AP Psychology

Course Syllabus and Survival Guide
Advanced Placement Psychology
Mrs. Reeks
sreeks@lps.org

Primary Text, Class Materials, and Schedule
             Myers, D.G. (2010). Psychology for AP (1st ed.). New York: Worth
Online access to book resources

If you were taking this course in college and had to purchase the current edition of this book, it would cost over $100! Use the book and milk all the knowledge you can from it, but treat it kindly. Please do not use this book as a place to keep papers – that will stretch the binding. Unless I specifically tell you, you do not need to bring your book to class. In fact, you might find it easier to just keep it at home and shave a few pounds from your backpack.

You will need a three-hole notebook or binder for handouts and notes. You will also need some sort of calendar or planner to keep track of due dates. These materials should be brought to class on a daily basis.

Purpose of the Course
The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental process of human beings and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Students will also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice. (From the Advanced Placement course description for Psychology, published by the College Board.)

Course Objectives

  1. Students will prepare to do acceptable work on the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology
  2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will be able to define key terms and use these terms in their everyday vocabulary.
  3. Students will learn basic principles of psychological research. They will be able to devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the validity of research reports.
  4. Students will be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives. They will be able to recognize psychological principles when they are encountered in everyday situations.
  5. Students will develop critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting arguments without careful, objective evaluation.
  6. Students will build their reading, writing, and discussion skills.
  7. Students will learn about psychology as a profession and become aware of the educational requirements, which must be met to pursue such careers. They will learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologist.

Questions to Think About Before We Begin

  1. Why are you taking this class? Do you want to learn psychology? Are you ready for a college-level class? Are you serious about the AP Exam in May? If not, this is probably the wrong class for you.
  2. What are your priorities? Are academics near the top of the list, or are you more concerned with your social life, a part-time job, athletics, and so on? I don’t expect this course to consume your entire life, but if academics are not one of your top priorities, this is probably the wrong class for you.
  3. How much time can you devote to the class? The time required will depend on your strengths and weaknesses, but a rule of thumb suggested by many colleges is to spend about three hours working outside of class for every hour you spend in class. Since most college classes meet three hours a week, this translates to about nine out-of-class hours per week! Are you willing to devote an hour per day to prepare for this class?
  4. Are you a strong reader? Nothing will occupy more of your out-of-class time than reading and studying the text. If you are not a good reader, know that it is going to take extra time and effort on your part to compensate.

Materials distributed by the College Board say, “All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP courses.” I have always felt that each student, in consultation with his or her parent(s) or guardian(s), is in the best position to judge whether an Advanced Placement course is appropriate. Keep in mind that your level of motivation is much more important that your ability level. If you want to succeed in this course, and your are willing to put in the necessary effort, YOU WILL SUCCEED! Attitude, study skills, determination, and discipline count for far more than intelligence.

If there is any question in your mind as to whether this is the right course for you, see me today.

What Can You DO to Help Yourself?

  1. Don’t miss class.
  2. Your number one goal should be to learn psychology. If you are determined to learn psychology, everything else will fall into place.
  3. Don’t be afraid to get help if your do not understand something. How can you get help?
    1. Ask a classmate or former student.
    2. See me before or after school.
    3. Arrange to meet me during my prep period or lunch.
    4. E-mail me (sreeks@lps.org)
    5. Keep Up! Don’t fall behind! Set a schedule and stick to it! Complete assignments and finish readings on time. Be prepared for class every day. Review each week.
    6. Take complete notes. Put them in your own words. Don’t write something down you don’t understand without asking about it.
    7. Learn to read more effectively.
      1. Read actively. Don’t just look at the words. If you spend a half and hour “reading,” but are unable to recall anything when you are done, you have wasted your time.
      2. Review frequently as you read. Pause at the end of each paragraph and summarize it mentally in your own words.
      3. Do not try to read an entire chapter at once! It is divided into sections for a reason!
      4. Do not ignore photographs, figures, tables, and sidebars in your book. These figures serve to make the text more interesting and often contain important information.
      5. Take notes as you read. If you can condense a 30-page chapter into a few pages of good notes, it’s going to be much easier to review.
      6. Form a study group. This is an excellent way to help one another and have a good time as well.
      7. Half the battle is vocabulary. I suggest you make a set of flashcards on index cards.

Policies and Pet Peeves

  1. All out of class assignments must be word-processed.
  2. Late and make-up work is a nightmare for you and me. To try and minimize problems associated with it:
    1. I will rarely assign work for the next day. To help you juggle your busy schedule, generally you will have at least 48 hours to complete written work.
    2. If you have an excused absence that you could not anticipate (illness or family emergency) on the day of a test, quiz, or an assignment due date, you should be prepared to do or turn in the work on the day you return. If you have an excused absence you know about in advance (athletic event, college visit, or doctor appointment) make arrangements with me before the absence takes place so the work can be completed before you leave.
    3. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Sorry, but I do not accept late assignments. I understand that sometimes your responsibilities become almost overwhelming. Schoolwork, family obligations, jobs, social life, illness, and personal problems can make it impossible to do work of a quality I desire. To help a little bit, once a semester I will allow you an extra day for any graded exercise except test and the semester final. I will make no attempt to judge who has a good reason for the delay and who has a poor one; in fact, I will not even ask why you want the delay.
    4. I do not schedule class events around extracurricular or social events. The problem is that something is scheduled almost every day. I cant avoid all events, so I simply schedule class activities when they make the most sense in terms of our curriculum and try to give you enough time to work around your other commitments.
    5. Please do not use my class to work on material for other classes. Please do not try to make up for a missed day by copying notes or whatever during class on the day you get back.
    6. Don’t Cheat! Don’t put yourself in a position where I am forced to judge your honesty. The damage to your integrity and reputation is difficult, if not impossible, to repair.

