Syllabus

AP® Psychology Course Syllabus

Course Title AP® Psychology

Course Goal The purpose of the AP® Psychology course is to increase our understanding of psychology, its methods, theories and research, with the objective that each student takes and passes the Advanced Placement Examination. This course is broken down into 20 units, it will explore the psychological concepts and principles related to each of the major subfields of psychology.

Course Description Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. These subfields include history and approaches of psychology, research methodologies, neuroscience and biological processes, cognition, social psychology, personality, stress, psychological disorders and treatment, states of consciousness, learning, developmental psychology, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, and testing and individual differences.

Textbook: Myers, David. Psychology 9th Edition. Worth Publishers

Students Websites to accompany Textbooks and AP EXAM: []

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Grading Policy

Semester Exam Grades 20%

Semester Grades

80%

Semester Breakdown

Percentage

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Preparation (Assignments, Essays, Projects) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">30%

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Tests / Quizzes

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">55%

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Participation (class and homework)

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">15%

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Assessment Practices

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Participation <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Student reflections in class discussions and activities

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Preparation (Assignments, Essays, and Major Projects) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Student reflections in writing assignments and quizzes (multiple-choice, short answer, vocabulary matching). Essays will follow the APA format. Projects include a biological component, an intelligence test, a behavior modification and an abnormal psychology research presentation. There will be one project per quarter.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Test / Quizzes <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Tests will be based on the AP Exam format with multiple-choice and one essay to be completed in 70 minutes. There will be one test or quiz per unit. Quizzes consist of short answer, short essay, multiple choice, and vocabulary matching.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Participation <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Class and homework expectations are met.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Advanced Placement Psychology course is a college level course that is taught at an accelerated pace. The course is designed to introduce students to the fascinating world of psychology. Students will study the psychological facts, principles and phenomena associated with each of the major sub-fields within psychology. They will also learn about the methods psychologists use to monitor and evaluate psychological processes. Topics will include research methodology, statistics, personality development and theories, therapy, developmental psychology, biological bases of behavior, learning, social psychology, sensation, perception, states of consciousness, memory and other cognitive processes, intelligence and testing, motivation, emotion, mental illness, stress and diversity. The course also seeks to prepare students to take the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology, offered every year in May. EXAM DATE: May 7, 2012 - noon

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Course Objectives

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Students will:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· develop a greater understanding of the complexity of human behavior and thought processes <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· learn about the various tools psychologists use to investigate psychological phenomena and the limitations associated with each of these methods <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· assess the contributions from key research in psychology that has been conducted over the past century <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· evaluate the various schools of thought (approaches) employed by psychologists, including the psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, biological, and socio-cultural perspectives <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· identify the physiological roots of behavior, thinking, and emotion <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· explore the dynamics of cognitive processes, in particular memory, judgment, and intelligence <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· appreciate the myriad social factors influencing individual behavior and thinking <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· investigate maladaptive behavior and thinking and explain the various therapeutic modalities psychologists use to remedy such behavior and thinking <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· value the connection between psychology and other disciplines <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">· apply psychology to everyday phenomena and human interactions

** AP Psychology ** ** Syllabus **

**__ SEMESTER 1 (19 weeks) __**


 * // Quarter 1 (10 weeks) //**

A. Subfields/Approaches and Perspectives B. A brief history of psychology
 * Unit I. Intro/Prologue : The Story of Psychology: ** Subfield of Psychology & History – Chapter 1, pp 1-12 (1.5 weeks) [CR 1]


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. Define psychology. 2. Name the psychological subfields. Give examples of the questions and issues associated with each subfield. 3. Explain why the field of psychology is unified, despite its many areas of specialization. Describe the linkages between psychology and other fields 4. Define empiricism and describe empirical research. 5. Compare the goals and beliefs of structuralism, Gestalt psychologists, psychoanalysis, functionalism, and behaviorism. Describe introspection and the functional analysis of behavior. 6. Compare and contrast the basic assumptions that define the six approaches to psychological phenomena: biological, evolutionary, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic. Define eclectic. 7. Explain why psychologists have become increasingly interested in the influence of culture on behavior and mental processes. Define and give examples of sociocultural variables. Compare and contrast individualist and collectivist cultures.


