St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Dr. John M. BernaAP Psychology (Social Science PSY 401) 2016-2017

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) PSYCHOLOGY

Course Description: This course will introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and the cognitive processes of humans and animals.  Psychology will be presented as both a theoretical and a practical science. Students will examine significant psychological research and learn how psychology impacts everyday lives. Major topics of study include: research methods and statistics, neuroscience and brain physiology, human development, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, memory, thinking and language, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, abnormal behavior and psychopathology, psychotherapy, stress and coping, and social psychology. This course will use a combination of lectures, demonstrations, class discussions, research articles, and videos. A critical component of this class will be assigned reading and written assignments. All students who complete this course will be prepared for and will take the AP Psychology Examination in May.

Assignments and Evaluations: The course calendar, text assignments, and course objectives are listed in the syllabus. The class will meet six days per cycle (A-F Days). Students are expected to read assigned text units prior to the class session.

Each quarter, there will be (3) major tests that will primarily consist of multiple choice and short essay questions drawn from the lectures, textbook, and other supporting material used during the course. Students will demonstrate that they have read the assigned material, have attended to the lectures, and can apply their acquired knowledge to a broader context. Tests will be given on alternate “A” days.

Each quarter, students will complete two (2) in-class long-form essays. These essays will reflect the content of the material covered in the lectures, videos, directed readings, and from the Myers’ textbook. These essays will provide students with practice in writing concise, essay responses within short time limits, and will generally be preceded by a lecture, video, or demonstration. Essays will be given on alternate “A” days.

Each quarter, students will take six (6) quizzes. These quizzes will consist primarily of multiple-choice questions on information taken from the lectures and the Myers’ textbook. Quizzes will be given on “D” days.

Each quarter, three (3) extended, written homework assignments will be completed. These assignments will require students to analyze and evaluate information from assigned readings. They will also tap the material presented in the textbook and lectures, and they are designed to help students participate in the classroom discussions. These assignments are extremely important and must be submitted when they are due. Significant grade point deductions will be taken for each session that an assignment is late and the point penalties will be clearly communicated for each assignment (the only exception to this rule would be lateness due to an excused absence).

Grading Procedures: For each of the four quarters, individual tests will constitute 10% of the final quarter grade (30% total). The essay tests will be worth 5% each (10% total). The quizzes will be worth 5% each (30% total). Each extended homework assignment will be worth 10% (30% total). Students will receive a numerical grade for each test, quiz, and homework assignment.

1

Preparation for Classes (See class rules p. 18): As was stated above, students should read all assigned material prior to the class session. In addition, students should download the lecture outline from the course website for each class prior to the class session. Information will be presented using power point and it would be helpful to the student and the teacher if the entire class had the outline to use to guide note-taking. Students must purchase a 1.5” binder to hold all notes, handouts, and returned tests and quizzes.

Attendance Policy: Students are responsible for the material presented during class sessions. Students should contact the teacher or a classmate to obtain work missed due to an absence. If a student knows in advance that he will be missing classes, then he must see the teacher to arrange for take-home and make-up work. Excessive absences or lateness will affect the student’s ability to master the course material, may result in lowering the student’s grade for the course, and may significantly influence the student’s performance on the AP Psychology Examination.

Academic Honesty: Students should be familiar with the school’s Academic Honesty Policy which can be found in the Student Directives. Any student who is not honest in his academic work may be placed on probation, suspended, or dismissed as per the school’s directives.

Assigned Primary Textbook: Myers, D.G. (2015). Myers' Psychology for AP, 2nd Edition. NY: Worth.

Assigned Summer Reading: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Assigned Readings:Additional readings may be assigned throughout the year as part of course assignments or to enhance learning.

Instructional Resources:

TextbooksMyers, D.G. (2011). Myers' Psychology for AP, Teacher’s Edition NY: Worth.Kalat, J.W. (2016). Biological Psychology, 12th Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson. Woolfolk, A. (2012). Educational Psychology, 12th Edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Stanovich, K. E. (2004). How to Think Straight About Psychology, 7th Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Resource ManualsBolt, M. (2013). NonModular Instructor's Manual. NY: Worth.Bolt, M. (2011). Myers' Psychology for AP Instructor's Resources with Lecture Guides. NY: Worth.

