AP Psychology Course Syllabus Parent Signature (review):______
2011-2012
Mr. Cline
Overview: For most of you, this course will be your initial experience with a social science course. Because this course is quite subjective in nature, students will be exposed to new terminology and ways of thinking. These may at first seem daunting due to their seeming uniqueness. The initial frustration will fade away as you learn. Social sciences, and particularly Psychology, are relatively new fields of study. This makes them quite fascinating but they can also demand a lot from the student. The social sciences differ from the natural sciences in that there are few absolutes. This lack of absolutes requires students to develop new ways of thinking which can be a lot of fun. Most students and professionals really enjoy getting into the human aspects of these fields.
Required Materials:
Psychology, by David Myers (8th ed.) & Accompanying “Study Guide”
Black Ink Pen
Red Ink Pen
3 Ring Binder (preferably 1”+)
Notebook Dividers
Barron’s AP Psychology
***Highly Recommended: Barron’s AP Psychology Flash Cards, Sparknotes AP Power Pack for AP Psychology
Expectations:
1. Read the textbook and use your study guide to prepare for each class. Daily reading and studying assignments are a given. Lots of studying
materials, techniques and options will be given to you. One size doesn’t always fit all and you will benefit from the challenge of this college
course in that you will be forced to figure out what processes work best for you. The non-negotiable is always being prepared for class.
To earn an “A,B, or C” students will have to read the text. On the tests and quizzes there will be material pulled exclusively from the text.
2. Complete in-class and outside assignments. They must be on time. Homework/Assignments are collected in the
beginning of the class period. It is 2010 and we will use PCs & the internet for assignments, if you do not have access at home, please get comfortable with the library’s computers and procedures. Plan ahead.
3. Bring Textbook, Black Pen, Red Pen, and paper to class every class period.
4. Think critically. Arm yourself with contextual psychology ideas, definitions, examples and applications – this is key to successful AP Psychology
essay writing. Contribute to class discussions.
AP Course Demands: Please understand that the expectations of this class are consistent with those of any AP Course. Expect a workload that would be similar to one that would be expected if you were taking the course at the college level. This includes extensive reading and inquiry, active involvement in class discussion, taking notes, and performing research.
The AP Exam: The 2012 AP Psychology Exam is Monday, May 7th at 12:00 pm. It consists of 100 multiple choice questions (70 min @ 66.6%) and 2 Free Response Questions (50 min @33.3%). Students who earn a passing score on this exam will receive credit for an introductory Psychology course on their college transcript.
Research Project: Research projects introduce you to various types of research that are done in Psychology including basic, applied and clinical research. During Q1, there will be a basic research project that will be presented in class. It will be a group project where students will work in groups of three. The project and topics will be assigned one month before presentations are due.
Classroom: This room is home for us until June. Please respect it and go out of your way to help me in keeping it clean. Discard all trash before leaving each day. Please look around and pick up any trash that might be left behind. No Food or Drinks as they attract bugs and are a distraction to the learning environment (bugs are also!). Water is acceptable in a capped bottle unless a student forgets to discard/ recycle.
Being AP students, I will treat you as mature adults unless you violate this trust. (ie. It’s not necessary to raise your hand to use the restroom - simply move quietly w/ your pass and go. Please use judgment to decide when and when is not an appropriate time to get up.)
I am particular on a few issues when it comes to how we spend class time. Students should have materials out and be ready to begin immediately at the bell – students will be engaged for 90 minutes every class period. Please do not use class time to catch up on sleep or to work on assignments for other classes. I reserve the right to deduct points from your tests if you do.
Absences: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to determine what you’ve missed. It is usually best to exchange numbers with a few trusted classmates to learn what make-up work you need to do. Select 3 “buddies and write down their names, phone numbers, and email addresses on your syllabus. Make-up work (homework/ quizzes) is due the next day in class and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation into office for an excused absence in NCWISE to receive full credit. If you miss a test or quiz, you have 5 school days upon return to make it up. You must see me individually to schedule a make-up. Note: As an incentive to have perfect attendance on test days, I will offer a bonus of three points to all students if the entire class is present on a test day.
