AP Psychology
Course Overview and Description
The premise of Advanced Placement Psychology is that students benefit from a systematic and scientific study of behavior. Guided by the theories, principles, methodology, and applications of psychology, students will explore the complexities of behavior, generate logical explanations of behavior, and express and defend interpretations of behavior.
Success in Advanced Placement Psychology is defined as sufficient achievement to earn college credit on the Advanced Placement Psychology Examination. This level of achievement requires mastery of content, superior levels of processing, applications of test taking strategies, and highly developed skills of expression. Student achievement in Advanced Placement Psychology will be the equivalent of success in a college level introductory psychology course.
Advanced Placement Psychology is designed to provide able, motivated students a learning experience which integrates challenging subject matter and dynamic instruction. Approaches to learning will actively engage students, utilize their curiosity, and employ strategies appropriate for adolescent learners.
Upon completion of Advanced Placement Psychology students will have demonstrated achievement as knowledgeable, skilled, and perceptive learners. They will have applied scientific and humanistic principles to self understanding and understanding of others, developed advanced thinking skills, and made substantial progress towards successful adulthood.
Course Text:
Myers’ Psychology for AP
COURSE PLAN
Unit 1: Social Psychology (1 week)
Social psychology has been chosen to introduce the study of psychology. Although usually found in the last few chapters of most textbooks, this unit provides an interesting first experience in the study of psychology. In addition to capturing student interest, it offers excellent ties to future units, most particularly in the study of psychological research. Within this unit, students will seek thoughtful and complete responses to the following:
QUESTION: What factors influence changes in social norms?
QUESTION: What factors influence conformity, compliance, and obedience?
QUESTION: How do people construct their views of other individuals and understand their interactions with others within a social setting?
Readings:
Coon, Introduction to Psychology, 2006: pages 647-53, 662-70, 697-9, 652-3, and 681-3
Indicator and Supporting Objectives:
Students will investigate issues of group behaviors in order to determine the impact of social settings and circumstances on behavior
• define achieved role, ascribed role, role conflict, and social norms
• examine types of group interactions
• describe effects of group pressure as demonstrated by the Asch effect
• determine the relationship between authority and obedience as demonstrated by Milgram
• analyze factors affecting decisions during the stages of bystander intervention
• list types of social thinkers and relate them to findings regarding cognitive dissonance, self perception, and attribution theory
• identify reasons for the fundamental attribution error
Content within Social Psychology includes:
What factors influence changes in social norms?
Musafer Sherif and norm crystallization. Theodore Newcomb and Bennington's Liberal Norms, What factors influence conformity, compliance, and obedience? The Asch Effect,
Lewin's Group Dynamics, Milgram's obedience to authority, Bystander intervention
How do people construct their views of other individuals and understand their interactions with others within a social setting?
Dissonance theory: self-justification, Self-perception theory,
Assessment:
Students will complete activities from Makowski’s Activity Handbook for Teaching Psychology, Volumes II and III.
Resources:
Coon, Dennis. Acetates to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and
Application. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Instructor's Manual to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and
Application.. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application.. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Makosky, Vivian Parker, et. al. Activities Handbook for the Teaching of Psychology, Volume II. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association, 1994.
Makosky, Vivian Parker, et. al. Activities Handbook for the Teaching of Psychology, Volume III. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association, 1995.
Schwartz, Steven. Classic Studies in Psychology. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, n.d.
Video: Annenberg/CPB, Discovering Psychology: Program 19, The Power of the Situation
Unit 2: Approaches and History (1 week)
Approaches and History will introduce students to the goals of psychology and the various perspectives used within psychology to explain human behavior. While each school has amassed evidence of its utility, students will discover that no single approach can offer a satisfactory and complete set of answers to all the questions we have. Of paramount importance in this unit is the introduction of psychology as a science, albeit of subjects and subject matter which often defy the predictability available to the pure and applied sciences. It is essential that students thoroughly understand the various psychological perspectives of human behavior. These perspectives will be revisited continually throughout the course. On the Advanced Placement Examination students are frequently asked to apply their knowledge of these perspectives to personality development, abnormal behavior, and methods of therapy. Within this unit, students will seek thoughtful and complete responses to the following:
QUESTION: Why study psychology?