 * Unit II. Thinking Critically/Research/Statistics ** : Chapter 2, pp. 15-45 (2 weeks) [CR 2, 11, 16]

A. The Scientific Method B. Descriptive Research C. Reliability and Validity D. Experimental Research E. Ethical Considerations F. Critical Thinking


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. Define critical thinking. Be able to think critically about a hypothesis by using the five-step process presented in the text. 2. Define hypothesis, operational definition, and data. 3. Describe the evolution of a theory. 4. Name the four scientific goals of psychology. 5. Define sampling, random sample, and biased sample. Discuss the importance of sampling in data collection. 6. Describe the three basic research methods used to describe and predict a phenomenon and give examples of each. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method. 7. Define an experiment and give an example of it. 8. Explain why an experiment allows investigation of causation. 9. Define and explain the role of independent and dependent variables and of experimental and control groups in an experiment. Define confounding variables. 10. Discuss the problems presented by confounding variables in the interpretation of experimental results. Define random variables, random assignment, and placebo. 11. Describe the relationship between a double-blind design and experimenter bias. 12. Summarize the use of descriptive and inferential statistics in evaluating research results. 13. Discuss the role of measures of variability in summarizing and describing research results. 14. Define correlation. Describe how the absolute value and sign of a correlation coefficient are interpreted. 15. Explain why correlations do not imply causation. Describe the role of alternative hypotheses in the interpretation of a correlation. 16. Describe the ethical guidelines that psychologists must follow. 17. Explain how family, twin, and adoption studies help to establish the relative roles of genetic and environmental variables.

A. Descriptive Research B. Experimental Research

1. Describe the differences between descriptive and inferential statistics. 2. Define null hypothesis. 3. Describe a frequency histogram, and explain why it is used. 4. Name the four basic categories of descriptive statistics. 5. Define measure of central tendency, and describe the three measures of central tendency. 6. Explain how to calculate the mean, median, and mode for a given data set. 7. Define measure of variability, and describe the two measures of it. 8. Discuss the features of a normal distribution. 9. Define percentile score and standard score, and explain how to use each one. 10. Define correlation. Specify the formula for computing a correlation coefficient. 11. Define //t// test. Specify the formula for calculating a //t// value as well as the procedures for interpreting it. 12. Define degrees of freedom. 13. Define analysis of variance, and explain when this statistic is used.


 * Unit III. Biology of Mind: ** Chapter 3, pp. 47-83 (3.5 weeks) [CR 3, 15]

A. Neurons B. Neural Transmission C. The Nervous System D. The Endocrine System E. Heredity F. The Brain


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. State the definition of biological psychology. 2. Define the nervous system. Describe the three main components of information processing that the nervous system performs. 3. Name and describe the functions of the neuronal parts that allow them to communicate with one another. 4. Describe the electrical and chemical changes that lead to an action potential. Define myelin and discuss its effects. 5. Explain how polarization and refractory periods affect signal transduction in the nervous system. 6. Define neurotransmitter and synapse, and describe their roles in nervous-system activity. 7. Describe the role of receptors in the communication process between neurons. 9. Define excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. Describe their role in the creation of an action potential in the postsynaptic cell. 80. Define sensory system and motor system. Describe their roles in two components of information processing: input and output. 11. Name the two major divisions of the nervous system. 12. Name the two components of the peripheral nervous system and describe their functions. 13. Name the two components of the autonomic nervous system and describe their functions. 14. Name and define the three major subdivisions of the brain and describe their functions. 15. Name and define the structures in the brain. 16. Define cerebral hemisphere and cerebral cortex and name the four lobes that make up the cortex and state their locations. 17. Name the three functional divisions of the cortex and describe their functions. 18. Name and describe the role of the areas in the association cortex involved in understanding and producing language. 19. Describe split brain studies and explain the function of the corpus callosum. 20. Describe the lateralization of the cerebral hemispheres 21. Define synaptic plasticity. Explain why it is impossible for the brain to heal damaged neurons. Describe the methods used to help people recover from brain damage today. 22. Define neurotransmitter systems. Name and describe the location of the seven major neurotransmitters. Discuss the behaviors and mental processes associated with each of them. 23. Describe the effects of nootropic drugs and the conclusions that are most reasonable about their use as “smart drugs.” 24. Define endocrine system, glands, and hormones. Compare and contrast the differences between the communication processes of the nervous and endocrine systems. 25. Define the fight-or-flight syndrome. 26. Compare and contrast the functionality of the immune system to the nervous and endocrine systems. 27. Describe the interaction of the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.


