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AP Psychology 2022-2023
Instructor: Patrick MurphyInstructor’s office phone, email, and website:
Phone: 1(801) 452-4000
Email: patmurphy@wsd.net
Website: http://thenerdintheclassroom.com/
Classroom Management:
Putting down classmates is not tolerated in any form, direct or inferred. When asked to stop, "what?" is not an answer. All district and school policies are enforced in the classroom.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will prepare to do acceptable work on the AP Psychology Exam.
2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will
be able to define key terms and use them in their everyday vocabulary. The
student will be able to address issues concerning empirically supported
psychological facts, research findings, terminology, and associated phenomena,
perspectives, and major figures as it pertains to each unit within the course’s
spectrum.
3. Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply
psychological concepts to their own lives.
4. Students will develop critical thinking skills.
Textbook and Supplemental Summer-Reading Texts:
Myers' Psychology for AP by David G. Myers
Batman and Psychology by Travis Langley (summer reading)
Recommended but not Super-Necessary Supplemental Texts and Videos:
Barron’s AP Psychology by McEntarffer and Weseley
5 Steps to a 5 AP Psychology by Laura Maitland
Discovering Psychology by Phillip Zimbardo et. all
Crash Course Psychology
Homework Expectations:
Ample notice is given for any assignment, quiz, or exam. The amount of work depends on the unit being covered in class. There are assigned pages to read in the textbook every night. Vocabulary terms are also given for each unit. It is a student’s responsibility to come to class prepared in order to fully benefit from the classroom discussions. Other assignments given to students are class presentations, projects, and papers. These assignments vary with the unit being covered.
Late work will be accepted until the final day of the quarter.
If a student is not taking the AP exam in the Spring, they are on a different track and there are different expectations. Homework is minimal; however, it is still expected that they come to class and actively participate. If a non-AP-Track student misses class, they are responsible for making up the work that was covered that day. In order to receive the day's credit, they must complete the day's assignment and be quizzed on the information, receiving points based upon how well they did on the quiz. Unexcused absences will not be eligible for points.
Students not taking the AP test in the spring will be given a comprehensive examination. This grade will consist of 50% the students final fourth-quarter grade.
Grading:
To reach the grade on the right, you must exceed the percentage on the left.
92% = A
90% = A-
88% = B+
82% = B
80% = B-
78% = C+
72% = C
70% = C-
68% = D+
62% = D
60% = D-
<60% = F
Educational Integrity:
Honesty is the expected norm. Lies, deception, and deviations from this are not tolerated. Plagiarism, using someone else’s ideas as you own, and cheating (on a test, quiz, or otherwise) will result in the loss of all points available for the assignment in question as well as all points associated with the assignment, an automatic U, and parental and administrative intervention. Educational integrity infractions at a college or university will result in expulsion as well as a seven-year mark on the student’s transcripts. Don’t get into the habit of doing it now. Simple solution: don’t do it. It is not worth the risk.Scope and Sequence:
Unit 01: History and Approaches: 2-4% - 4 Days
What is Psychology?: Psychology’s Roots
— Recognize how philosophical perspectives shaped the development of psychological
thought.
— Identify the major historical figures in psychology (e.g., Mary Whiton Calkins, Charles
Darwin, Dorothea Dix, Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, William James, Ivan
Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Margaret Floy Washburn, John
B. Watson, Wilhelm Wundt).
What is Psychology?: Psychological Science Develops
— Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior: structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism in the early years; Gestalt, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, and humanism.
— Identify the major historical figures in psychology (e.g., Mary Whiton Calkins, Charles
Darwin, Dorothea Dix, Sigmund Freud, G. Stanley Hall, William James, Ivan
Pavlov, Jean Piaget, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Margaret Floy Washburn, John
B. Watson, Wilhelm Wundt).
Contemporary Psychology: Psychology’s Biggest Question
— Recognize the strengths and limitations of applying theories to explain behavior.
Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior: evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches.
— Contemporary Psychology: Psychology’s Three Main Levels of Analysis
Describe and compare different theoretical approaches in explaining behavior:
— evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches.
Contemporary Psychology: Psychology’s Subfields Describe and compare different theoretical
approaches in explaining behavior:
— evolutionary, biological, and cognitive as more contemporary approaches.
Distinguish the different domains of psychology
— biological, clinical, cognitive, counseling, developmental, educational,
experimental, human factors, industrial–organizational, personality,
psychometric, and social.