On a personal note: As your teacher, I will do everything that I can to make this class both interesting and challenging for you. I will make my best effort and ask the same from each of you. Please plan to come to class prepared and alert. It is my desire to get to know each of you personally and to be available for any concerns that may arise during the year.
Grading Breakdown: Q1:60% Tests, 20% H@ and Quizzes, 20% Research Project; Q2-4: 60% Tests, 40% HW & Quizzes
(Note: Social Studies Test Days- S1: T/W, S2: W/R)
2011 – 2012 AP Psychology First Semester Schedule
Unit / Chap / Pages / Dates / TopicsHistory, Approaches & Methods / P & 1 / 1-51 /
A 8/25,29,31,9/2,7
B 8/26,30,9/1,6,8Test A 9/13, B 9/14 / History, Perspectives, Disciplines, Scientific Method, Research Methods, Statistics, Ethics
Biological Basis of Behavior / 2 / 53-93 / A 9/9,15,19,21,23
B 12,16,20,22,26
Test A 9/27,B 9/28
Prog Rept A 9/21B 9/22 / Neural communication, Neurotransmitters, Nervous System, Brain structures,
Endocrine System
States of Consciousness / 7 / 271-311 / A 9/29,10/3,5
B 9/30,10/4,6
Test A 10/11,B 10/12 / Levels of Consciousness, Biorhythms, Sleep, Dreams, Hypnosis, Drugs, Near-Death ExpSensation & Perception / 5 & 6 / 197-269 / A10/7,13,17,19,21
B 10/10,14,18,20,24
Test A 10/25, B 10/26 / Thresholds,Top-Down v Bottom Up Processsing, Vision, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell, Vestibular & Kinesthetic Senses, Attention, Gestalt, Monocular and Binocular Cues for Depth Perception, Motion Perception, Perceptual Interpretation, ESP
Cognition
/ 9 & 10 / 349-429 /A 10/27,11/1,3,7,9,14
B10/31,11/2,4,8,10,15
Test A 11/16,B 11/30*10/27 Q1 Ends / Memory processes, models, STM,LTM, mnemonics, Forgetting, Memory Construction, Problem Solving, Language Structure, Relnshp b/w Language and Thought, Animal Thinking and Language
Intelligence, Testing & Individual Differences
/ 11 / 431-467 / A 11/18,22,29B 11/17,21,28
Test A 12/7, B 12/6*Prog Rept A 12/7B 12/8 / Origins of Intel Testing, Definitions of Intel, Theories of Intel, Test Construction, Intel across the lifespan, Gender Differences, Genetic & Environmental Influences on Intel
Learning
/ 8 / 313-347 /A 12/1,5,9,13
B 12/2,8,12,14
Test A 1/4, B 1/3 / Classical Conditioning,Latent Learning, Cognitive Mapping,
Operant Conditioning,
Observational Learning
Motivation & Emotion, Health Psych / 12,13,14 / 469-547
551-558 /
A 12/15,1/2,6
B 12/16,1/5,9
Test Ch 12 – exam12&13 –A1/26, B1/27 (S2) / Theories of Motivated Behavior, Hunger, Sex, Work
Semester Exam (20%)
/ 1/12-1/20 / Final Exams – January 12-202011 – 2012 AP Psychology Second Semester Schedule
Unit / Chap / Pages / Dates / TopicsMotivation & Emotion, Health Psych / 12-13,14 / 469-547
551-558 /
A 1/24
B 1/25Test A1/26, B2/2 / Theories of Emotion, Physiology of Emotion, Universal Expressions, Facial Feedback Theory, Adaptation Level Phenom, Relative Deprivation
Social Psychology / 18 / 723-772 / A 1/30,2/1,3,7
B 1/27,31,2/6,8
Test A 2/9, B 2/16 / Attribution Theory, Cognitive Dissonance, Roles, Norms, Group Behavior, Conformity, Obedience, Prejudice, Stereotypes, Aggression, Social Traps/Prisoner’s Dilemma, Superordinate Goals, Types of Love, Bystander Intervention, Social Exchange Theory, Social Loafing
Personality / 15 / 595-637 / A 2/13,15,17,23
B 2/10,14,22,24
Test A2/29, B 3/1 / Freud/ Psychoanalysis: Id, Ego, Superego, Defense Mechanisms,Neo-Freudians Humanistic Theory, Trait Theory, Person-Situation Controversy, Personality Tests, Social-Cognitive Perspective, Reciprocal Determinism, Locus of Control, Learned Helplessness, Self-Serving BiasDevelopmental