 * Unit IV. Consciousness: ** Chapter 9, pp.85-131 (1.5 weeks, independently) [CR 5, 15]

A. Sleeping and Dreaming B. Circadian Rhythms C. Hypnosis D. Drug Effects


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. Define consciousness. Describe the work of cognitive scientists and cognitive neuroscientists. 2. Distinguish among the various levels of conscious activity: conscious, nonconscious, preconscious, and unconscious. 3. Define state of consciousness and altered state of consciousness. 4. Compare and contrast slow-wave and REM sleep. List the stages of quiet sleep. 5. Explain the differences among the EEGs of each sleep stage. 6. Discuss the physiological changes that occur during REM sleep. Describe a night’s sleep, and the changes in sleeping patterns that occur across the lifespan. 7. Discuss the symptoms of insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, and REM behavior disorder, and indicate during which stages of sleep they occur. 8. Define circadian rhythm and explain its role in sleep patterns. Discuss jet lag and other effects of interfering with the human body clock. 9. Define dreams and lucid dreaming. 10. Discuss the various theories that explain why people dream, including wish fulfillment, activation-synthesis theory, and problem-solving theory. 11. Define hypnosis and describe the process of becoming hypnotized. 12. List some of the applications of hypnosis. 13. Define meditation. List the common characteristics of meditation techniques, and describe their effects. 14. Define psychoactive drugs and psychopharmacology. Explain the function of the blood-brain barrier and discuss how agonist and antagonist drugs work. 15. Define substance abuse. 16. Define psychological dependence and physical dependence, or addiction. Explain the mechanisms of withdrawal syndrome and tolerance. 17. Define depressant. Describe the effects of alcohol and barbiturates on the nervous system and behavior. 18. Define stimulant. Describe the effects of amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and MDMA on the nervous system and behavior. 19. Define opiates. Describe the effects of opium, morphine, codeine, and heroin on the nervous system. 20. Define hallucinogens. Describe the effects of LSD, ketamine, and marijuana on the nervous system and behavior.


 * Unit V. Human Development: ** Chapter 5, pp.173-227 (2 weeks) [CR 9, 15]

A. Key Issues in Development (Nature Vs. Nurture) B. Cognitve Development C. Moral Development D. Social and Emotional Development E. Sex Roles and Sex Differences


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. Define developmental psychology. 2. Describe the history of the nature-nurture debate. 3. Describe the contributions of nature and nurture to development. Explain why heredity and environment are correlated and mutually influential. 4. Describe the process of development in each of the prenatal stages. 5. Describe the capacities of a newborn’s senses. Define reflex, and name three reflexes exhibited by newborns. Discuss how motor development is influenced by experimentation. 6. Describe Piaget’s theory of knowledge development. Explain why it incorporates both nature and nurture. Define schemas, assimilation, and accommodation. 7. Describe the changes in cognition that occur during Piaget’s stage of concrete operations. 8. Describe the impact of culture on cognitive development. Define scripts. 9. Describe the potential impact of the environment on cognitive development. 10. Define attachment. Describe the studies of motherless monkeys. Discuss the development of attachment and describe the four types of attachment. 11. Define socialization. Describe the three parenting styles discussed in the text. Discuss the characteristics of children who have grown up under each of these styles. Explain the impact of the parents’ culture and environment on the development of their parenting styles. 12. Describe the different kinds of social relationships and the development of social skills in children. Define self-regulation. 13. Describe the development of gender roles in and the influence of gender schemas on children. 14. Define puberty, and discuss the physical and psychological changes and problems that occur during adolescence. Describe the relationship adolescents have with their parents and peers. 15. Describe the stages of moral reasoning suggested by Kohlberg. Define preconventional, conventional, and postconventional moral reasoning. Be able to discuss the cultural limitations of Kohlberg’s stages.
 * 16. Describe the physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur during adulthood. **


 * // Quarter 2 (9 weeks) //**


 * Unit VI. Sensation and Perception: ** Chapter 5, pp. 229-289 (1.5 weeks) [CR 4]

