Grady High School. AP Psychology

Transcription

1 Grady High School Teacher: Dr. Malik Bostic Phone Number: Room Number: C303 Semester: School Term Tutorial Days: Mornings by request; Wednesdays by request Tutorial Hours: 3:15pm 3:50pm Course Description AP Psychology Psychology as a field is named in honor of the mythological Psyche (which means spirit or soul in Latin). "The story of Psyche is a symbol of the one thing that we all have that can be studied, but perhaps never fully understood, of the one thing that is given to us, but can never be taken away--the human spirit" (Hamilton, 1942, pg. 100). Reference: Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythodology (1998 ed.). New York: Bay Books. Psychology is a full-year course designed to provide students with a broad overview of the diverse field of psychology and prepare students for the AP Psychology Exam given in May. Students will investigate and develop an understanding of the following: 1. Concepts, theories, historical research, and application of these concepts in the field of psychology. 2. Provide an impetus for students to think as psychologists, including the use of scientific methods, tolerance for opposing viewpoints and an appreciation for individual and the world. 3. Evaluating sources, questioning ideas, developing informed opinions, and communicating these ideas and opinions in both oral and written manner. In order to achieve these goals, the majority of class time will be devoted to lectures, discussions, and extensive review sessions. However, time will also be allocated for demonstrations, experiments, and class activities; the content of which may or may not be covered in the text. Active participation in these activities will help clarify certain areas of study and should add to everyone s enjoyment of the class. This course and curriculum is accompanied by a class website. The website contains every handout and homework assignment you will be given throughout the year. Using the website is the best way to keep up-to-date if you are sick or out of town. It also lets you know when quizzes, tests, and exams are scheduled. The CALENDAR page is the most comprehensive element of the website, and will be updated weekly. WEBSITE GIVEN IN CLASS. * I highly recommend that you purchase an AP Psychology Preparation Guide *

2 Course Outline: This course outline follows the College Board AP Psychology Content Outline. A.pdf of course description can be retrieved from the following website Unit I: History and Approaches Unit II: Social Psychology Unit III: Research Methods Unit IV: Testing and Individual Differences Unit V: Biological Bases of Behavior Unit VI: Learning Unit VII: Personality Unit VIII: Developmental Psychology Unit IX: Sensation and Perception Unit X: Cognition: Memory & Thinking Unit XI: Motivation and Emotion Unit XII: States of Consciousness Unit XIII: Abnormal Behavior Unit XIV: Treatment of Abnormal Behavior COURSE OBJECTIVES: Grading Scale* (Percent) Exams 30% Quizzes 15% Projects 15% Midterm/Final Exam 15% Research Paper 10% Classwork/Homework/Class Participation 15% (Includes Weekly Blogging) = A = B = C 69 & Below = F * Your final grade will be based on the average of the percentages above. To grade qualitative assignments such as writings, projects, etc, the Grady Summative Grading Rubric for Non-Standardized Assessment will be used. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: Create and utilize fully a variety of study aides to increase their overall memory level Analyze and research controversial psychological issues Review and evaluate their own and other students' writing Review scholarly publications in the field of psychology Think critically and logically about research findings and explain human behavior in terms used in psychology. Identify assumptions and values that influence judgment about behavior Evaluate the general strengths and weaknesses in their own academic performances Be critical consumers of scientific research In addition to the described content, the course will also work to refine important skills. They include analyzing data and writing and presenting written and oral arguments. In order to help students master the ability to write a good essay the course will concentrate on the instruction of several essential skills: Effective writing style The ability to make arguments The ability to evaluate critically and to compare scholarly works The ability to synthesize data The ability to analyze, interpret, and respond to stimulus-based data including charts, graphs, cartoons, and quotes. The course will have ample content. The study of Psychology is both historical and contemporary. Therefore, it is essential that students remain aware of what is happening in the world. It is suggested that regular reading of newspapers and news magazines as well as the regular viewing

