleep Disorders
  4. Dreaming
    1. Dreams
    2. Theories of Dreaming
  5. Hypnosis
    1. Hypnosis
    2. Theories of Hypnosis
  6. Meditation
  7. Drugs
    1. Drugs and Their Effects
    2. Factors Influencing Drug Effects
    3. Biological Basis of Drug Use
    4. Drug Addiction
    5. Drugs and Health

Unit 6: Learning (Feb 19-22, Test on Units 4-6 on Feb 23)

Ref: Chapter 6, Learning

  1. Classical Conditioning
    1. Ivan Pavlov and the Procedure of Classical Conditioning
    2. Classical Conditioning in Everyday Life
    3. The Process of Classical Conditioning
  2. Operant Conditioning
    1. Thorndike and the Law of Effect
    2. Skinner and Reinforcement
    3. The Process of Operant Conditioning
    4. Reinforcement
    5. Reinforcement Schedules
    6. Positive and Negative Reinforcement
    7. Punishment
  3. Biological and Cognitive Factors on Conditioning
  4. Observational Learning
    1. The Process of Observational Learning
    2. Applications

Unit 7: Cognition (Feb 26 – Mar 16)

Ref: Chapter 7, Human Memory, & Chapter 8, Language and Thought

  1. Encoding
    1. Levels of Processing Model
    2. Enriching Encoding
  2. Storage
    1. Atkinson Shiffrin Model
    2. Opposition to the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model
    3. Organization and Representation of Memories
    4. Retrieval
  3. Forgetting
    1. Ebbinghaus's Forgetting Curve
    2. Measures of Forgetting
    3. Why Do We Forget?
  4. The Biology of Memory
    1. Biochemistry
    2. Neural Circuitry
    3. Amnesia and the Anatomy of the Brain
  5. Multiple Memory Systems
    1. Implicit vs. Explicit Memory
    2. Declarative vs Procedural Memory
    3. Semantic vs Episodic Memory
    4. Prospective vs Retrospective Memory
  6. Language
    1. The Structure of Language
    2. Language Development
    3. Bilingualism
    4. Theories of Language Acquisition
    5. Language, Culture, and Thought
  7. Problem Solving
    1. Types of Problems
    2. Barriers to Effective Problem Solving
    3. Approaches to Problem Solving
    4. Culture, Cognitive Style, and Problem Solving
  8. Decision Making
    1. Making Choices
    2. Taking Chances
    3. Heuristics in Judging Probabilities
    4. Other Factors in Decision Making
  9. Creativity
    1. The Nature of Creativity
    2. Correlation and Creativity

Unit 8: Motivation & Emotion (Mar 19- Mar 29, Test on Unites 7 & 8 Mar 30)

Ref: Chapter 10, Motivation and Emotion, & Chapter 13, Stress, Coping, and Health

  1. Hunger and Eating
    1. Biological Factors
    2. Environmental Factors
    3. Obesity
  2. Sexual Motivation and Behavior
    1. Determinants of Sexual Desire
    2. Human Sexual Response
    3. Sexual Orientation
    4. Nature and Nurture in Theories of Sexual Orientation
  3. Affiliation & Achievement
  4. Emotional Experience
    1. The Cognitive Component of Emotion
    2. The Physiological Component of Emotion
    3. The Behavioral Component of Emotion
    4. Theories of Emotion
  5. Stress
    1. Types of Stress
    2. Responses to Stress
    3. Stress Management
  6. Effects of Stress on Psychological and Physical Health
    1. Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning
    2. Effects of Stress on Physical Health
    3. Factors Moderating the Impact of Stress
    4. Health Impairing Behavior

Unit 9: Developmental Psychology (Apr 2-5)

Ref: Chapter 11, Human Development Across the Life Span

  1. Prenatal Development
    1. The Course of Prenatal Development
    2. Environmental Factors
  2. Childhood
    1. Motor Development
    2. Temperament
    3. Attachment
    4. Personality
    5. Cognitive Development
    6. Moral Reasoning
  3. Adolescence
    1. Puberty
    2. Adolescence and Stress
    3. Search for Identity
  4. Adulthood
    1. Personality Development
    2. Transitions in Family Life
    3. Aging and Physical Characteristics
    4. Cognitive Changes
  5. Gender Differences
    1. Gender Differences
    2. Nature and Gender Differences
    3. Environment and Gender Differences

Unit 10: Personality (Apr 10-13)