QUESTION: How did psychology develop a scientific study of behavior?
QUESTION: How do the various schools of psychology differ?
Readings:
Coon, Introduction to Psychology, 2006: pages1-7, 8-16, and 660-1
Indicators and supporting objectives:
Students will investigate the purposes and scope of psychology in order to develop goals for understanding behavior.
• develop a rationale for the study of psychology
• describe behaviors of interest in psychology
• evaluate the goals of psychology
Students will examine the early development of psychology in order to determine psychology's status as a scientific body of knowledge.
• investigate the pioneers of psychological studies
• describe structuralism and functionalism
Students will compare major schools of psychology in order to select appropriate approaches to psychological studies and problems
• describe each of the major approaches to the explanation of human behavior
• apply selected psychological approaches to case studies
Content within Approaches and History includes:
Why study psychology?
Definition of Psychology, Goals, Description of behavior, Explanation of behavior, prediction of behavior, Control of behavior, Improving quality of life
How did psychology develop a scientific study of behavior?
Structuralism: Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchner, Functionalism: William James, John Dewey,
How do the various schools of psychology differ?
Biological approach, Psychodynamic approach, Behavioristic approach, Cognitive approach
Humanistic approach
Assessment:
Assess student understandings of the approaches to psychology by directing them individually, in pairs, or in groups to create “Bumper Stickers”. Students will refer to the five basic approaches to psychology described in the textbook (biological, behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, cognitive). The group task is to create slogans, such as those which appear on bumper stickers, that capture the essence of the theory. For example, “Biology: it’s in your genes” could represent the biological approach. Slogans can be completely original or takeoffs from commercials or other well-known sayings.
Prior to the activity, emphasize with students the criteria which will be used to evaluate their bumper stickers and a scoring sheet.
Resources:
Coon, Dennis. Instructor's Manual to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application.. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application.. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application.. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1998.
McMahon, Judith W. Teaching Masters: Psychology and You. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2000.
Video:
National Broadcasting Company, Behavior Research Institute from Eye to Eye
Annenberg/CPB Project, Discovering Psychology: Program 1, Past, Present, and Future
Unit 3: Methods (2 weeks)
Methods requires students to apply statistical measurements to psychology. Of special importance in this unit is the need for accuracy and logical application of measurement. This is a very comprehensive unit and can easily be expanded. Within this unit, students will seek thoughtful and complete responses to the following:
QUESTION: How does psychology acquire information about behavior?
QUESTION: How does psychology measure behavior?
QUESTION: How does psychology ensure the accuracy of observations and measurements?
QUESTION: What ethical issues confront the collection and measurement of psychological information?
Readings:
Coon, Introduction to Psychology, 2006: pages 27-36, Appendix A, A1-A9, 30-41, 383, and 46-7
Indicators and Supporting Objectives:
Students will investigate methods of collecting data in order to apply logical processing to observations, measurements, and interpretations of behavior.
• describe the research methods in psychology correctly using terminology
• apply the experimental method
• demonstrate the method of random samplings
Students will understand how psychologists use descriptive statistics in order to support the validity of judgments about behavior.
• distinguish between correlational and causal relationships
• compute correlational coefficients to describe relationships
• describe measures of central tendency and their uses
• describe appropriate uses of measures of variability
Students will use scientific and standardized procedures in order to ensure the validity of judgments about behavior
• describe the limits of the scientific method and its safeguards
• distinguish between the concepts of reliability and validity
Students will examine guidelines for the treatment of subjects in psychological research in order to evaluate the ethical standards used in current research.
• describe practices such as informed consent, right to privacy, deception, and their relationships to professional ethics
• analyze issues related to control
• describe appropriate guidelines for debriefing
• explain how animal research provides insights regarding human behavior
Content within Methods includes:
How does psychology acquire information about behavior?
Correlational research, Experimental research, Naturalistic observation, Survey, Case study
How does psychology measure behavior?