2

Journals and Periodicals (for directed readings and lecture enhancement)Current Directions in Psychological SciencePerspectives on Psychological Science Scientific American Mind

Scientific American Brain in the NewsSkeptical Inquirer

Books (for directed readings and lecture enhancement)Phantoms in the Brain by V. S. Ramachandran & Sandra BlakesleeDescartes’ Error by Antonio DamasioThe Other Brain by R. Douglas FieldsThe Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat and The Mind’s Eye by Oliver SacksMind, Brain, and Education Science by Tracey Tokuhama-EspinosaSpark by John RateyThe Accidental Mind by David LindenThe Executive Brain & The New Executive Brain both by Elkhonon GoldbergThe Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra Blakeslee & Matthew BlakesleeWhat Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite by David DiSalvoThe Blank Slate by Steven PinkerThe Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich HarrisLove at Goon Park by Deborah BlumB. F. Skinner: A Life by Daniel BjorkThe Seven Sins of Memory by Daniel SchachterThe Myth of Repressed Memory by Elizabeth Loftus & Katherine KetchumThe Psychopathology of Everyday Life by Sigmund FreudFreakonomics by Steven Levitt & Stephen DubnerBlink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers by Malcolm GladwellThe Social Animal by Elliot AronsonMistakes Were Made But Not by Me by Carol Tavris & Elliot AronsonInfluence by Robert CialdiniYou Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself and You are Now Less Dumb by David McRaneyHow We Know What Isn’t So by Thomas Gilovich

Videos and Video SeriesWorth Video Anthology for PsychologyDiscovering Psychology Video SeriesScientific American Frontiers: Video Collection for Introductory PsychologyMoving Images: Exploring Psychology Through Film (Films for the Humanities and Sciences)Media Resources for Teaching Psychology (Discovery Channel, McGraw-Hill)The Brain Video Teaching UnitsAbnormal Psychology Video Segments (Comer, 2nd Edition, Worth) Secrets of the Mind (Ramachandran, NOVA)

Course Foundation and Objectives: This AP Psychology course and its learning objectives will follow the College Board Advanced Placement Program Course Content for AP Psychology, the American Psychological Association’s National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology, and an instructional outline derived from the units, topics, and lecture resources provided by the assigned course textbook. The learning objectives represent the measurable learning proficiency standards for students in the AP Psychology course.

3

Course Calendar1st Quarter

Cycle Topics Assigned Textbook Units

1 Introduction, History, & Perspectives 1 & 2Course Overview

What is Psychology?Psychology’s Major Perspectives

The Scientific Nature of PsychologyIntroduction

2 The Scientific Nature of Psychology 2Research Methods

CorrelationExperimentationStatistics

3 Neuroscience/Biopsychology 3Neural and Hormonal Systems

The BrainBrain ImagingBrainstemLimbic System

4 Neuroscience/Biopsychology 3The BrainCerebral Cortex

5 Evolutionary Psychology & Behavior Genetics 3Twin & Adoption Research

Genetic and Environmental Influences

6 Sensation and Perception 4Vision

4

Course Calendar 2nd Quarter

Cycle Topics Assigned Textbook Units

1 Sensation and Perception 4Hearing

Smell & TasteTouch & PainPerceptual Organization and Interpretation

2 States of Consciousness 5Waking and Sleeping

HypnosisDrugs and Altered States of Consciousness

3 Development 9Prenatal

Infancy & Childhood

4 Development 9 Infancy and ChildhoodAdolescence

5 Learning 6Associative Learning

Conditioning TheoriesClassical Conditioning

6 Learning 6Operant ConditioningObservational Learning

REVIEW for Mid-Term Examination

5

Course Calendar3rd Quarter

Cycle Topics Assigned Textbook Units

1 Memory 7Cognition & MemoryStages and ProcessesEncodingStorage

2 Memory 7Retrieval

Forgetting

3 Thinking & Language 7Cognition & Problem Solving

Language and Thought

4 Intelligence & Testing 11Introduction to IntelligenceAssessing Intelligence

Genetic & Environmental Influences

5 Motivation 8Introduction

HungerSex

6 Motivation 8 & 5AchievementDrugs & Addiction

7 EmotionTheories of Emotion 8

Experiencing and Expressing Emotion

6

Course Calendar 4th Quarter

Cycle Topics Assigned Textbook Units

1 Personality 10Psychoanalytic Approach

Humanistic PerspectiveContemporary Research on Personality

2 Abnormal Psychology & Psychopathology 12Introduction

Anxiety DisordersMood Disorders

3 Abnormal Psychology & Psychopathology 12 & 13SchizophreniaDissociative & Personality Disorders

Treatment of Psychological DisordersPsychological Therapies

4 Social Psychology 14Social Thinking

Social Influence

5 REVIEWReview I Motivation, Emotion, Personality,

Disorders, Therapy, Social Psychology

Review II Learning, Memory, Cognition, Intelligence, Development

Review III History & Perspectives, Research Methods,

Neuroscience, Evolutionary Psychology, Behavior Genetics, Sensation/Perception, Consciousness

AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM

7

Final Cycle Final Student Papers & Presentations

AP PsychologyGeneral Educational Goals for the AP Psychology course

• To learn and understand the history of psychology, including the major contributors to the field.

• To learn and understand the major issues studied by psychologists.

• To learn and understand the scientific methodology of psychology and its limitations.