Ref: Chapter 12, Personality

  1. Personality Theory
  2. Psychodynamic Approach
    1. Freud and Psychoanalysis
    2. Jung and Analytical Psychology
    3. Adler and Individual Psychology
  3. Behavioral Approach
    1. Skinner and Personality
    2. Bandura and Social Learning Theory
    3. Mischel and the Person-Situation Controversy
  4. Humanistic Approach
    1. Rogers and Person-Centered Theory
    2. Maslow and Self-Actualization
  5. Biological Approach
    1. Eysenck's Model
    2. Behavioral Genetics
    3. Evolutionary Psychology
  6. Other Aspects of Personality
    1. Sensation Seeking
    2. Self-Monitoring

Unit 11: Testing and Individual Differences (Apr 16-19, Test on Units 9-11 on Apr 20)

Ref: Chapter 9, Intelligence and Psychological Testing

  1. Key Concepts in Intelligence Testing
    1. Standardization and Norms
    2. Reliability
    3. Validity
  2. The Evolution of Psychological Testing
    1. Galton & Hereditary Genius
    2. Binet & Mental Age Tests
    3. Terman & the Stanford-Binet IQ Test
    4. Wechsler & the WAIS
    5. Modern Intelligence Testing
  3. Basic Questions about Intelligence Testing
    1. What Do IQ Scores Mean?
    2. What Do Intelligence Tests Measure?
    3. Are Intelligence Tests Reliable?
    4. Are Intelligence Tests Valid?
  4. Extremes of Intelligence
    1. Mental Retardation
    2. Giftedness
  5. Heredity & Environment
  6. New Directions in Intelligence Testing
    1. Emphasis on Individual Abilities
    2. Biology & Intelligence
    3. Cognition & Intelligence

Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology (Apr 23 – Apr 27)

Ref: Chapter 14, Psychological Disorders

  1. Abnormal Behavior
    1. The Medical Model
    2. What Is Abnormal Behavior?
    3. Psychodiagnosis
    4. How Prevalent Are Psychological Disorders?
  2. Anxiety Disorders
    1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
    2. Phobic Disorder
    3. Panic Disorder & Agorophobia
    4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
    5. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is classed as an anxiety disorder.
    6. Etiology of Anxiety Disorders
  3. Somatoform Disorders
    1. Somatization Disorder
    2. Conversion Disorder
    3. Hypochondria
    4. Etiology of Somatoform Disorders
  4. Dissociative Disorders
    1. Dissociative Amnesia
    2. Dissociative Identity Disorder
    3. Etiology of Dissociative Disorders
  5. Mood Disorders
    1. Major Depressive Disorder
    2. Bipolar Disorder
    3. Etiology of Mood Disorders
  6. Schizophrenic Disorders
    1. General Symptoms
    2. Subtypes
    3. Eitiology of Schizophrenic Disorders
  7. Personality Disorders
    1. Antisocial Personality Disorder
    2. Other Personality Disorders
  8. Eating Disorders
    1. Anorexia Nervosa
    2. Bulimia Nervosa
    3. Etiology of Eating Disorders
  9. Other Psychological Disorders
  10. Psychological Disorders and the Law

Unit 13: Treatment of Psychological Disorders (Apr 30 – May 4)

Ref: Chapter 15, Treatment of Psychological Disorders

  1. Elements of Treatment
    1. Clients
    2. Therapists
  2. Insight Therapies
    1. Psychoanalysis
    2. Client-Centered Therapy
    3. Cognitive Therapist
    4. Group Therapy
  3. Behavior Therapies
    1. Systematic Desensitization
    2. Aversion Therapy
    3. Social Skills Training
    4. Biofeedback
  4. Biomedical Therapies
    1. Drug Therapy (Psychopharmacotherapy)
    2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
    3. Surgery
  5. Trends and Issues in Treatment

Unit 14: Social Psychology (May 7 – 11)

Ref: Chapter 16, Social Behavior

  1. People Perception
    1. Physical Appearance
    2. Schemas
    3. Stereotypes
    4. Subjectivity in Person Perception
    5. Evolutionary Psychology & Person Perception
  2. Attribution
    1. Internal vs External Attributions
    2. Kelley's Covariation Model
    3. Bias in Attribution
    4. Culture & Attribution
  3. Love and Relationships
    1. Factors in Attraction
    2. Love
    3. Culture & Evolutionary Psychology
  4. Attitudes
    1. Components and Dimensions of Attitudes
    2. Attitudes & Behavior
    3. Persuasion
    4. Attitude Formation & Change
  5. Conformity and Obedience
  6. Behavior in Groups
    1. The Bystander Effect
    2. Group Productivity & Social Loafing
    3. Decision Making in Groups

 

Unit 15: Psychology Project, Due June 8

 

 

Seven Key Themes in Psychology


Psychology is empirical.

Psychology is theoretically diverse.

Psychology develops in a socio-historical context.

Behavior is determined by multiple causes.

Behavior is shaped by culture.

Heredity and environment both influence behavior.

People's experience of the world is highly subjective.