The correlation coefficient, Measures of central tendency, Measures of variability, Sampling error, Differences between means
How does psychology ensure the accuracy of observations and measurements?
Operational definitions, Standardized procedures, Controls, Reliability and validity
What ethical issues confront the collection and measurement of psychological information?
Informed consent, The right to privacy, Deception, Debriefing, Issues in animal research
Assessment:
Provide practical experience in using the experimental method by having students complete an experiment in helping. Prior to class, have students read Coon, Introduction to Psychology 2006, pages 27-36. Distribute handout “A Field Experiment in Helping” and instructions from Makosky, Activities Handbook for the Teaching of Psychology, Volume III, pages 9-11. Review the guidelines with the students and establish a time frame for the completion of this activity. Have students compare their findings with current research in the field by referring students to “Prosocial Behavior” in Coon, Introduction to Psychology, 2006, pages 697-9 and refer to activities on the bystander effect in the introductory social psychology unit.
Resources:
Coon, Dennis. Instructor's Manual to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Grayson, Nancy. The Stats Pack: Statistics Without Fear. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association, 1997.
Makosky, Vivian Parker, et. al. Activities Handbook for the Teaching of Psychology, Volume III. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association, 1995.
Unit 4: Biological Basis of Behavior (3 weeks)
Currently, most interest in the biological basis of behavior involves the brain and the nervous system. Analysis of the brain and nervous system offers explanations of human behavior and reasons for the varieties of our aptitudes and preferences. Completion of this unit can be enhanced by seeking the assistance of the science department for expertise and resources. Within this unit, students will seek thoughtful and complete responses to the following:
QUESTION: What are the techniques used for investigating the brain?
QUESTION: How is the neural network organized to receive and send impulses?
QUESTION: How is the nervous system organized?
Readings:
Coon, Introduction to Psychology, 2006: pages 79-82, 52-7, 421-2, and 54-74
Indicators and supporting objectives:
Students will identify research techniques in order to determine how information is acquired about the structures and functions of the brain.
• trace the evolution of early brain research
• explain the significance and effectiveness of diagnostic tools such as the EEG, CAT, PET, and MRI
Students will investigate the neurons and nerve impulses in order to describe the internal processes of the brain and nervous system.
• identify the structure and characteristics of the components of the neural system
• trace the sequence of events in neural impulses
• analyze the roles of various chemical transmitters on neural activity
Students will investigate the components of the nervous system in order to determine neurological functions.
• identify the structure and characteristics of the central nervous system
• differentiate between the somatic and autonomic nervous systems
• describe the functions of brain parts
• investigate hemispheric functions of the brain
• assess the impact of genetic and environmental factors on development
Content within Biological Basis of Behavior includes:
What are the techniques used for investigating the brain?
Electrical stimulation and recording, Wilder Penfield: mapping the cortex, Walter Hess: electrical stimulation of deep brain structures, Brain Scans, Electroencephalogram (EEG), Computerized axial tomography (CAT), Positron emission tomography (PET), Magnetic resonance imagery (MRI)
How is the neural network organized to receive and send impulses?
The Neuron, Structure of neuron, Action Potentials, Graded potential, Action potential
Refractory period, Ion channels, Synapses and communication between neurons, Synapse, Neurotransmitters, Drug interactions
How is the nervous system organized?
Peripheral nervous system, Somatic nervous system, Autonomic nervous system, Central nervous system, Spinal cord, Brain, Central core, Limbic system, Cerebral cortex, Hemispheres, Lobes, Endocrine system, Pituitary gland (anterior/posterior), Thyroid gland, Islet cells, Adrenal cortex, Ovaries, Testes, Brain lateralization, Split brain, Specialized functions, Genes and Behavior, Chromosomes and genes, Chromosome abnormalities, Single trait genes, Sex-linked traits, Polygenic traits, Nature vs. nurture
Assessment:
Students will analyze brain and nervous system using a series of experiments and inventories.
Resources:
Coon, Dennis. Acetates to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.
Coon, Dennis. Instructor's Manual to Accompany Introduction to Psychology: Exploration and Application. Minneapolis: West Publishing Company, 2006.