AP PSYCHOLOGY

AP PSYCHOLOGY
COURSE SYLLABUS
2007-2008

Course Description

AP Psychology is designed to provide students with the experiences of an introductory course in psychology as they would find in a university. Additionally, the course is designed to prepare students to successfully complete the AP Psychology Exam before the end of the school year.

Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. It is a combination of many fields of scientific exploration: biology, philosophy, cultural anthropology, sociology, and physiology. Students will be encouraged to explore the connections and contributions each has made to the development of psychology.

The course will provide a familiarization with the basic philosophical principles in psychology as well as the scientific testing methods used to determine the validity of those principles.

Students will be introduced to studies which will aid them in developing a better understanding of human behavior. The course will address central questions: "Why do we do the things we do?"; "How can we understand those actions from a more objective viewpoint?"; "Can we actually modify our behaviors in a positive fashion?"

In addition to studying the fundamentals of psychology, students will be encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills, their comprehension skills, and the ability to organize propositions in a logical and analytic fashion in preparation for persuasive presentations and discussions.

Course Objectives

Fundamentally, as a college-level course, this class aims to prepare students mentally as well as academically for the university. An introduction to the methods and theories of psychology is only part of the course's intent. The further intent is to provide students with knowledge which will allow them to discover the practical, every-day use of psychological applications. With these insights, students will better understand their own actions, the behavior of others, as well as the diversity of the culture in which we live.

Students will acquire basic understandings of fundamental theories in psychology, research methods, core terms, and the current state of psychological research.

Students practice the writing skills and style necessary to successful completion of the AP Psychology exam.

Students will develop skills necessary for critical analysis of the information and influences that surround them through our culture on a daily basis; the media, advertising, schooling, work, community, church, etc.

Upon completion, students will be able to:
Ÿ Critically analyze scientific research for a variety of applications
Ÿ Objectively analyze their personal academic accomplishments
Ÿ Develop an understanding of human behavior they can explain in terms fundamental to academic psychology
Ÿ Objectively analyze the writings of fellow students (cooperatively)
Ÿ Develop skills for researching, analyzing, and presenting current issues in psychology

This exploration of psychology encompasses the past and the present. Students are expected to stay informed of critical issues in psychology and in our culture as a whole, through popular periodicals and professional journals. It is suggested that regular reading of newspapers and news magazines as well as the regular viewing of news broadcasts be maintained throughout the course.

Student Evaluations

Pop quizzes may be given at any time on assigned readings. Overnight assignments may also count as an announced quiz.

Tests will be given in three forms: A) essays B) multiple-choice and C) various forms of matching, fill-in-the-blank for vocabulary tests. Some tests will be timed to simulate the need to be time-aware in preparation for the AP exam. Student projects will carry the weight of two unit tests. The mid-term exam and the end-of-semester exam are requirements of the AP Psychology course. The end-of-semester exam will include all material covered during the semester.

Primary Textbook

Myers, David. Psychology, 6th ed. In Modules, Worth Publishing, 2005.

Supplemental Texts
Buber, Martin, I and Thou, Simon and Schuster, 1971.

Davis, Stephen and Joseph Palladino, Psychology, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall, 2002.

Frankl, Victor E., Man’s Search For Meaning, Simon and Shuster, 1984.

McEntarffer, Robert and Allyson Weseley, AP Psychology 2006-2007, Barron’s, 2004.

Boeree, George, General Psychology: PSY 101, Shippensburg University. Online Text. http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsysyl.html



Assignments/Assessment
Unit Tests: All tests are designed to mimic the AP Exam with multiple choice and essay questions.
Quizzes: Given weekly, each quiz will focus primarily on vocabulary and may take any of a variety of formats.

Projects
Naturalistic Observation
Each student will report on their 30-minute observation of human participants in a naturalistic setting. This exercise will familiarize students with the method, improve their awareness of their powers of observation, and permit them an understanding of the subjective and objective record.

Experimental Design
Students will select a hypothetical research problem and write a proposal for a controlled experiment to solve it. The exercise serves to improve their understanding of research methodology.

Final Research Paper

The research paper will focus on a topic selected by the instructor and will be different for each student. It will outline the development of professional understanding of apsychological disorder as well as on-going studies and therapies