Advanced Placement Psychology

La Jolla High School, Mrs. Dill

Syllabus 2011-2012

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE: The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Students will be exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with the subfields within psychology. They will also learn about the methods psychologists' use in their science and practice. (from Advanced Placement Course Description in Psychology) PRIMARY TEXT: Coon, Dennis (2004). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior (10th ed.). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

OBJECTIVES: 1. Students will prepare to take the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology on Monday, May 7, 2012. 2. Students will study the major core concepts and theories of psychology. They will be able to define key terms and use these terms in their everyday vocabulary. 3. Students will learn the basic skills of psychological research. They will be able to devise simple research projects, interpret and generalize from results, and evaluate the validity of research reports. 4. Students will be able to apply psychological concepts to their own lives. They will be able to recognize psychological principles when they are encountered in everyday situations. 5. Students will develop critical thinking skills. They will become aware of the danger of blindly accepting or rejecting any psychological theory without careful, objective evaluation. 6. Students will build their reading, writing, and discussion skills. 7. Students will learn about psychology as a profession, and become aware of the educational requirements that must be met to pursue such careers. They will learn about the ethical standards governing the work of psychologists. If there is any question in your mind as to whether this is the right course for you, come talk to me.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU: 1. Come to class. If you are out of school, it is your responsibility to get lecture notes and assignments from a classmate. 2. Ask for help. If you have trouble understanding something, ask me. How can you get help? - Ask questions before, during, and after class - Arrange to meet me at lunch - Contact me by e-mail: kdill@sandi.net 3. Dont fall behind. Set a schedule and be disciplined enough to stick to it. Complete assignments and finish readings on time. Be prepared for class every day. Review each week. 4. Keep up your AP Psychology notebook. Take complete, dated class notes and reading notes. This notebook will be checked numerous times this year. (More information will come later.)

5. Read actively. Dont just look at the words. Preview the chapters before you begin and review frequently. Dont try to read an entire chapter in one sitting. Pay close attention to the pictures, charts, and diagrams - they include important information and make the text more interesting! Take reading notes, it will make it much easier to review for the exam. 6. Learn the terms. Half of the battle of this course is vocabulary. You will be required to keep a vocabulary list for each chapter with the definitions. This makes an excellent review for chapter tests, and think of how nice it will be when studying all 20 chapters at once! GRADING: Your grade will be determined by your performance on chapter tests, quizzes, assignments, two final exams, and research projects. These categories are weighted as follows: Multiple Choice Tests - 40% Free Response Tests - 20% Quizzes - 10% Notebooks - 10% Final - 20% Your grade will be updated weekly on http://sc.webgrade.classmanager.com/LaJollaHS/ . It is your responsibility to inform me if you feel there is an error in this grade. Letter grades are assigned as follows: 100-94 A 89-87 93-90 A86-84 83-80 No scores will be rounded up until they B+ B Breach the .5 79-77 76-74 73-70 mark. C+ C C69-67 66-64 63-60 D+ D D-

Chapter Tests: Dates of these tests are listed on the calendar. Make-up exams are given before school only, on days specified by me. No exceptions. I will not remind you of this, or hunt you down. It is up to you. (Warning: All make-up tests are different than the test-day version. They are usually much harder. In addition, the curve does not apply to make-up tests.) From the La Jolla High School Behavior Code: Test Avoidance: A pattern of absences on test days for the apparent advantage of performing better on the makeup test. If a student develops a pattern of test avoidance, parents will be notified. Any further absences on test days may result in the forfeiture of makeup opportunities. Quizzes: There will be about 1-2 quizzes each chapter. The dates may, or may not, be announced beforehand. Makeup quizzes are NOT given. Your next quiz grade will be doubled to count for the missed score. Final Exams: You will be given two final exams. The first will fall on the day of semester one finals for the school. The second will occur two to three weeks prior to the AP Exam in May. Research Projects: These projects will be given after the AP Exam in May. Feel free to forget about it until then! UNIVERSAL TARDY POLICY: Tardies will accumulate one semester at a time and cannot be Made-up. Consequences are as follows: First week of each semester - Tardy grace period. First Tardy after Grace Period - Student/Teacher Conference Second Tardy - Letter home to Parents Third Tardy - Citizenship grade lowered one grade. Fourth Tardy - Citizenship grade is lowered one more grade and referral. Counselors will contact parents and will assign detention. Fifth Tardy - Citizenship grade lowered one more grade. Sixth Tardy - Citizenship grade lowered to a U. Seventh Tardy - Referral will be written for defiance of school rules. Vice-Principals will contact parents, and you will be suspended.

