AP Psychology
This introductory psychology course covers the content set forth by the College Board for the AP Psychology curriculum, and assignments will help prepare students to take the AP Psychology exam. Students will cultivate their understanding of the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes through inquiry-based investigations as they explore concepts like the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatment of abnormal behavior, and social psychology.
RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE: None
Basic and On Demand are always open for registration.
Plus courses are created upon request.
SEMESTER 1
Unit 1: Roots and Branches - The History and Approaches of Psychology
- What is Psychology?
- Connections to Philosophy
- Psychology as a Science
- Perspectives in Psychology
- Subfields and Careers in Psychology
Unit 2: Research Methods
- The Scientific Method
- Descriptive Research Methods: Case Study, Naturalistic Observation, and Surveys
- Correlational Research
- Experiments
- Statistics in Psychological Research
- Ethics in Psychological Research
Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior
- Anatomy of a Neuron
- Neural Communication
- Neurotransmitters
- Nervous System
- Endocrine System
- Brain Structures
- Cerebral Cortex
- The Amazing Brain
- Brain Research and Imaging
Unit 4: Sensation and Perception
- Sensation and Perception Basics
- Psychophysics
- Anatomy of the Eye
- Processing Vision
- Anatomy of the Ear
- Processing Sound
- Taste and Smell
- Somesthetic Senses
Unit 5: Consciousness
- Consciousness and the Altered States
- Benefits of Altered States
- Sleep and Dreams
- Sleep Deprivation and Disorders
- Psychoactive Drugs
Unit 6: Learning
- The Basics of Learning
- Process of Classical Conditioning
- Extensions and Applications of Classical Conditioning
- Process of Operant Conditioning
- Extensions and Applications of Operant Conditioning
- Cognitive and Social Learning
Unit 7: Cognition
- Creating Memories
- Storing and Retrieving Memories
- How and Why We Forget
- Thinking and Creativity
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Language
SEMESTER 2
Unit 8: Motivation, Emotion, and Stress
- What is Motivation?
- Modern Theories of Motivation
- Physiological Motivators
- The Basics of Emotion
- Theories of Emotion
- Understanding Stress
- Stress and the Body
Unit 9: Developmental Psychology
- Becoming You
- Newborns
- Cognitive Development
- Social Development
- Sex and Gender
Unit 10: Personality
- Basics of Personality
- Psychoanalytic Theories
- Humanist Theories
- Social Cognitive Theories
- Trait Theories
Unit 11: Intelligence and Testing
- Intelligence Defined and Measured
- Quality Control in Test Design
- Theories of Intelligence
- Extremes of Intelligence
Unit 12: Abnormal Behavior
- Identifying and Diagnosis
- Theories of Abnormal Behavior
- Personality Disorders
- Anxiety and Related Disorders
- Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Other Disorders
Unit 13: Treatment of Abnormal Behavior
- Treatment History and Overview
- Psychoanalytic and Humanist Therapies
- Cognitive Therapy
- Behavioral Therapy
- Biomedical Therapy
Unit 14: Social Psychology
- Introduction to Social Psychology
- Roles and Norms
- Social Influence
- Group Interactions
- Love and Altruism