Psychology / 3 & 4 / 95-195 / A 2/27,3/2,6,8,12
B 2/28,3/5,7,9,13
Test A 3/14, B 3/15
*Prog Rept A2/27B 2/28 / Twin &Adoption Studies, Nature v Nurture, Cognitive Development(Piaget), Attachment Styles, Moral Development(Kohlberg), Psychosocial Development(Erikson), Aging, Cross Sectional v Longitudinal Research, Stages of Dying (Kubler-Ross)
Abnormal
Psychology / 16 / 639-683 /A 3/16,20,22,26
B3/19,21,23,27
Test A 3/28, B 3/29*3/29 Q3 Ends / Medical Model, Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective, DSM-IV, Diagnostic Labeling, Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Perspectives on Disorders
Treatment of
PsychologicalDisorders / 17 / 685-721 / A 4/9,13,17,19
B 4/10,16,18,20
Test A 4/25, B 4/26 / Dix, Psychoanalysis, Humanistic Therapy, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, CBT, Evaluating Psychotherapy, Alternative Therapies Biomedical/Biological Therapies
COMPREHENSIVE TEST***
/ Test A 4/11, B 4/12INTENSIVE REVIEW / A 4/23,4/27,5/1,5/3
B 4/24,30,5/2,4
*Prog Rept A5/7B5/8
Final Ex Rev 5/8-31
AP PSYCH EXAM
**********************
/ Monday, May 7Noon
Semester 2 Pacing by Day
EMOTION (3)
13-1499-505
Theories of Emotion: James-Lange Theory, Cannon-Bard Theory, Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory, Zajonc, Le Doux, Lazarus-Unconscious Cognitive Appraisal
1. Identify the three components of emotion, and contrast the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories of emotion.
2. Describe Schachter’s two-factor theory of emotion, and discuss evidence suggesting that some emotional reactions involve no conscious thought.
3. Describe how emotions can be differentiated along the dimensions of valence and arousal level.
13-2505-517
Physiology and Emotion: Sympathetic, Parasympatheitic; Specific Emotions, Polygraphs, Nonverbal Communication, Emotion Detection, Universal Expressions, Effects of Facial Expressions, Ekman’s Facial Feedback Theory
4. Describe the physiological changes that occur during emotional arousal, and discuss the relationship between arousal and performance.
5. Describe the relationship between physiological states and specific emotions, and discuss the effectiveness of the polygraph in detecting lies.
6. Describe some nonverbal indicators of emotion, and discuss the extent to which people from different cultures display and interpret facial expressions of emotion in a similar manner.
7. Describe the effects of facial expressions on emotional experience.
13-3518-529
Fear, Anger, Happiness, Adaptation-Level Phenomenon, Relative Deprivation, Cross-Cultural Predictors of Happiness
8. Discuss the significance of biological and environmental factors in the acquisition of fear.
9. Discuss the catharsis hypothesis, and identify some of the advantages and disadvantages of openly expressing anger.
10. Identify some potential causes and consequences of happiness, and describe how happiness is influenced by our own prior experiences and by others’ attainments.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (5)
18-1695-702
Social Thinking, Attribution Theory, Cognitive Dissonance, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Leon Festinger, Social Roles
1. Describe the importance of attribution in social behavior and the dangers of the fundamental attribution error.
2. Identify the conditions under which attitudes have a strong impact on actions.
3. Explain the foot-in-the-door phenomenon and the effect of role playing on attitudes in terms of cognitive dissonance theory.