Unit 02: Research Methods: 8-10% - 5 Days
The Need for Psychological Science
— Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic observations, and case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.
How do Psychologists Ask and Answer Questions?
— Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic observations, and case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses.
— Describe how research design drives the reasonable conclusions that can be drawn (e.g.,
experiments are useful for determining cause and effect; the use of experimental
controls reduces alternative explanations).
— Identify independent, dependent, confounding, and control variables in experimental
designs.
— Distinguish between random assignment of participants to conditions in experiments and random selection of participants, primarily in correlational studies and surveys.
Predict the validity of behavioral explanations based on the quality of research design
(e.g., confounding variables limit confidence in research conclusions).
— Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research.
Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life
— Distinguish the purposes of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
— Apply basic descriptive statistical concepts, including interpreting and constructing graphs and calculating simple descriptive statistics (e.g., measures of central
tendency, standard deviation).
— Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychology
— Identify how ethical issues inform and constrain research practices.
— Describe how ethical and legal guidelines (e.g., those provided by the American Psychological Association, federal regulations, local institutional review boards) protect research participants and promote sound ethical practice.
Unit 03: Biological Basis: 8-10% - 7 Days
Part A: Neural Processing and the Endocrine System
Neural Communication
—I dentify basic processes and systems in the biological bases of behavior, including parts of the neuron and the process of transmission of a signal between neurons.
— Discuss the influence of drugs on neurotransmitters (e.g., reuptake mechanisms).
— The Nervous System
— Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions: central and peripheral nervous systems; major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas; brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
The Endocrine System
— Discuss the effect of the endocrine system on behavior.
Part B: The Brain
The Tools of Discovery: Having Our Head Examined
— Recount historic and contemporary research strategies and technologies that support research (e.g., case studies, split-brain research, imaging techniques).
Older Brain Structures
— Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions: central and peripheral nervous systems; major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas;brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
The Cerebral Cortex
— Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions: central and peripheral nervous systems; major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas; brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
Our Divided Brain
— Describe the nervous system and its subdivisions and functions: central and peripheral nervous systems; major brain regions, lobes, and cortical areas; brain lateralization and hemispheric specialization.
— Identify key contributors (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke).
The Brain and Consciousness
— Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
Part C: Genetics, Evolutionary Psychology, and Behavior
Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Differences
— Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to shape behavior.
Evolutionary Psychology: Understanding Human Nature
— Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to shape behavior.
— Predict how traits and behavior can be selected for their adaptive value.
Unit 04: Sensation and Perception: 6-8% - 5 Days
Sensing the World: Some Basic Principles
— Discuss basic principles of sensory transduction, including absolute threshold, difference threshold, signal detection, and sensory adaptation.
— Explain the role of top-down processing in producing vulnerability to illusion.
— Discuss the role of attention in behavior.
— Identify the major historical figures in sensation and perception (e.g., Gustav Fechner, David Hubel, Ernst Weber, Torsten Wiesel).
Vision
— Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant
anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the senses.
— Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
Hearing
— Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant
anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the
senses.
— Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
Other Senses
—Describe sensory processes (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular,
kinesthesis, pain), including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant
anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each of the
senses.
— Explain common sensory disorders (e.g., visual and hearing impairments).
Perceptual Organization
— Describe general principles of organizing and integrating sensation to promote stable
awareness of the external world (e.g., Gestalt principles, depth perception).
Perceptual Interpretation
— Discuss how experience and culture can influence perceptual processes (e.g., perceptual
set, context effects).
— Is There Extrasensory Perception?
— Challenge common beliefs in parapsychological phenomena.
Unit 05: States of Consciousness: 2-4% - 3 Days
Sleep and Dreams
— Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming: stages and characteristics of the sleep cycle; theories of sleep and dreaming; symptoms and treatments of sleep disorders.
— Identify the major figures in consciousness research (e.g., William James, Sigmund
Freud, Ernest Hilgard).
Hypnosis
— Describe historic and contemporary uses of hypnosis (e.g., pain control, psychotherapy).
— Explain hypnotic phenomena (e.g., suggestibility, dissociation).
Drugs and Consciousness
— Identify the major psychoactive drug categories (e.g., depressants, stimulants) and
classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
— Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
Unit 06: Learning: 7-9% - 6 Days
Classical Conditioning
— Distinguish general differences between principles of classical conditioning,
operant conditioning, and observational learning (e.g., contingencies).
— Describe basic classical conditioning phenomena, such as acquisition, extinction,
spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination, and higher-order learning.
— Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
— Provide examples of how biological constraints create learning predispositions.
— Apply learning principles to explain emotional learning, taste aversion,
superstitious behavior, and learned helplessness.
— Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning (e.g., Albert Bandura, John
Garcia, Ivan Pavlov, Robert Rescorla, B. F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike, Edward
Tolman, John B. Watson).
Operant Conditioning
— Distinguish general differences between principles of classical conditioning,
operant conditioning, and observational learning (e.g., contingencies).
— Predict the effects of operant conditioning (e.g., positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement, punishment, schedules of reinforcement).
— Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
— Apply learning principles to explain emotional learning, taste aversion,
superstitious behavior, and learned helplessness.
— Suggest how behavior modification, biofeedback, coping strategies, and self control can be used to address behavioral problems.
—Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning (e.g., Albert Bandura, John
Garcia, Ivan Pavlov, Robert Rescorla, B. F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike, Edward
Tolman, John B. Watson).
Learning by Observation
— Distinguish general differences between principles of classical conditioning, operant
conditioning, and observational learning (e.g., contingencies).
— Interpret graphs that exhibit the results of learning experiments.
— Describe the essential characteristics of insight learning, latent learning, and
social learning.
— Apply learning principles to explain emotional learning, taste aversion,
superstitious behavior, and learned helplessness.
— Identify key contributors in the psychology of learning (e.g., Albert Bandura, John
Garcia, Ivan Pavlov, Robert Rescorla, B. F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike, Edward
Tolman, John B. Watson).
Unit 07: Cognition: 8-10% - 6 Days
Part A: Memory
— The Phenomenon of Memory
— Compare and contrast various cognitive processes: effortful versus automatic processing; deep versus shallow processing; focused versus divided attention.
— Describe and differentiate psychological and physiological systems of memory (e.g.,
short-term memory, procedural memory).
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Information Processing
— Compare and contrast various cognitive processes: effortful versus automatic processing; deep versus shallow processing; focused versus divided attention.
— Describe and differentiate psychological and physiological systems of memory (e.g.,
short-term memory, procedural memory).
— Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of
memories.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Forgetting
— Describe and differentiate psychological and physiological systems of memory (e.g.,
short-term memory, procedural memory).
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
— Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Memory Construction
— Outline the principles that underlie effective encoding, storage, and construction of
memories.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky, Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Improving Memory
Compare and contrast various cognitive processes: effortful versus automatic processing; deep versus shallow processing; focused versus divided attention.
— Describe strategies for memory improvement.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Part B: Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity, and Language
Thinking
— Identify problem-solving strategies as well as factors that influence their effectiveness.
— List the characteristics of creative thought and creative thinkers.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Language
— Synthesize how biological, cognitive, and cultural factors converge to facilitate
acquisition, development, and use of language.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Thinking and Language
— Synthesize how biological, cognitive, and cultural factors converge to facilitate
acquisition, development, and use of language.
— Identify key contributors in cognitive psychology (e.g., Noam Chomsky,
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Wolfgang Köhler, Elizabeth Loftus, George A. Miller).
Unit 08: Motivation and Emotion: 6-8% - 5 Days
Part A: Motivation
Motivational Concepts
— Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals (e.g., instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
— Discuss the biological underpinnings of motivation, including needs, drives, and
homeostasis.
— Compare and contrast motivational theories (e.g., drive reduction theory, arousal theory, general adaptation theory), including the strengths and weaknesses of each.
— Identify key contributors in the psychology of motivation and emotion (e.g., William
James, Alfred Kinsey, Abraham Maslow, Stanley Schachter, Hans Selye).
Hunger
— Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals (e.g., instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
Describe classic research findings in specific motivation systems (e.g., eating, sex, social)
Sexual Motivation
— Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals (e.g., instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
Describe classic research findings in specific motivation systems (e.g., eating, sex, social)
The Need to Belong
— Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals (e.g., instincts, incentives, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation).
— Describe classic research findings in specific motivation systems (e.g., eating, sex, social)
Part B: Emotion
Theories of Emotion
— Compare and contrast major theories of emotion (e.g., James–Lange, Cannon–Bard,
Schachter two-factor theory).
— Identify key contributors in the psychology of motivation and emotion (e.g., William
James, Alfred Kinsey, Abraham Maslow, Stanley Schachter, Hans Selye).
Embodied Emotion
— Describe how cultural influences shape emotional expression, including variations in
body language.