A. Sensory Thresholds B. Vision C. Hearing D. Chemical Senses E. The Vestibular and Kinesthetic Systems


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define sense and sensation. Be able to explain the differences between sensation and perception. 2. Define accessory structure, transduction, and sensory receptor. 3. Define adaptation and give an example. 4. Define coding, temporal coding, and spatial coding. Explain why sensory information must be coded before it reaches the brain. 5. Define sound. Describe the physical characteristics of sound, including //amplitude//, //wavelength//, and frequency. 6. Describe the psychological characteristics of sound, including loudness, pitch, and timbre. Discuss the relationship among pitch, frequency, and wavelength as well as that between amplitude and loudness. 7. Name and describe the accessory structures of the ear. 8. Describe the roles of the cochlea, basilar membrane, hair cells, and auditory nerve in the process of auditory transduction. Name and describe the types of deafness. 9. Describe how information is relayed to the primary auditory cortex, how the cortex codes the frequency and location of sounds, and why this coding is important for language. 10. Define visible light. 11. Define light intensity and wavelength. Describe how both are related to what you sense. 12. Define and describe the accessory structures of the eye, including the cornea, iris, pupil, and lens. 13. Define retina and explain how accommodation affects the image on the retina. 14. Define rods, cones, and fovea. Explain why acuity is greatest in the fovea. 15. Describe the path that visual information follows on its way to the brain, including the roles of the optic nerve, the optic chiasm, the lateral geniculate nucleus, and the primary visual cortex. Know what creates the blind spot. 16. Define hue, saturation, and brightness. 17. Describe the trichromatic and opponent-process theories of color vision. Discuss the phenomena each explains, including complementary colors. 18. Describe the physical problem that causes colorblindness. 19. Define olfaction. Describe the transduction process in the olfactory system. Discuss the path that olfactory information follows to the brain. Define pheromones and vomeronasal organ. 20. Define gustation and papillae. Describe the relationship among taste, smell, and flavor. 21. Define somatic sense or somatosensory system. Describe the transduction process in the skin senses, including touch, temperature and pain. 22. Describe the gate-control theory of pain sensation. Define analgesia. Know the names of the body’s natural analgesics. 23. Describe the types of information that the vestibular sense provides. Discuss the role of the vestibular sacs, otoliths, and semicircular canals in the sensation of vestibular information. 24. Define kinesthesia. Name the source of kinesthetic information and explain what went wrong with Christina, who was the subject of a case study.

A. Attention B. Organization of Perception C. Perceptual Constancy D. Depth and Distance E. Gestalt Theory

1. Define perception. Compare and contrast perception and sensation. 2. Define psychophysics and absolute threshold. Explain the influence of noise and response criterion on perception. 3. Define subliminal and supraliminal stimuli. Discuss the debate about the degree to which people’s behavior can be influenced by subliminal perception. 4. Define and describe signal-detection theory. Be sure to include sensitivity to stimuli and response criterion in your answer. Describe how information can change the response criterion. 5. Describe Weber’s law. Define difference threshold and just-noticeable difference (JND). Explain the equation JND = //KI//. 6. Describe Fechner’s law. 7. Describe the two basic principles of perceptual organization: figure-ground and grouping. Define and give examples of proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, common fate, synchrony, common region and connectedness. 8. Define and describe depth perception. 9. Describe the stimulus cues that influence depth perception. 10. Describe the cues to depth provided by accommodation, convergence, and binocular disparity. 11. Describe the cues used to perceive motion. 12. Define perceptual constancy. Give examples of size, shape, and brightness constancy. 13. Describe the impact of culture on perception. 14. Compare and contrast bottom-up processing and top-down processing. 15. Define attention. Describe the research on the covert shifting of attention. 16. Explain parallel processing.


 * Unit VII. Learning: ** Chapter 7, pp.291-325 (2 weeks) [CR 6, 15]

A. Classical Conditioning B. Operant Conditioning C. Cognitive Learning (Latent and Insight) D. Social Learning Theory ( Observational Learning) E. Biological Factors


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define learning. Describe the difference between non-associative learning and associative learning. 2. Define classical conditioning, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned response. Describe how classical conditioning works by using the stimuli and responses in an example. 3. Discuss how attention influences which stimulus is linked to the unconditioned stimulus. Define and give an example of second-order conditioning. 4. Describe the relationship between classical conditioning and phobias, predator control, and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. 5. Define the law of effect. 6. Define instrumental, or operant conditioning, and explain how it differs from classical conditioning. 7. Define the components of operant conditioning: operants and reinforcers. 8. Define positive reinforcers and negative reinforcers and give examples of each. 9. Define escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning. 10. Define shaping. Explain when it is used in instrumental conditioning. 11. Discuss the differences between primary and secondary reinforcers. 12. Define punishment and describe its role in operant conditioning. Discuss the disadvantages of and guidelines for using punishment. 13. Define learned helplessness and give an example of it. Describe the experiments used to study learned helplessness and the results. 14. Define latent learning and cognitive map. 15. Define insight. Discuss the differences in what is learned in classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, and insight. 16. Define observational learning and vicarious conditioning. Discuss their similarities and differences.


