AP Psychology Coursework
THE COURSE:
Purpose
The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals . Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
PrerequisitesFor Students
All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP courses . The College Board encourages the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP courses for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the AP Program . Schools should make every effort to ensure that their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population .
For Teachers and Schools
AP classes require extra time on the part of the teacher for preparation, individual consultation with students, and the reading of a much larger number of assignments than would normally be given to students in regular classes . The AP Psychology Development Committee strongly urges that any teacher offering such a class be assigned a reduced number of teaching preparations . To facilitate the teaching and learning of psychology, the committee also suggests that schools enrich the resource materials available to teachers and students in classrooms and libraries. Because the AP Psychology course is designed to mirror an entry-level college course, and most college faculty use the most up-to-date textbooks and supplemental materials in their classes, the AP Psychology Exam is developed using current materials . It is highly recommended that AP Psychology teachers and students use current textbooks or supplement older texts with more recent material .
Although many schools are able to establish AP courses, some schools with fewer students offer tutorial work associated with a regular course or a program of indepen- dent study .
Examples of the content and organization of AP Psychology courses and equivalent college courses, as well as suggestions for appropriate resource materials, can be found in the AP Psychology Teacher’s Guide. Go to AP Central (apcentral .collegeboard .org) or see page 25 for ordering information .
Goals
An introductory college course in psychology is generally one semester, with some variation among colleges . An AP Psychology course need not follow any specific college curriculum. Rather, the aim of the course is to provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses.
Topics and Learning Objectives
The following is a description of learning objectives for the major content areas covered in the AP Psychology Exam, as well as the approximate percentages of the multiple-choice section devoted to each area . This listing is not intended to be an exhaustive list of topics;
I. History and Approaches (2–4%)
II. Research Methods (8–10%)
III. Biological Bases of Behavior (8–10%)
IV. Sensation and Perception (6–8%)
V. States of Consciousness (2–4%)
VI. Learning (7–9%)
VII. Cognition (8–10%)
VIII. Motivation and Emotion (6–8%)
IX. Developmental Psychology (7–9%)
X. Personality (5–7%)
XI. Testing and Individual Differences (5–7%)
XII. Abnormal Behavior (7–9%)
XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior (5–7%)
XIV. Social Psychology (8–10%)
Purpose
The AP Psychology course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals . Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
PrerequisitesFor Students
All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP courses . The College Board encourages the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP courses for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the AP Program . Schools should make every effort to ensure that their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population .
For Teachers and Schools
AP classes require extra time on the part of the teacher for preparation, individual consultation with students, and the reading of a much larger number of assignments than would normally be given to students in regular classes . The AP Psychology Development Committee strongly urges that any teacher offering such a class be assigned a reduced number of teaching preparations . To facilitate the teaching and learning of psychology, the committee also suggests that schools enrich the resource materials available to teachers and students in classrooms and libraries. Because the AP Psychology course is designed to mirror an entry-level college course, and most college faculty use the most up-to-date textbooks and supplemental materials in their classes, the AP Psychology Exam is developed using current materials . It is highly recommended that AP Psychology teachers and students use current textbooks or supplement older texts with more recent material .
Although many schools are able to establish AP courses, some schools with fewer students offer tutorial work associated with a regular course or a program of indepen- dent study .
Examples of the content and organization of AP Psychology courses and equivalent college courses, as well as suggestions for appropriate resource materials, can be found in the AP Psychology Teacher’s Guide. Go to AP Central (apcentral .collegeboard .org) or see page 25 for ordering information .
Goals
An introductory college course in psychology is generally one semester, with some variation among colleges . An AP Psychology course need not follow any specific college curriculum. Rather, the aim of the course is to provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses.
Topics and Learning Objectives
The following is a description of learning objectives for the major content areas covered in the AP Psychology Exam, as well as the approximate percentages of the multiple-choice section devoted to each area . This listing is not intended to be an exhaustive list of topics;
I. History and Approaches (2–4%)
II. Research Methods (8–10%)
III. Biological Bases of Behavior (8–10%)
IV. Sensation and Perception (6–8%)
V. States of Consciousness (2–4%)
VI. Learning (7–9%)
VII. Cognition (8–10%)
VIII. Motivation and Emotion (6–8%)
IX. Developmental Psychology (7–9%)
X. Personality (5–7%)
XI. Testing and Individual Differences (5–7%)
XII. Abnormal Behavior (7–9%)
XIII. Treatment of Abnormal Behavior (5–7%)
XIV. Social Psychology (8–10%)
AP Psychology Course & EXam Description
| ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf |
AP Psychology FRQs
| ap19-frq-psychology-set-1.pdf |
AP Psych Support Materials
| myer_s_psychology_for_ap_vocab.pdf |
| psychologyvocab.pdf |
| roger_hock_-_forty_studies_that_changed_psychology_6th_edition.pdf |