Expressed Emotion
— Describe how cultural influences shape emotional expression, including variations in
body language.
Experienced Emotion
— Describe how cultural influences shape emotional expression, including variations in
body language.
Stress and Health
— Discuss theories of stress and the effects of stress on psychological and physical
well-being.
Unit 09: Developmental Psychology: 7-9% - 6 Days
Prenatal Development and the Newborn
— Explain the process of conception and gestation, including factors that influence
successful fetal development (e.g., nutrition, illness, substance abuse).
— Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
Infancy and Childhood
— Discuss maturation of motor skills.
— Describe the influence of temperament and other social factors on attachment and
appropriate socialization.
— Explain the maturation of cognitive abilities (e.g., Piaget’s stages, information
processing).
— Compare and contrast models of moral development (e.g., Kohlberg, Gilligan).
— Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
— Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert
Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry
Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
Parents and Peers
— Discuss maturational challenges in adolescence, including related family conflicts.
Adolescence
— Compare and contrast models of moral development (e.g., Kohlberg, Gilligan).
— Discuss maturational challenges in adolescence, including related family conflicts.
— Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
— Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert
Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry
Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
Adulthood
— Characterize the development of decisions related to intimacy as people mature.
— Predict the physical and cognitive changes that emerge as people age, including steps that can be taken to maximize function.
— Describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.
— Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert
Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry
Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
— Reflections on Two Major Developmental Issues Discuss the interaction of
nature and nurture (including cultural variations) in the determination of behavior.
— Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert
Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry
Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
— Reflections on Two Major Developmental Issues
— Discuss the interaction of nature and nurture (including cultural variations) in the
determination of behavior.
— Identify key contributors in developmental psychology (e.g., Mary Ainsworth, Albert
Bandura, Diana Baumrind, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Harry
Harlow, Lawrence Kohlberg, Konrad Lorenz, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky).
Unit 10: Personality: 5-7% - 4 Days
The Psychoanalytic Perspective
— Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality:
psychoanalytic, humanist, cognitive, trait, social learning, and behavioral.
— Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic
— Personality Inventory [MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and
evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the instruments.
— Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development,
especially as it relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic
cultures).
— Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers).
The Humanistic Perspective
— Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality:
psychoanalytic, humanist, cognitive, trait, social learning, and behavioral.
— Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic
— Personality Inventory [MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and
evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the instruments.
Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality
development, especially as it relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus
individualistic cultures).
— Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl
Rogers).
The Trait Perspective
— Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality:
psychoanalytic, humanist, cognitive, trait, social learning, and behavioral.
— Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory [MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and
evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the instruments.
— Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development,
especially as it relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic
cultures).
— Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl
Rogers).
The Social-Cognitive Perspective
— Compare and contrast the major theories and approaches to explaining personality:
psychoanalytic, humanist, cognitive, trait, social learning, and behavioral.
— Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory [MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and
evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the instruments.
— Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development,
especially as it relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic
cultures).
— Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul
Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl
Rogers).
Exploring the Self
— Describe and compare research methods (e.g., case studies and surveys) that
psychologists use to investigate personality.
— Identify frequently used assessment strategies (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory [MMPI], the Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]), and
evaluate relative test quality based on reliability and validity of the instruments.
— Speculate how cultural context can facilitate or constrain personality development,
especially as it relates to self-concept (e.g., collectivistic versus individualistic
cultures).
— Identify key contributors to personality theory (e.g., Alfred Adler, Albert Bandura, Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow, Carl
Rogers).
Unit 11: Testing and Individual Differences: 5-7% - 5 Days
What is Intelligence?
— Define intelligence and list characteristics of how psychologists measure intelligence: abstract versus verbal measures; speed of processing.
— Discuss how culture influences the definition of intelligence.
— Compare and contrast historic and contemporary theories of intelligence (e.g., Charles Spearman, Howard Gardner, Robert Sternberg).
Identify key contributors in intelligence research and testing (e.g., Alfred Binet, Francis
Galton, Howard Gardner, Charles Spearman, Robert Sternberg, Louis Terman,
David Wechsler).
Assessing Intelligence
— Define intelligence and list characteristics of how psychologists measure intelligence: abstract versus verbal measures; speed of processing.
— Explain how psychologists design tests, including standardization strategies and other techniques to establish reliability and validity.
— Interpret the meaning of scores in terms of the normal curve.
— Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (e.g., gifted, cognitively disabled).
