MediaKit Contents:
Myers' Psychology for AP* ebook
Note: an * indicates an item that should not be returned at the end of the semester.
Syllabus:
Start Here
Read welcome letter
Read Course Expectations
Read Grading Policy
Read Communication Plan
Read Syllabus
Read Materials Required Document
Week 1: Getting To Know Each Other
Edit your Student Homepage
Introduce yourself
Find you Private Thread
Why AP Psych?
Read Supplemental Resources Document
Week 2: Getting To Know Yourself
Define and understand plagiarism
Discover your personal Multiple Intelligences
Discover your personal Learning Style
Read brief overview of AP Exam
Make sure that you recieved textbook from VHS
Week 3: Chapter 1
Provide a definition of psychology.
Understand why psychology is deemed a science.
Discriminate from among the different subfields of psychology and provide some examples.
Provide examples of the relevant enduring issues in the field.
Match the historical figures in the field with their theories.
Identify the three main stages in the historical development of psychology.
Describe the major paradigms (theories) in the field.
Differentiate between the terms "race" and "ethnicity."
Describe and provide examples for the various research methods.
Explain the strengths and weaknesses for the various research methods.
Compare and contrast the educational backgrounds from among the various clinicians.
Week 4: Appendix A
Define the scales of measurement.
Define the measurements of central tendency and explain the differences between mean, mode, and median.
Identify a normal curve, and skewed and bimodal distribution.
Define standard deviation.
Define, understand, and analyze scatter plot diagrams.
Define meta-analysis.
Plan, execute, and analyze questionnaire-based research in a group setting.
Week 5, 6, and 7: Chapter 2
Describe the structure of the neuron. Trace the path of a neural impulse, and explain how it transmits messages from cell to cell.
Explain how neurons communicate. Identify the roles of neurotransmitters and receptors. Describe the effects of drugs on the synapse.
Describe the divisions and structures of the brain, and explain the role of each.
Identify the functions of the sensory and motor projection areas. Describe the abilities of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex.
Describe the structure and function of reticular formation, limbic system, and spinal cord.
Identify the divisions of the peripheral nervous system and the autonomic nervous system, and explain how they work together to regulate the glands and smooth muscles of the body.
Describe the functions of the endocrine system. Explain how hormones released by the endocrine system affect metabolism, blood-sugar level, sex characteristics, and the body's reaction to stress.
Describe the structure of chromosomes and the role they play in inherited traits and characteristics.
Explain the concepts of dominant and recessive genes.
Identify several approaches to studying heritability of a trait.
Week 8 and 9: Chapter 3
Describe the difference between the absolute threshold and the difference threshold.
Trace the path of light from the time it enters the eye until it reaches the receptor cells.
Distinguish between rods and cones, and list their characteristics and functions with respect to light, color, and how they connect to other cells.
Explain how messages entering the eye are processed in the visual system.
Describe the three basic properties of color. Distinguish between additive and subtractive color mixing. Describe the two main theories of color vision.
Identify the characteristics of sound, and state the two theories of pitch discrimination.
Describe the structure of the ear, and explain the functions of the various component parts.
Explain the importance of kinesthetic and vestibular senses, and describe the functions of the two.
Describe the skin as a sense organ, and explain smell and taste.
Define perceptual constancy and identify four kinds. Identify the contributions of both monocular and binocular cues of depth.
Week 10 and 11: Chapter 4
Explain daydreaming.
Describe the stages of sleep.
Explain why REM sleep is also called paradoxical sleep.
Define the sleep disorders of insomnia, narcolepsy, and apnea.
Explain the theories of the nature and content of dreams.
Explain the difference between substance abuse and substance dependence.
Explain the effect of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.
List two negative effects of each of the following drugs: alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, the opiates, cocaine, and the hallucinogens.
Explain the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors related to addiction.
Describe meditation and hypnosis.
Week 12 : Chapter 5
Define learning.
Define: unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned response.
Describe the experiment with little Albert. Describe desensitization therapy.