18-2702-713
Social Influence: Conformity, Obedience, Group Influence-Normative v Informational Social Inf, Group Behavior, Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo, Social Facilitation v Social Impairment, Tripplett, Social Loafing, Deindividuation, Group Polarization, Groupthink, Janis
4. Discuss the results of experiments on conformity, and distinguish between normative and
informational social influence.
5. Describe Milgram’s controversial experiments on obedience, and discuss their implications for understanding our susceptibility to social influence.
6. Describe conditions in which the presence of others is likely to result in social facilitation, social loafing, or deindividuation.
7. Discuss how group interaction can facilitate group polarization and groupthink, and describe how minority influence illustrates the power of individuals.
18-3714-726
Social Relations: Prejudice, Stereotypes, Ingroup v. Outgroup, Ingroup Bias, Scapegoat Theory of Prejudices, Cognitive Roots of Prejudice- Categorization, Vivid Cases, Just-World Phenomenon, Aggression- Biological Roots, Frustration-Aggression Principle, Media and Society Influences
8. Describe the social, emotional, and cognitive factors that contribute to the persistence of cultural, ethnic, and gender prejudice and discrimination.
9. Describe the impact of biological factors, aversive events, and learning experiences on aggressive behavior.
10. Discuss the effects of pornography and violent video games on social attitudes and behavior.
18-4726-734
Social Relations: Conflict, Social Traps/ Prisoner’s Dilemma, Attraction, Companionate v Compassionate Love
11. Explain how social traps and mirror-image perceptions fuel social conflict.
12. Describe the influence of proximity, physical attractiveness, and similarity on interpersonal
attraction.
13. Explain the impact of physical arousal on passionate love, and discuss how companionate love is nurtured by equity and self-disclosure.
18-5734-741
Social Relations: Altruism, Bystander Intervention, Darley and Latane, Kitty Genovese Case, Bystander Effect, Social Exchange Theory, Peacemaking-Superordinate Goals, GRIT
14. Describe and explain the bystander effect, and explain altruistic behavior in terms of social exchange theory and social norms.
15. Discuss effective ways of encouraging peaceful cooperation and reducing social conflict.
PERSONALITY (5)
15-1575-580
Historical Perspectives on Personality: The Psychoanalytic Perspective, Techniques in Psychoanalysis, Personality Structure, Psychosexual Stages of Development, Defense Mechanisms
1. Describe what is meant by personality, and explain how Freud’s treatment of psychological disorders led to his study of the unconscious.
2. Describe Freud’s view of personality structure in terms of the interactions of the id, ego, and superego.
3. Identify Freud’s psychosexual stages of development, and describe the effects of fixation on behavior.
4. Discuss how defense mechanisms serve to protect the individual from anxiety.
15-2581-590
Historical Perspectives on Personality: Projective Tests, Neofreudians, Jung, Adler, Horney, Issues w/ Psychoanalytic Theory; Humanistic Perspective-Maslow, Rogers, Self-Actualization, UPR, Issues w/ Hum
5. Explain how projective tests are used to assess personality.
6. Discuss the contributions of the neo-Freudians, and describe the shortcomings of Freud’s ideas.
7. Describe the humanistic perspective on personality in terms of Maslow’s focus on self-actualization and Rogers’ emphasis on people’s potential for growth.
8 Describe humanistic psychologists’ approach to personality assessment, and discuss criticisms of the humanistic perspective.