3 of news broadcasts be maintained throughout the course. TEXTBOOK: Myers, D.G. (2011). Myers Psychology for AP. Worth Publishers: Michigan. Cost: $95.00 SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES: College board Advanced Placement Program: AP Psychology. Professional Development Workshop Materials, ; College Board Website: AP Psychology Course Outline Unit I: History & Approaches (2-4% of exam) Logic Philosophy Historical Schools: Functionalism vs. Structuralism Modern Approaches: Psychodynamic, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Humanistic, Evolutionary, Neuroscience Major Figures Unit II: Social Psychology (8-10% of exam) Person Perception, Forming Impressions of others Attribution Process: Explaining Behavior Interpersonal Attraction: Liking and Loving Attitudes: Making Social judgments Conformity and Obedience: Yielding to Others Group Behavior Prejudice Unit III: Research Methods (8-10% of exam) Introspection Observation Survey Psychological testing Controlled experiments; Statistics: Central tendency, variance, significance, and correlation, and Ethics in Research: Human participants, animal subjects Unit IV: Cognition [Memory & Thinking] (8-10% of exam) Memory - Information Processing - Sensory/Long-Term/Short-term Memory Automatic/Effortful Processing - Encoding Process Explicit/Implicit Memory - Retrieval Cues - Interference/Motivated Forgetting Constructive nature of memory Thinking Problem Solving and Creativity Language - Structure Developmental Stages Nature-nurture debate in language development - Whorf s linguistic relativity hypothesis

4 Unit V: Biological Basis of Behavior (8-10% of exam) Nervous System: Structural and functional organization Brain: Research methodology, neuroanatomy, brain development and aging, hemispheric specialization Endocrine System: Anatomy, HPA-axis, and immune system Genetics and Heritability Drug Abuse Unit VI: Personality (5-7% of exam) Psychodynamic Perspective: Freud, Jung, Adler Trait Perspective: Allport, factor analysis and the five-factor model, assessment (Meyers-Briggs, MMPI) Humanistic Perspective: Maslow and Rogers Social-Cognitive Perspective: Bandura and Seligman Unit VII: Developmental Psychology (7-9% of exam) Nature vs. Nurture (maturation versus learning) Influential Theories: Piaget and cognitive development, Freud and psychosocial development, Kohlberg and moral development, Gilligan and gender differentiation Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood Unit VIII: Sensation & Perception (6-8% of exam) Thresholds Sensory Mechanisms Sensory Adaptation Perceptual Process Psychophysics: Thresholds (absolute, difference, Weber s constants), signal detection theory Sensory Organs and Transduction: Visual (including color vision and feature detection), auditory, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive (including kinesthetic and vestibular) Perception: Attention, processing, illusions (including Gestalt psychology), and camouflage Unit IX: Learning (7-9% of exam) Historical Background and Philosophy of Radical Behaviorism Classical Conditioning: Pavlov, Watson, applications, biological critique, cognitivist challenge Operant Conditioning: Thorndike, Skinner, Bandura, behavior modification, biological critique, cognitivist challenge Unit X: Motivation and Emotion (6-8% of exam) Motivational Concepts: Instincts, drives, optimal arousal, Maslow s hierarchy Hunger and Eating Disorders Sexuality and Sexual Orientation Achievement Motivation: McClelland and the TAT, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivators Physiology of Emotion: Fear, anger, happiness Expression of Emotion: Darwin and Ekman Theories of Emotion: James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schacter-Singer