 * Unit VIII. Memory: ** Chapter 8, pp.327-367 (2 weeks) [CR 7]

A. Encoding B. Storage C. Retrieval D. Forgetting


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define and give an example of encoding, acoustic encoding, visual encoding, semantic encoding, storage, and retrieval. Discuss the importance of encoding, storage, and retrieval in memory processes. 2. Define and give an example of episodic, semantic, and procedural memories. 3. Define and give an example of explicit and implicit memories. Discuss the series of experiments on explicit and implicit memory. 4. Define the levels-of-processing model of memory. Describe the role of rehearsal in this memory model. Define maintenance and elaborative rehearsal. 5. Define the information-processing model of memory. Name the three stages of processing. 6. Define sensory memory and sensory registers. Discuss the amount of information and the length of time it stays in sensory memory. 7. Explain why selective attention is important in determining which information is transferred to short-term memory from sensory memory. 8. Define short-term memory (STM). Discuss the relationship between short-term memory and working memory. 9. Define immediate memory span and chunks. Discuss the role of long-term memory in the chunking process. 10. Define long-term memory (LTM) and discuss the importance of semantic encoding in long-term memory. Describe the storage capacity of LTM. 11. Describe the controversy over the differences between short-term and long-term memory. Define primacy and recency effects. 12. Define retrieval cue and explain why its use can increase memory efficiency. Define the encoding specificity principle. 13. Explain how memory is both context-dependent and state-dependent and give examples of each. Explain the mood congruency effect. 14. Describe the semantic network theory of memory. Explain the process of spreading activation in memory. 15. Define the tip-of-the-tongue and the feeling-of-knowing phenomena. Explain how these are related to the semantic network theory of memory. 16. Define constructive memory. Describe how PDP memory models explain the integration of semantic and episodic memories in memory construction. 17. Explain how PDP models produce spontaneous generalization and why they help explain the operation of schemas. 18. Define Ebbinghaus’s method of savings. Explain his discoveries and why they are important to memory research. 19. Compare and contrast the decay and interference theories regarding forgetting information stored in long-term memory. Define retroactive interference and proactive interference. 21. Discuss the controversy surrounding repressed memories. Describe motivated forgetting, false memories, and flashbulb memories. 22. Describe the synaptic activity associated with forming new memories. Describe the role of the hippocampus in episodic and procedural memory formation. 23. Define anterograde and retrograde amnesia and discuss their relevance to the STM/LTM difference controversy. 24. Define mnemonics and explain why they improve memory. Give an example of the method of loci.


 * Unit IX. Thinking and Language: ** Chapter 9, pp.369-403 (2 weeks) [CR 7]

A. Thinking B. Problem Solving and Decision Making C. Creativity D. Acquisition of Language


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define cognitive psychology. 2. Define information-processing system and thinking. Discuss the relationship between information-processing systems and decision making in humans. 3. Define concept. Describe the difference between formal and natural concepts and give an example of each. Explain the role of prototypes in natural concepts. 4. Define propositions, schemas, scripts, and mental models, and describe their role in the thinking process. 5. Define cognitive maps, and discuss their use and the biases that distort them. Describe the manipulation of mental images. 6. Define reasoning, formal reasoning, algorithms, rules of logic, and syllogisms. Discuss the causes of errors in logical reasoning. Describe cultural differences in formal reasoning. 7. Define informal reasoning and heuristics. Describe and give an example of the anchoring, representativeness, and availability heuristics. 8. Describe the problem-solving strategies: means-end analysis, working backward, and analogies. 9. Explain why multiple hypotheses, mental sets, functional fixedness, confirmation bias, and lack of attention to negative evidence can hinder problem solving. Give an example of each. 10. Describe the impact of groups on decision making. Outline the typical discussion patterns in groups trying to make a decision. Define group polarization, and list the factors that improve or impair group decision making. 11. List the components of language. Define language symbols and grammar. 12. Define phoneme, morpheme, and words. Give an example of the phonemes and morphemes in a word. 13. Define syntax and semantics. Explain how syntax and semantics help us comprehend language. 14. Define surface structure and deep structure. Describe the surface and deep structures of a particular sentence. 15. Discuss the role of top-down processing, context, scripts, conventions, and nonverbal cues in the comprehension of language. 16. Describe language development in children. Define babblings, the one-word stage, telegraphic speech, and complex sentences. 17. Discuss the relationship among language, culture, and perception.