Distinguish between classical and operant conditioning.
Explain the principle of reinforcement. Define primary reinforcer and secondary reinforcer, and give examples of each.
Define positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and avoidance training.
Explain these processes: extinction, spontaneous recovery, stimulus generalization, discrimination, and higher-order conditioning.
Identify four schedules of reinforcement and the pattern of response associated with each.
Explain contingency theory.
Describe latent learning, insight, and observational learning.
Week 13 and14: Chapter 6
Describe the path information takes from the environment to long-term memory.
Explain the characteristics of short-term and long-term memory.
Outline storage and retrieval in long-term memory.
Discuss explanations for forgetting.
Describe the different types of memory and their characteristic properties.
Define schema and how schemata are used.
Discuss how and why memories change over time.
Describe and explain the brain structures and regions that are the bases for memory.
Understand and use techniques for improving your memory.
Explain the special types of memory: childhood amnesia, extraordinary memory, flashbulb memories, eyewitness testimony, and recovered memories.
Week 15: Chapter 7
Define phonemes, morphemes, and grammar.
Distinguish between the concepts of "surface structure" and "deep structure."
Define cognition. Differentiate between images and concepts. Explain the use of prototypes.
Summarize the relationship between language and thinking. Explain Whorf's linguistic relativity hypothesis. Cite criticisms of Whorf's hypothesis.
Describe efforts to teach primates to use language. Discuss whether it has been established that other species share our ability to acquire and use language.
Describe the basic steps of problem solving. List and describe the four types of solution strategies.
Discuss various obstacles to problem solving. Describe four ways in which a person can become a better problem solver.
Distinguish between problem solving and decision making.
Compare two models of decision making, and explain why one leads to a better solution than the other.
Distinguish between heuristics and algorithms.
Week 16: Chapter 8
List the characteristics of intelligence as described by both laypersons and psychologists.
Summarize the early views of Spearman, Thurstone, and Cattell, with respect to what constitutes intelligence. Differentiate between the contemporary theories of Sternberg, Gardner, and Goleman, with respect to their views on intelligence.
Trace the development of intelligence tests from Binet through Terman, noting the contributions of each. Describe the standard procedure for the Stanford-Binet Scale.
Distinguish the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III from the Stanford-Binet. Identify the two parts of the WAIS-III.
Distinguish between individual and group tests. List the advantages and disadvantages of group tests.
Define reliability in mental tests. Identify three techniques for measuring reliability. How reliable are intelligence tests?
Define validity. What are two measures of validity? Explain the high correlation between IQ scores and academic performance. How well do high IQs correlate with later occupational success?
Identify techniques that researchers use to explore to what extent intelligence is influenced by heredity or environment.
List two criteria used to identify mental retardation. List and describe four causes of mental retardation.
Define creativity, and explain methods that have been used to measure it.
Week 17 and 18: Chapter 9
Define motive and emotion. Differentiate between the different theories of motivation.
Describe how hunger and thirst are controlled in the brain.
Define Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and list some factors that contribute to overeating and obesity.
List the biological factors involved in the sex drive. Discuss psychological influences on sexual motivation.
List the characteristics of the following stimulus motives: exploration, curiosity, manipulation, and contact.
Define aggression. Discuss three theories of aggressive behavior.
Distinguish between the motives for achievement and affiliation.
Identify the five categories in Maslow's hierarchy of motives.
Describe and differentiate among the James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, cognitive, and Izard's theories of emotion.
Describe the role of nonverbal communication, including facial expression, in emotion.
Week 19,20, and 21: Chapter 10
Distinguish between the longitudinal and cross-sectional methods as they relate to the study of development. List the disadvantages of the methods and how the disadvantages can be overcome.
Describe prenatal, infant, and child development.
What are the four stages of Piaget's theory of cognitive development? Explain moral development.
Trace language development from infancy through age 5 or 6.
Explain the importance of secure attachments between a caregiver and child.
Explain how sex-role identity is formed.