5 Unit XI: States of Consciousness (2-4% of exam) Sleep and Dreaming Hypnosis Psychoactive Drug Effects States of Consciousness: Waking, sleep and dreaming, hypnosis, altered state Unit XII: Testing and Individual Differences (5-7% of exam) Standardization and Norms Reliability and Validity Types of Tests Ethics and Standards in testing Intelligence Human Diversity Psychological Testing: Methodology, norms, reliability, validity Intelligence: Defining intelligence, history of intelligence and aptitude testing, naturenurture issues Unit XIII: Abnormal Psychology (7-9% of exam) Approaches to Abnormality: The Rosenhan study, historical approaches (deviance), the medical model, the biopsychosocial model Classifying Disorders: Evolution of the DSM-IV-TR Major Categories of Disorders: Anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders Major Approaches to Psychotherapy: Psychoanalysis, behavioristic, humanistic, cognitive, group, pharmacological Does Therapy Work? Eysenck, outcome studies, and the Consumer Reports study Unit XIV: Treatment of Psychological Disorders (5-7% of exam) Treatment Approaches Modes of Therapy Community and Preventative Approaches Required Materials: Students must bring the following materials to class DAILY! A binder with dividers (14) students will be accountable for maintaining this notebook. Students will be responsible for writing daily objectives, agendas, and assignments. Loose leaf paper Pens/pencils Highlighters Classroom Expectations Attendance: It is vitally important that you attend class everyday. In class, I will facilitate the most important concepts and reinforce the necessary information to help you succeed. Lesson plans/activities will be posted on the class website to ensure that all students are aware of class assignments. If you are absent from class for an excused reason it is your responsibility to complete the work indicated on the lesson plan accordingly. You have exactly one week to make up missed assignments. You will not be allowed to complete work missed due to an unexcused absence.

6 Tardies: All students are expected to be in their desks and working on the introductory/review activity before class begins. Any students not prepared to begin class when the bell rings, one point may be deducted for each minute you are late or sitting idle in class. Behavior: It is our opinion that as high school students you are no longer children, but young adults. Therefore, I expect you to behave in a mature and responsible manner. The APS and classroom rules are posted in the classroom. The following are some general guidelines to be followed by all: 1. Come to class prepared 2. Listen to others while they are speaking. 3. Respect the opinion of others. Class Involvement: I can instruct till I am blue in the face, but it will prove fruitless unless you, as the student, are actively involved in the learning process. All students are encouraged and expected to ask questions and discuss appropriate controversial issues in class. Falling asleep in class, working on other assignments, or failing to pay attention will NOT be accepted and will have a significant impact on your grade. Points will be deducted. Late Assignments: No late work will be accepted unless accompanied with an approved excuse. Make-up Policy: All make up work must be scheduled at the teacher s discretion. It is the student s responsibility to complete all make up work on the first day back if the absence has been one or two days. When a student has been absent three or more days, make-up work should be completed within three days. NO EXTRA CREDIT, PLEASE don t ask! Miscellaneous: All grooming, make-up, hair combing, hair brushing, clothing adjustments, accessories, etc is to take place outside of the classroom. Food (including candy, gum) is to be consumed outside of the classroom. WATER, FRUIT, & VEGETABLES are the ONLY food items permitted inside the classroom. Use of cellular phones and other electronic devices are to take place outside of school. WHEN ANY OF THE SCHOOL RULES ARE BROKEN, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED AN ASSIGNMENT, IF THE ASSIGNMENT IS NOT COMPLETED, 20 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR UNIT QUIZZES AND UNIT EXAM. Academic Integrity in AP Courses While it is expected that students will discuss homework and classwork assignments, a student should never submit another person s work or ideas as their own. Quizzes, tests, and exams are always individual assignments and are never collaborative. If a student submits another s work or ideas as their own, a grade of 0 will be assigned, his/her parents will be contacted, and consequences(s) will be issued. Any suspicion of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Student Honor Council. If judged guilty by the Student Honor Council, consequences may include, but are not limited to: A non-removable failing grade on the assignment, Parent contact or conference, Immediate removal from the AP course, and Retraction of letters of recommendation to colleges and universities in severe cases.

7 AP Psychology Syllabus Signature Page I, the instructional facilitator, reserve the right to amend this syllabus at any time during the year to more adequately meet the needs of the students. I/We have read the attached syllabus and understand the student s responsibilities in this class. In addition to acknowledging and signing the syllabus, a signed AP Contract form will accompany this form. Student Name: Student Signature: Parent/Guardian Signature: Guardian Contact #: Date: Date: 2 nd #: Parent/Guardian