**__ SEMESTER 2 (17 weeks) __**


 * // Quarter 3 (8 weeks) //**


 * Unit X. Intelligence: ** Chapter 10, pp.405-441 (1.5 weeks) [CR 7, 11]

A. Intelligence Tests B. Concepts of Intelligence


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define cognitive ability. 2. Define intelligence. Discuss the reasons that intelligence is so difficult to define. 3. Discuss the history of intelligence test, or IQ test, construction. Explain the scoring methods used in the Binet and Stanford-Binet intelligence tests. 4. Discuss the use and abuse of intelligence testing in the United States in the early 1900s. 5. Describe Wechsler’s intelligence test. Explain why it is different from tests that were used previously. Define verbal and performance scales. 6. Describe the process of IQ test scoring used today to yield an intelligence quotient, or IQ score. 7. Describe the differences between an aptitude test and an achievement test. 8. Define reliability. Describe the process of assessing reliability using test-retest, alternate-forms, and split-half correlations. Give an example of each. 9. Define validity as well as content, construct, criterion, and predictive validity. 10. Discuss the evidence for and against the argument that IQ tests are culturally biased. Define culture-fair tests. 11. Describe the conditions that can raise IQ scores. Explain why a teacher’s expectancies can affect students’ classroom performance and improvement. 12. Describe the psychometric approach to studying intelligence. Define g, s, group factors, primary mental abilities, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence. Give an example of each. 13. Describe the information-processing approach to studying intelligence. Describe the role of attention in intelligent behavior. 14. Describe the triarchic theory of intelligence. Define analytic intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence. 15. Explain Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. List the eight types of intelligences he proposed. 16. Discuss the relationship between creativity and intelligence. Define divergent and convergent thinking. 17. Define learning disability. Describe the types of learning disabilities and their possible causes.


 * Unit XI. Motivation and Emotion/Stress and Health: ** Chapter 11/12, pp.443-495 (2 weeks) [CR 8]

A. Theories of Motivation B. Hunger, Thirst, and Sexual Motivation C. Theories of Emotion D. Stress


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define motivation. Discuss the types of behaviors that motivation may help to explain. 2. Describe the sources of motivation. 3. Define instinct. Discuss how instinct theory explains behavior. Explain why instinct theory failed. Describe the //evolutionary approach// and its views of mate selection. 4. Define homeostasis, need, drive, and drive reduction theory. Define primary and secondary drive and discuss their role in motivation. Explain what behaviors drive theory can and cannot account for. 5. Define arousal. Describe arousal theories of motivation. Discuss the role of an optimal level of arousal in motivation and the impact of more or less than an optimal level of arousal on performance. 6. Define incentive theory. Describe incentive theory’s attempt to explain behavior and distinguish “wanting” from “liking.” 7. Define hunger and satiety. List the nutrients and hormones that the brain monitors in the bloodstream as it regulates hunger and eating. Explain the role of the ventromedial nucleus, lateral hypothalamus, and paraventricular nucleus in hunger and eating. Define set point. 8. Define obesity, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. Describe behavior associated with each of these eating disorders. 9. Discuss the social and cultural influences on sexual motivation. Define heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual orientation. Describe the evidence on the extent to which genes may determine sexual orientation. Define sexual dysfunction and give examples. 10. Define need achievement. Describe the characteristics of achievement motivation and the factors that can affect its development. 11. Describe the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Give an example of a job that has been designed to increase satisfaction and motivation. 12. Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Give examples of each kind of need. 13. Discuss the opponent-process theory of motivation. Give an example of the kinds of behavior it explains. 14. Describe the defining characteristics of the subjective experience of emotion. 15. Describe the role of the brain in emotion and facial expressions. Describe how the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems are involved in emotional experience, including the fight-or-flight syndrome. . 16. Compare and contrast James’s, Schachter’s modification, and Cannon’s theories of emotion. 17. Describe the social and cultural factors involved in communicating emotion. Describe the role and sources of learning in human emotional expression. Define emotion culture and social referencing.

A. Stress Response Theories B. The Origins of Stress C. Effects of Stress D. Coping with Stress

1. Define health psychology. List the objectives of health psychologists. 2. Define stress and stressors. Give examples of stressors. Be sure to include a catastrophic event, a life change or strain, chronic stress, and a daily hassle. 3. Define general adaptation syndrome. Describe the three stages in this syndrome, and discuss the physiological processes underlying it. Define disease of adaptation. 4. Discuss the major criticisms of Selye’s model. 5. Describe some common emotional, cognitive, and behavioral stress responses. Explain how ruminative thinking, catastrophizing, mental sets, and functional fixedness are linked to stress. 6. Define burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder, and describe the conditions that can lead to both. 7. Discuss the role of coping resources and methods in combating stress. Give examples of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies 8. Describe the components of the immune system. Discuss the relationship among the immune system, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and stress. 9. Describe cognitive coping strategies. Define cognitive restructuring. 10. Describe some emotional and behavioral coping strategies. 11. Describe physical coping strategies. Explain the possible problems of using drugs to alter stress or stress responses. Explain how progressive relaxation training can help people cope.