— Debate the appropriate testing practices, particularly in relation to culture-fair test uses.
— Identify key contributors in intelligence research and testing (e.g., Alfred Binet, Francis Galton, Howard Gardner, Charles Spearman, Robert Sternberg, Louis Terman,
David Wechsler).
The Dynamics of Intelligence
— Describe relevant labels related to intelligence testing (e.g., gifted, cognitively disabled).
— Genetic and Environmental Influences on Intelligence
— Discuss how culture influences the definition of intelligence.
Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology: 7-9% - 6 Days
Perspectives on Psychological Disorders
— Describe contemporary and historical conceptions of what constitutes psychological
disorders.
— Recognize the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
published by the American Psychiatric Association as the primary reference for
making diagnostic judgments.
— Evaluate the strengths and limitations of various approaches to explaining psychological disorders: medical model, psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and sociocultural. [SC17]
— Identify the positive and negative consequences of diagnostic labels (e.g., the Rosenhan study).
— Discuss the intersection between psychology and the legal system (e.g., confidentiality, insanity defense).
Anxiety Disorders
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform
disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality
disorders, and dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Somatoform Disorders
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders,
mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and
dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Dissociative Disorders
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders,
mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and
dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Mood Disorders
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders,
mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and
dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Schizophrenia
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders,
mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and
dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Personality Disorders
— Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including anxiety and somatoform disorders,
mood disorders, schizophrenia, organic disturbance, personality disorders, and
dissociative disorders, and their corresponding symptoms.
Rates of Disorder
— Evaluate the strengths and limitations of various approaches to explaining psychological disorders: medical model, psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive, biological, and sociocultural.
— Identify the positive and negative consequences of diagnostic labels (e.g., the Rosenhan study).
— Discuss the intersection between psychology and the legal system (e.g., confidentiality, insanity defense).
Unit 13: Treatment of Disorders: 5-7% - 4 days
The Psychological Therapies
— Describe the central characteristics of psychotherapeutic intervention.
— Describe major treatment orientations used in therapy (e.g., behavioral, cognitive,
humanistic) and how those orientations influence therapeutic planning.
— Identify major figures in psychological treatment (e.g., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis,
Sigmund Freud, Mary Cover Jones, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Joseph Wolpe).
Evaluating Psychotherapies
— Compare and contrast different treatment formats (e.g., individual, group).
— Summarize effectiveness of specific treatments used to address specific problems.
— Discuss how cultural and ethnic context influence choice and success of treatment (e.g., factors that lead to premature termination of treatment).
The Biomedical Therapies
— Describe the central characteristics of psychotherapeutic intervention.
— Describe major treatment orientations used in therapy (e.g., behavioral, cognitive,
humanistic) and how those orientations influence therapeutic planning.
— Summarize effectiveness of specific treatments used to address specific problems.
— Discuss how cultural and ethnic context influence choice and success of treatment (e.g., factors that lead to premature termination of treatment).
— Identify major figures in psychological treatment (e.g., Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis,
Sigmund Freud, Mary Cover Jones, Carl Rogers, B. F. Skinner, Joseph Wolpe).
Preventing Psychological Disorders
— Describe prevention strategies that build resilience and promote competence.
Unit 14: Social Psychology: 8-10% - 7 Days
Social Thinking
— Apply attribution theory to explain motives (e.g., fundamental attribution error,
self-serving bias).
— Discuss attitudes and how they change (e.g., central route to persuasion).
— Discuss attitude formation and change, including persuasion strategies and cognitive
dissonance.
— Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon Festinger,
Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo).
Social Influence
— Describe the structure and function of different kinds of group behavior (e.g.,
deindividuation, group polarization).
— Explain how individuals respond to expectations of others, including groupthink,
conformity, and obedience to authority.
— Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon Festinger,
Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo).
Social Relations
— Predict the impact of the presence of others on individual behavior (e.g., bystander effect, social facilitation).
— Describe processes that contribute to differential treatment of group members (e.g.,
in-group/out-group dynamics, ethnocentrism, prejudice).
— Articulate the impact of social and cultural categories (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity) on self-concept and relations with others.
— Anticipate the impact of behavior on a self-fulfilling prophecy.
— Describe the variables that contribute to altruism, aggression, and attraction.
Identify important figures in social psychology (e.g., Solomon Asch, Leon Festinger,
Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo).
Review: 7-9 Days
Test Day: May 7th, 12:00 Noon
Aftermath: Until the End of School
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