Grading

Your grade will be determined by your performance on test, quizzes and assignments.  You will be regularly informed of your grade.  Because this is an Advanced Placement class, you will probably find it more difficult to earn high grades in this class than in most you have taken. However this is a weighted class. In general, students have found the course to be very difficult in the beginning, but have done better as the year progresses. Opportunities for extra credit will be limited. In general if you have extra time to devote to this course, you should use it to better master the assigned material. The grade break down is below:

  • 20% from assignments (Formative)
    • 1 per chapter
    • Most result in a 1 to 2 page critical thinking paper (no busy work)
    • Reading Quizzes 1 per chapter
  • 80% from chapter tests (Summative)
    • 50 MC questions
      • 2/3 overall test credit
    • 1 essay question
      • 1/3 overall test credit

Attendance

Be on time to class. We will follow the LSE tardy policy. If on the day of the exam you are absent and it is marked unexcused, the highest grade you may receive is a 50%.

Summary of Course and Examination Content

Following is an outline from the Advanced Placement Course Description in Psychology. It shows the major content areas covered by the AP Exam, as well as the approximate percentage of the test that is devoted to each area. This outline is intended as a guide; not an exhaustive list of topics.

I. History and Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2–4%

  1. Logic, Philosophy, and History of Science
  2. Approaches

1. Biological

2. Behavioral

3. Cognitive

4. Humanistic

5. Psychodynamic

6. Sociocultural

7. Evolutionary

II. Research Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . 8–10%

A. Experimental, Correlational, and Clinical Research

B.  Statistics

1. Descriptive

2. Inferential

C.  Ethics in Research

III. Biological Bases of Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 8–10%

A. Physiological Techniques (e.g., imaging, surgical)

B. Neuroanatomy

C. Functional Organization of Nervous            System

D. Neural Transmission

E. Endocrine System

F. Genetics

G. Evolutionary Psychology

IV. Sensation and Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8%

A. Thresholds and Signal Detection Theory

B. Sensory Mechanisms

C. Attention

D. Perceptual Processes

V. States of Consciousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. 2–4%

A. Sleep and Dreaming

B. Hypnosis

C. Psychoactive Drug Effects

VI. Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . 7–9%

A. Classical Conditioning

B. Operant Conditioning

C. Cognitive Processes

D. Biological Factors

E. Social Learning

VII. Cognition  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–10%

A. Memory

B. Language

C. Thinking

D. Problem Solving and Creativity

VIII. Motivation and Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6–8%

A. Biological Bases

B. Theories of Motivation

C. Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Pain

D. Social Motives

E. Theories of Emotion

F. Stress

IX. Developmental Psychology  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 7–9%

A. Life-Span Approach

B. Research Methods (e.g., longitudinal, cross-sectional)

C. Heredity–Environment Issues

D. Developmental Theories

E. Dimensions of Development

1. Physical

2. Cognitive

3. Social

4. Moral

F. Sex Roles and Gender Roles

X. Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . 5–7%

A. Personality Theories and Approaches

B. Assessment Techniques

C. Growth and Adjustment

XI. Testing and Individual Differences . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5–7%

A. Standardization and Norms

B. Reliability and Validity

C. Types of Tests

D. Ethics and Standards in Testing

E. Intelligence

XII. Abnormal Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–9%

A. Definitions of Abnormality

B. Theories of Psychopathology

C. Diagnosis of Psychopathology

D. Types of Disorders

1. Anxiety

2. Somatoform

3. Mood

4. Schizophrenic

5. Organic

6. Personality

7. Dissociative

XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–7%

A. Treatment Approaches

1. Psychodynamic

2. Humanistic

3. Behavioral

4. Cognitive

5. Biological

B. Modes of Therapy (i.e., individual, group)

C. Community and Preventive Approaches

XIV. Social Psychology  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–10%

A. Group Dynamics

B. Attribution Processes

C. Interpersonal Perception

D. Conformity, Compliance, Obedience

E. Attitudes and Attitude Change

F. Organizational Behavior

G. Aggression/Antisocial Behavior

H. Cultural Influences

The Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology

Date: Monday, May 7, 2012
Cost: $87
Description: The AP psychology Exam is approximately two hours long and includes both a 70-minute multiple choice section and a 50 minute free response (essay) section. The test is scored on a five-point scale: 5-extremely well qualified, 4-well qualified, 3-qualified, 2-possibly qualified, 1-no recommendation. Most colleges grant credit and placement for qualifying work (i.e., a score of 3 or higher) on the examination. Some require a score of 4 or higher and a few don’t accept AP scores.

The multiple-choice section contains 100 questions and accounts for two thirds of the students overall score. The free response section accounts for the remaining one third. Candidates are asked to answer two essay questions. The questions require candidates to interrelate different content areas and to analyze and evaluate psychological constructs and, more generally, theoretical perspectives. Candidates are expected to use their analytical and organizational skills to formulate cogent answers in writing their essays.

Additional information about AP and other College Board programs is available at:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/index.html?student

It is my sincere hope that years from now you will remember this course as on of the best you ever took; a course that challenged you and encouraged you to learn all you could about a most fascinating subject – psychology. I look forward to getting to know you as we tackle AP psychology together. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Good luck!