 * Unit XII. Personality: ** Chapter 13, pp.553-591 (1.5 weeks) [CR 10]

A. Psychodynamic Perspective B. Trait and Type Perspective C. Humanistic Perspective D. Personality Assessments


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define personality. 2. Describe the assumptions of Freud’s psychodynamic approach to personality. 3. Name, define, and describe the psychosexual stages of personality development. Compare and contrast the Oedipus and Electra complexes. 4. Explain some of the neo-Freudian variations on Freud’s theory. Include Jung’s, Adler’s, and Horney’s ideas. 5. Describe some applications and criticisms of the psychodynamic approach to personality. 6. Describe the three basic assumptions of the trait approach to personality. 7. Compare and contrast Allport’s trait theory and the big five model. 8. Describe biological trait theories. Compare and contrast Eysenck’s biological trait theory and Gray’s Approach-Inhibition Theory. Define behavioral approach system and //behavioral inhibition system//. 9. Describe the basic assumption of the social-cognitive approach to personality. Define functional analysis. 10. Describe some applications and criticisms of the social-cognitive approach to personality. 11. Describe the humanistic approach to personality. 12. Describe cultural differences in the concept of self. Explain how these differences shape the development of personality. 13. Describe the four general methods of personality assessment. 14. Describe some of the applications of personality tests.


 * Unit XIII. Psychological Disorders: ** Chapter 14, pp. 553-591 (2 weeks) [CR 12]

A. Perspectives on Abnormal Behavior B. Diagnosis of Psychological Disorders C. Classification of Psychological Disorders


 * // Unit Learning Objectives //**

1. Define psychopathology. Explain why psychopathology is a social as well as a personal matter. 2. Describe the following three explanations for psychological disorders: neurobiological model, psychological model, and the sociocultural model. 3. Define diathesis-stress model and explain how it integrates elements of the four other explanations for psychological disorders. 4. Describe the contents of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). List the five axes used in diagnosis based on DSM-IV. 5. Define anxiety disorder. Specify what disorders are classified as anxiety disorders. 6. Define phobia, and give a brief description of specific phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia. 7. Define generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Explain the difference between obsessions and compulsions. 8. Discuss how we are biologically prepared to learn certain phobias. 9. Define dissociative disorder. Compare and contrast dissociative fugue and dissociative amnesia. Describe dissociative identity disorder. 10. Define mood disorders. Give a brief description of major depressive disorder, delusions, dysthymic disorder, bipolar I disorder, mania, and cyclothymic disorder. 11. State the biological and psychological causes, according to various theoretical models, of mood disorders. Describe how learned helplessness and attributional style may contribute to depression. 12. Define schizophrenia. Describe the disorganized thought and language characteristic of schizophrenia. Give examples of neologisms, loose associations, clang associations, and word salad. 13. Define personality disorder. Give a brief description of schizotypal, avoidant, narcissistic, and antisocial personality disorders. 14. Discuss the laws designed to protect the rights of people with severe psychological disorders who are accused of a crime. 15. Describe the legal reform procedures regarding mental illness.


 * // Quarter 4 (9 weeks) //**


 * Unit XIV. Therapy: ** Chapter 15, pp.593-635 (1.5 weeks) [13]

A. Models of Therapy B. Biomedical Treatment


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define psychotherapy. Describe the approach of an eclectic therapist. 2. Describe the common features of treatments. Define and distinguish between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. Describe other types of therapists. 3. Describe the history of psychoanalysis. 4. Describe the goals of a psychoanalyst. 5. Define free association, manifest and latent contents of dreams, and transference. Discuss the ways in which these methods of psychotherapy reveal clues about unconscious mental processes. 6. Describe the theoretical basis of the humanistic approach to therapy. List the four assumptions on which phenomenological therapists operate. 7. Define behavior therapy. Describe its basic features and the assumptions on which it is based. 8. Define systematic desensitization, modeling, assertiveness and social skills training, positive reinforcement, token economy, extinction, flooding, aversive conditioning, and punishment. Give an example of each. Specify the type of learning (classical or operant conditioning) each method is based on. 9. Define rational-emotive behavior therapy, cognitive restructuring, stress inoculation training, and Beck’s cognitive therapy. 10. Define group, family, and couples therapy. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. . 11. Discuss the cultural influences on the choice of psychotherapy, its goals, and its expectations. 12. Describe a client’s rights in a therapeutic relationship. 13. Describe the historical and present use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). 14. Define prefrontal lobotomy. Describe the historical and present use of psychosurgery. 15. Describe how differences in ethnicity and gender may result in different responses to psychoactive 1.


