ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY

COURSE SYLLABUS
Mrs. Chris Trainor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 401-4247
Cell Phone: 734-645-5091 (text only in emergencies)
Room: C133

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce you to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior
and mental processes of human beings and other animals. You will be exposed to the psychological facts,
principles, and phenomena associated with the major subfields within Psychology. You will also learn about the
methods psychologists use in their science and practice.

COURSE MATERIALS:
Myers, D.G. Psychology, Myers in Modules, 8th ed. New York: 2008

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED MATERIALS:

3-Ring Binder (2)
3 x 5 Flashcards
College ruled lined paper

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Prepare to do acceptable work on the AP Psychology Exam.
2. Study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. Be able to define key terms and use these terms
in everyday vocabulary.
3. Be able to apply psychological concepts to your own lives, and recognize principles when encountered in
everyday situations.
4. Develop critical thinking skills, and become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting any
psychological theory without careful, objective evaluation.
5. Build your reading, writing and discussion skills

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Tests/Quizzes (50%)
a. Each test will mimic the AP College Board Exam; there will be one essay and 50 multiple-choice
questions.
b. Tests will be timed according to the College Board guidelines. We will, as time progresses, take
released exams from the College Board.
c. Tests will progressively become cumulative.
2. Assignments (50%)
a. NOTES Module outlines for the textbook (first few units only) are available on Google
Classroom. While reading, you must take notes, which will allow us to engage in discussion and
allow you to take further notes during class. Your module outlines will be periodically collected
and graded; the grade will be based on the thoroughness of both reading and class notes. This
doesnt mean taking massive amounts of notes; it means there will be evidence that you have
effectively covered all the pertinent information. You must have a system set up where I will be
able to tell which notes were completed before class and which were added during lecture.
 b. FLASHCARDS These are mandatory first trimester. There are over 700 terms we will cover over
the course of the year, which will be made available on Google Classroom. They are vocabulary
terms that have proven helpful in reinforcement of the material, and they will come up on the AP
Exam. The terms are divided into units and you will be required to know them. You must use
actual note cards and the flashcards must be created by you. Electronic flashcards will not be
accepted. You will follow a prescribed format for each flashcard, as described by your teacher.

c. ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS Also included in this category will be various assignments, such
as labs write-ups and other activities. There will be additional assignments after the College
Board exam in May. Details on these assignments will be forthcoming.

THE AP EXAM: Monday, May 1, 2017:

The AP Exam is approximately two hours long and includes a 70 minute multiple-choice section and a 50 minute
free-response section. The multiple-choice section contains 100 questions and accounts for 2/3 of the grade;
the free-response section consists of two essays and accounts for 1/3 of the grade.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

1. Be prepared for this to take time.Your success in class is directly correlated to the time you spend
outside of class; a rule of thumb suggested by colleges is to spend about two to three hours outside of
class for every hour you spend in class.
2. Create a vocabulary card file. Half of the battle is vocabulary. As mentioned, these flashcards are
required first trimester. Hopefully you will see the value in them (if you use them correctly) and will
continue this practice on your own for the rest of the year. As you make the cards, you are already
beginning to learn the vocabulary. The flashcards also provide an excellent means of review.
3. Do the reading. In terms of the course assignments, nothing will occupy more of your time than reading
and studying the text. Research has shown that the strongest correlation of success in college level
classes is reading ability. If you are a good reader, you have a distinct advantage. If you are not a good
reader, know that it is going to require extra time and effort on your part to succeed.
4. Take complete reading and class notes. Put them in your own words. Dont write down something
you dont understand without asking about it. Leave some blank space on each page to make additions
and clarifications. This will all be modeled for you. It is very important to review your class notes each
day while they are still fresh in your mind. Expand them, clarify them, and add examples so that they will
make sense when you go back to study from them later.
5. Learn to read more effectively. You can read more effectively by doing the following:
a. Read actively; dont just look at the words. If you spend a half hour reading, but are unable to
recall anything when you are done, you have wasted your time.
 b. Preview a module quickly before you begin, and review the material frequently. Pause at the
end of each paragraph and summarize mentally, in your own words, what you just read.
c. Do not ignore pictures, diagrams, tables, and sidebars in your textbook. These features serve to
make the text more interesting and may include pertinent information. Also, the brain LOVES
visual imagery!
6. Stay motivated. Keep in mind that your level of motivation is much more important than your ability
level. If you want to succeed, and if you are willing to put in the necessary effort, you will succeed.
Attitude, study skills, determination and discipline count for more than ability.
7. Cramming for tests is one of the worst ways to prepare for exams. The brain HATES this!
a. Space out your studying, you will process information much more effectively this way.
b. There are practice exams available online, they are an incredibly helpful way to study. You can
find them at the website listed in the textbook.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Late assignments will not be accepted. All assignments are due at the beginning of class.
2. If you have an unanticipated excused absence (illness or family emergency) on the day of a test, or the
day an assignment is due, you must make-up the work on the day you return to school. For planned
absences (e.g. college visitation), please make arrangements with me in advance. You are also
responsible for obtaining any class notes/handouts from classes you have missed.
3. All make-up tests will need to be taken before or after school, not during class or lunch.
4. There is a zero tolerance policy for cell phone use in class. You will be permitted to use cell phones
only when explicitly stated by your teacher for educational purposes. If you are found using a cell phone
for anything outside of these purposes (this includes texting, social media, etc.), your phone will be taken
away for the remainder of the school day.
5. Relax and enjoy the class! We are going to have a great time learning some really cool stuff!

Units MODULES

1. Memory 24: Intro to Memory

25: Encoding Info
26: Retaining Info
27: Retrieval
28: Forgetting, Memory Construction

2. Intro to Psychology 1: History & Scope of Psychology including Approaches

2: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science including Ethical Guidelines
3. Research Strategies: How Psychologists Ask and Answer Questions

3. Neuroscience & Behavior 4: Neural and Hormonal Systems

5: The Brain

4. Nature/Nurture & Human 6: Behavior Genetics and Evolutionary History

Diversity 7: Environmental Influences on Behavior

5. Human Development 8: Prenatal development & the Newborn

9: Infancy & Childhood
10: Adolescence
 11: Adulthood, and Reflections on Developmental Issues

6. States of Consciousness 18: Waking & Sleeping Rhythms

19: Hypnosis
20: Drugs & Consciousness

7. Sensation & Perception 12: Intro to Sensation & Perception

13: Vision
14: Hearing
15: The Other Senses
16: Perceptual Organization
17: Perceptual Interpretation

8. Learning 21: Classical Conditioning

22: Operant Conditioning
23: Learning by Observation

9. Thinking, Language & 29: Thinking

Intelligence 30: Language & Thought
31: Intro to Intelligence
32: Assessing Intelligence
33: Genetic & Environmental Influences on Intelligence

10. Motivation & Emotion 34: Intro to Motivation

35: Hunger
36: Sexual Motivation
37: Achievement Motivation
38: Theories of Emotion
39: Experiencing & Expressing Emotion

11. Stress & Health 41: Stress and Illness

42: Coping with Stress
43: Modifying Illness-Related Behaviors

12. Personality 44: The Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Perspective

45: The Humanistic Perspective
46: Contemporary Research on Personality

13. Psych. Disorders & 47: Intro to Psychological Disorders

Therapy 48: Anxiety Disorders
49: Dissociative & Personality Disorders
50: Mood Disorders
51: Schizophrenia
52: The Psychological Therapies
53: Evaluating Therapies
54: The Biomedical Therapies

14. Social Psychology 55: Social Thinking

56: Social Influence
57: Antisocial Relations
58: Prosocial Relations