Summarize the important physical and cognitive changes that the adolescent undergoes during puberty.
Discuss the four problems of adolescence: self-esteem, depression, suicide, and violence.
Identify the central concerns and crises that characterize the young, middle, and late adulthood stages.
Identify Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' five sequential stages through which people pass as they react to their own impending death.
Week 22 and 23: Chapter 11
Define personality.
Summarize the interaction of elements of personality according to Freud's theory: id, ego, and superego. Identify Freud's five stages of psychosexual development.
Differentiate between the theories of Jung, Adler, and Horney. Identify what these theories have in common.
Identify Erik Erikson's eight stages of personality development.
Contrast Carl Rogers' humanistic theory with Freudian theory.
Explain trait theory.
List and describe the Big Five personality dimensions.
Describe what recent evident shows about the genetic basis of personality traits.
Compare cognitive social-learning theories to early views of personality.
Describe the four basic tools psychologists use to measure personality. List two objective tests, two projective tests, and their uses.
Week 24: Chapter 12
Define adjustment and stress. Identify sources of stress.
Describe the nature of pressure, frustration, conflict, and identify situations that produce each one.
Identify the five basic sources of frustration.
Give examples of each of the following: approach/approach conflict; avoidance/avoidance conflict; approach/avoidance conflict.
Describe primary and secondary appraisal, and distinguish between optimism versus pessimism.
Distinguish between direct coping and defensive coping.
Identify and characterize the three ways that people cope directly.
Discuss the psychological and physiological effects of stress on people.
Identify methods of reducing stress. Identify five sources of extreme stress.
Discuss the opposing views of what characterizes a well-adjusted individual.
Week 25,26, and 27: Chapter 13
Distinguish among the standards for defining abnormal behavior from the view of society, the individual, and the mental health professional.
Summarize historical attitudes toward abnormal behavior.
State the four current models of abnormal behavior and explain the diathesis-stress model. Explain how the DSM-IV-TR classifies mental disorders.
Distinguish between the two basic kinds of affective disorders and how they may interact with each other.
Describe the anxiety disorders.
Describe the characteristics of the psychosomatic disorders and the somatoform disorders.
Characterize three different types of dissociative disorders.
Define and give examples of the sexual disorders.
Define gender-identity disorders.
Define personality disorders. Describe four kinds of personality disorders.
Describe four types of schizophrenic disorders and identify possible causes of the disorder.
Week 28 and 29: Chapter 14
Differentiate between insight therapies, behavior therapies, cognitive therapies, and group therapies.
Discuss the criticisms of psychoanalysis.
Explain how client-centered and Gestalt therapists interpret causes of emotional problems. Describe the therapeutic techniques of these approaches.
Summarize the behavioral therapist's interpretation of disorders. Describe aversive conditioning, desensitization, and modeling.
Describe stress-inoculation therapy, rational-emotive therapy and Beck's cognitive therapy.
List the advantages of group therapies. Identify three current approaches to group therapy.
Discuss the effectiveness of insight therapy and behavior therapy.
Outline the available biological treatments and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Summarize the inadequacies of institutionalization. List the alternative to institutionalization.
Explain the differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
Week 30 and 31: Chapter 15
Describe the process by which we form first impressions of other people. Identify three factors that influence personal perception.
Explain three aspects of attribution and explain attribution errors.
Explain the dynamics of interpersonal attraction.
Identify the components of attitudes. Explain how attitudes are acquired and how they change.
Explain the origin of prejudice and discrimination and how prejudice can be reduced.
Discuss the dynamics of attitude change and the process of persuasion.
Explain the theory of cognitive dissonance.
Explain how culture, conformity, compliance, and obedience exert social influence.
Identify the four types of social action.
Define risky shift and polarization. Summarize the conditions under which groups are effective and ineffective in solving problems.
Week 32: Catch-All Week
Submit final project for 100 points and respond to at least 2 of your classmates' projects for another 20 points
Week 33: Exam Review
Read and respond to classmates' projects
Review
Course Objectives:
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