 * Unit XV. Social Psychology: ** Chapter 16, pp.673-714 (2 weeks) [CR 14]

A. Social Influence B. Social Perception C. Attitudes D. Prejudice and Stereotypes


 * //Unit Learning Objectives// **

1. Define social cognition and social psychology. 2. Compare and contrast self-concept and self-esteem. 3. Discuss the difference between temporal and social comparisons. Describe the relationship of reference groups to the process of self-evaluation. Define relative deprivation. 4. Describe the importance of self-esteem in managing negative emotion. 5. Define social identity. Discuss the theory of social identity. 6. Discuss how self-schemas affect our vulnerability to psychological disorders. 7. Define social perception. Describe the influences, including the role of schemas, on impression formation. Explain why impressions are difficult to change. 8. Define self-fulfilling prophecies. Discuss the relationship between self-fulfilling prophecies and impressions. 9. Define attribution. Describe the three criteria used in making attributions and explain how they influence whether we make an internal or external attribution. 10. Describe the cross-cultural experiment on attribution and its outcome. 11. Define the fundamental attribution error and give an example of it. Define the actor-observer bias and the self-serving bias and give examples of each. 12. Describe the ways in which social cognition is self-protective. 13. Define attitudes. Describe the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of attitudes and give an example of each. 14. Discuss the factors that promote attitude-behavior consistency. 15. Discuss how attitudes are formed and changed. Include the mere exposure effect and the elaboration likelihood model of attitude change. 16. Define cognitive dissonance and describe the process of reducing it. 17. Define self-perception theory. Describe the influence of past behavior on attitudes according to the self-perception theory. 18. Define stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. 19. Compare and contrast the motivational, cognitive, and learning theories of stereotypes and prejudice. Define the authoritarian personality and social categories. 20. Describe the contact hypothesis. Discuss the specific conditions necessary for the contact hypothesis to hold true. (see Reducing Prejudice) 21. Discuss the studies on the possibility of eliminating prejudice. Define aversive racism. 22. Describe the influences of the environment, similarity, and physical attractiveness on attraction. Define the matching hypothesis. 23. Describe the most important components of an intimate relationship. 24. Describe Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Discuss the differences among romantic love, companionate love, and consummate love. Describe the predictors of strong versus weak marriages.

A. Conformity and Compliance B. Aggression C. Altruism

1. Define norms and describe their influence on social behavior. 2. Define deindividuation and describe the factors that cause it. 3. Define and give examples of social facilitation and social impairment. Describe the social factors that influence motivation and define social loafing. 4. Compare and contrast conformity and compliance. Describe the role of norms in conformity and compliance. 5. Describe the factors that lead to conformity. Explain how minority influence can result in conformity. 6. Explain the strategies for inducing compliance, including foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face, and low-ball techniques. 7. Define obedience. Describe Milgram’s study and his findings on obedience. 8. Name and describe the factors that influence obedience. 9. Discuss the ethical considerations in carrying out an experiment like Milgram’s. 10. Define aggression. 11. Describe the Freudian and evolutionary theories of aggression. 12. Describe the genetic and biological influences on aggression. Discuss the roles of areas of the brain, hormones, and drugs in aggressive behavior. 13. Describe the role of learning and cultural mechanisms, including observational learning, in aggression. 14. Define the frustration-aggression hypothesis. Describe the role of arousal and transferred excitation in aggression. 15. Discuss the question of whether pornography causes aggression. 16. Define environmental psychology and describe the environmental influences on aggression. 17. Define helping behavior and altruism. Describe the development of helping behavior. 18. Discuss how the arousal: cost-reward theory explains helping behavior. Describe the characteristics of situations in which people would or would not be likely to display helping behavior. Define diffusion of responsibility. 19. Describe the empathy-altruism and evolutionary theories of helping. Discuss the study of helping behavior through a laboratory analogue experiment. Explain what conclusions are reasonable. 20. Define cooperation, competition and conflict. 21. Define social dilemmas and the tit-for-tat strategy. Describe the research findings from experiments with prisoner’s dilemma games. Define resource dilemmas. 22. Describe ways to foster cooperation. 23. Define zero-sum games. Describe the four main causes of interpersonal conflict. Explain why managing conflict effectively is better than trying to eliminate it. 24. Describe the personality characteristics of a good leader. Define the task-oriented and person-oriented leaders. Describe the types of situations that call for the use of each style.