15-3590-600
Contemporary Research on Personality: Trait Perspective, Allport, Eyesenck, Myers-Briggs, MMPI, “The Big Five Personality Factors,” “The Barnum Effect,” Strengths & Weaknesses of Trait Perspective
9. Discuss psychologists’ descriptions of personality types, and describe research efforts to identify fundamental personality traits.
10. Explain how personality inventories are used to assess traits, and identify the “Big Five”
personality dimensions.
11. Discuss research regarding the consistency of behavior over time and across situations.
15-4600-606
Social-Cognitive Perspective: Bandura, Reciprocal Determinism, Seligman, Locus of Control, Learned Helplessness
12. Describe the social-cognitive perspective on personality, and discuss the important consequences of personal control, learned helplessness, and optimism.
13. Describe how social-cognitive researchers assess behavior in realistic situations and evaluate the social-cognitive perspective on personality.
15-5607-617
Exploring the Self: Spotlight Effect, Self-Esteem, Self-Serving Bias, Cultural Differences: Individualism v Collectivism, The Modern Unconscious Mind: Terror Management Theory
14. Describe psychology’s interest in people’s self, and discuss the benefits and liabilities of self-esteem and self-serving pride.
15. Describe the impact of individualism and collectivism on self-identity and social relations.
16. Identify examples of nonconscious information processing highlighted by contemporary research.
DEVELOPMENTAL/ LIFESPAN (6)
3-1 108-114
Behavior Genetics: Twin & Adoption Studies, Overview of Nature v. Nurture
1. Describe how twin and adoption studies help us differentiate hereditary and environmental influences on human traits.
2. Discuss how differences in infant temperament illustrate the effect of heredity on development.
3. Describe how behavior geneticists estimate trait heritability, and discuss the interaction of genetic and environmental influences.
4-1134-142
Prenatal & Neonatal Development, Infancy & Childhood: Teratogens, Infant Cognition, Biological Maturation
1. Discuss the course of prenatal development and the destructive impact of teratogens.
2. Describe the capacities of the newborn and the use of habituation for assessing infant cognition.
3. Discuss the impact of physical maturation on infants’ memory capabilities and motor skills.
4-2143-150
Cognitive Development: Schemas, Assimilation, Piaget’s Stages of Development, Theory of Mind, Autism
4. Describe Piaget’s view of how the mind develops, and discuss his stage theory of cognitive development, noting current thinking regarding cognitive stages.
4-3150-158
Social Development: Stranger Anxiety, Attachment, Harlow, Critical Period, Imprinting, Parenting Styles, Erikson, Basic Trust, Attachment Styles, Self-Concept
5. Discuss the impact of body contact, familiarity, and responsive parenting on infant social attachments.
6. Describe the benefits of a secure attachment and the impact of parental neglect and separation as well as day care on childhood development.
7. Describe the early development of a self-concept and discuss possible effects of different parenting styles on children.
4-4159-171
Adolescence: Physical, Cognitive, Social & Moral Development, Erikson’s Stages of Psychosexual Development, Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning, Intimacy
8. Define adolescence and identify the major physical changes that occur during this period of life.
9. Describe adolescents’ growing reasoning power, and discuss specific ways in which moral behavior is affected by moral reasoning, emotional intuitions, and social influences.
10. Discuss the search for identity and the development of intimate social relationships during the adolescent years.
4-5172-191
Adulthood: Physical and Cognitive Changes, Cross-Sectional v Longitudinal Studies, Reflections on Stability v. Change, Continuity v Stages, Kubler-Ross Stages of Death & Dying
11. Identify the major physical changes that occur in middle and older adulthood.
12. Describe the impact of aging on adult memory and intelligence.
13. Explain why the path of adult development need not be tightly linked to one’s chronological age.
14. Discuss the importance of family and work commitments in adult development.
15. Describe people’s life satisfaction across the life span and their reactions to death or the prospect of dying.
16. Summarize current views regarding continuity versus discontinuity and stability versus change in lifelong development.