EXCESSIVE ABSENCES In accordance with District Policy #4705, even if a students evaluated class work is passing or acceptable, a student may receive a NC (No Credit) on a report card if excessive absences have prevented them from meeting the course objectives. Your participation is important to the course, therefore more than 10 absences each semester may result in the lowering of your grade. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS RULES: 1. Cheating is NOT tolerated. First offense will result in a 0 on the test or assignment. Second offense will result in your removal from the course. 2. In accordance with district and school policy, no food or drinks are to be consumed in class. The only exception to this is water. 3. No hats are to be worn and no electronic devices should be used in class. 4. YOU MUST BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM. LA JOLLA HIGH SCHOOLS EXPECTED SCHOOL-WIDE LEARNING RESULTS (ESLRS) 1. Students will demonstrate effective oral and written communicative skills, and will be able to use technology when applicable. 2. Students will develop the interpersonal skills necessary to work collaboratively and effectively with others in order to be contributing members in a global society. 3. Students will be able to demonstrate the higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation. 4. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the worlds various viewpoints, belief systems, and cultures. This course is designed to meet and exceed San Diego City School's district standards and literacy framework, as well as La Jolla High Schools Expected School-wide Learning Results. Additionally, the course meets and exceeds the National Standards for Psychology as set forth by the American Psychological Association. The standards may be viewed at the course website, or at http://www.apa.org/ed/natlstandards.html. THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION IN PSYCHOLOGY: The exam is approximately two hours long and is intended to cover the introductory college course in psychology. It includes a 70-minute multiple-choice section (100 questions), and a 50-minute free-response section consisting of two essays. The multiple-choice section accounts for two-thirds of the exam grade, leaving the last third for the free response. The multiple-choice questions cover the 13 areas of scientific psychology covered in the course. In some questions, you may be asked to demonstrate your understanding of a psychological term. In others you may be asked to apply concepts from a particular psychological theory or example of research. The two essay may require that you analyze and evaluate psychological constructs and, more generally, theoretical perspectives. The test is scored on a five-point scale: Extremely Well Qualified 5 Well-Qualified 4 Qualified 3 Possibly Qualified No Recommendation 2 1

Most colleges grant credit and placement for qualifying work (i.e., a grade of 3 or higher) on the examination. Some require a grade of 4 and a few do not accept AP scores.

AP EXAM - Summary of Course and Examination Content:

I. History and Approaches (2-4%) A. Logic, Philosophy, and History of Science B. Approaches 1. Biological 2. Behavioral 3. Cognitive 4. Humanistic 5. Psychodynamic 6. Sociocultural 7. Evolutionary IX. Developmental Psychology (7-9%) A. Life Span Approach B. Research Methods (e.g., longitudinal, cross-sectional) C. Heredity-Environmental Issues D. Developmental Theories E. Dimensions of Development 1. Physical 2. Cognitive 3. Social 4. Moral F. Sex Roles, Sex Differences X. Personality (5-7%) A. Personality Theories and Approaches B. Assessment Techniques C. Growth and Adjustment

II. Research Methods (8-10%) A. Experimental, Correlational, and Clinical Research B. Statistics 1. Descriptive 2. Inferential C. Ethics in Research III. Biological Bases of Behavior (8-10%) A. Physiological Techniques B. Neuroanatomy C. Functional Organization of the Nervous System D. Neural Transmission E. Endocrine System F. Genetics G. Evolutionary Psychology

XI. Testing and Individual Differences (5-7%) A. Standardization and Norms B. Reliability and Validity C. Types of Tests D. Ethics and Standards in Testing E. Intelligence XII. Abnormal Psychology (7-9%) A. Definitions of Abnormality B. Theories of Psychopathology C. Diagnosis of Psychopathology D. Types of Disorders 1. Anxiety Disorders 2. Somatoform Disorders 3. Mood Disorders 4. Schizophrenic Disorders 5. Organic Disorders 6. Personality Disorders 7. Disassociate Disorders XIII. Treatment of Psychological Disorders (5-7%) A. Treatment Approaches 1. Psychodynamic 2. Humanistic 3. Behavioral 4. Cognitive 5. Biological B. Modes of Therapy (e.g., individual, group) C. Community and Preventive Approaches XIV. Social Psychology (7-9%) A. Group Dynamics B. Attribution Processes C. Interpersonal Perception D. Conformity, Compliance, Obedience E. Attitudes and Attitude Change F. Organizational Behavior G. Aggression/Antisocial Behavior H. Cultural Influences

IV. Sensation and Perception (6-8%) A. Thresholds and Signal Detection B. Sensory Mechanisms C. Attention D. Perceptual Processes V. States of Consciousness (2-4%) A. Sleep and Dreaming B. Hypnosis C. Psychoactive Drug Effects

VI. Learning (7-9%) A. Classical Conditioning B. Operant Conditioning C. Cognitive Processes in Learning D. Biological Factors E. Social Learning VII. Cognition (8-10%) A. Memory B. Language C. Thinking D. Problem Solving and Creativity VIII. Motivation and Emotion (6-8%) A. Biological Bases B. Theories of Motivation C. Hunger, Thirst, Sex, and Pain D. Social Motives E. Theories of Emotion F. Stress

Advanced Placement Psychology

La Jolla High School, Mrs. Dill

Syllabus 2011-2012

Please sign and return this page of the syllabus by Friday, September 9, 2011.

I have read and understand this course syllabus and the policies governing the Advanced Placement course in Psychology at La Jolla High School.

_________________________________ Student Name (please print) _________________________________ Student Signature

_______________ Period _______________ Date

Throughout the course of the year, we will be watching several documentaries and films illustrating mental illness and the treatment of these illnesses. A few are rated PG-13 and R due to language. Prior to these films, I will explain the purpose of watching and the need for sensitivity and maturity as a viewing audience. If you wish to have your student excluded from the viewing of these, please note so in the comments section (below) and I will arrange to have your student out of the room on these few days.

___________________________________ Parent / Guardian Signature ___________________________________ Parent / Guardian's Phone Number Comments (if any):

______________ Date