• To learn and understand the major scientific theories and research findings in psychology.

• To develop critical thinking skills and to apply these skills to the study of psychology.

• To become an informed consumer of psychological information.

Course Plan & Learning Objectives

I. Introduction, History, & Perspectives

Learning Objectives Define psychology. Discuss psychology’s history from its roots in ancient Greek philosophy to the present.

o Identify the contributions of Wundt, James, Freud, Watson, and Skinner.Describe psychology’s concerns regarding stability and change, rationality and irrationality, nature

and nurture.Identify the three main levels of analysis in the biopsychosocial approachDescribe the different perspectives from which psychologists examine behavior and mental

processes. These perspectives include:o Neuroscience/Biological

perspectiveo Evolutionary perspectiveo Behavior genetics perspectiveo Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic

perspective

o Behavioral perspectiveo Humanistic perspectiveo Cognitive perspectiveo Social-cultural perspective

Identify some of the basic and applied research subfields of psychology (domains of psychology).

Describe the mental health professions of clinical psychology and psychiatry.

II. Research Methods & Statistical Reasoning

8

Learning ObjectivesExplain the scientific method.Discuss critical thinking skills and their application.Describe the relationship between psychological theories, hypotheses, and scientific research. Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic

observations, and case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses. Discuss the value of operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research.Describe both positive and negative correlations, and explain how correlational research can aid the

process of prediction.Explain why correlational research fails to provide evidence of cause-effect relationships.Identify the basic elements of an experiment and discuss how experimental control contributes to

causal explanation.Describe the three measures of central tendency and the two measures of variation.Describe how psychologists make inferences about differences between groups.

o Explain how psychologists decide whether differences are meaningful.Discuss the ethics of psychological research with both animals and humans.Discuss how research findings can be misinterpreted and misused.

III. Neuroscience/Biopsychology

Learning ObjectivesDescribe the structure of a neuron, and explain how neural impulses are generated.Describe how nerve cells communicate.Describe how neurotransmitters influence behavior, and explain how drugs and other chemicals

affect neurotransmission.Identify the major divisions of the nervous system, and describe their functions, noting the three

types of neurons that transmit information through the system.Describe the nature and function of the endocrine system and its interaction which the nervous

system.Identify and describe several techniques for studying the brain.

o Differentiate among EEG, CAT, PET, MRI, and fMRI scans based on process and purpose.

Describe the functions of the brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus, and the structures of the limbic system.

Identify the four lobes of the cerebral cortex, and describe the sensory and motor functions of the cortex.

Discuss the importance of the association areas.Describe how the brain is involved in understanding and producing language.Discuss the capacity of the brain to reorganize following injury or illness.Describe research on the split brain, and discuss what it reveals regarding normal brain functioning

9

Discuss psychology’s abiding interest in how heredity, environment, and evolution work together to shape behavior (Behavior Genetics & Evolutionary Psychology).

Describe how twin and adoption studies help us differentiate hereditary and environmental influences on human traits.

Discuss how differences in infant temperament illustrate the effect of heredity on development.Define heritability.Describe how behavior geneticists estimate trait heritability, and discuss the interaction of genetic

and environmental influences.Explain why we should be cautious about attributing children’s successes and failures to parental

influence.o Describe Judith Harris’ views regarding the influence of non-shared experiences and

peers on variations in personality.Explain how twins may experience different prenatal environments, and describe the effect of

experience on brain development.Describe how development is influenced by the individual’s peer group and culture.Discuss the impact of evolutionary history on genetically predisposed behavior tendencies.Identify gender differences in sexual behavior and mating preferences, and describe and evaluate

evolutionary explanations for those differences.Identify key contributors to the fields of neuroscience, biological psychology, and evolutionary

psychology (e.g., Paul Broca, Charles Darwin, Michael Gazzaniga, Roger Sperry, Carl Wernicke).

IV. Sensation and Perception

Learning Objectives Contrast the processes of sensation and perception. Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds. Discuss research findings on subliminal stimulation. Describe sensory adaptation. Explain the visual process, including the stimulus input, the structure of the eye, and the

transformation of light energy into neural activity (transduction). Discuss the different levels of visual information processing. Explain the Young-Helmholtz and opponent-process theories of color vision. Explain the auditory process, including the stimulus input, the structure and function of the ear,

and the way sounds are located. Describe the sense of touch, and explain the basis of pain, including the Gate-Control theory of

pain. Describe the senses of taste and smell, and comment on the nature of sensory interaction. Discuss Gestalt psychology’s contribution to our understanding of perception.

10

Explain the figure-ground relationship, and identify principles of perceptual grouping in form perception.

Discuss research on the development of depth perception involving the visual cliff. Describe the binocular and monocular cues in depth perception. Describe the perceptual constancies, and show how the perceived size-distance relationship

operates in visual illusions. Describe the debate over the role of nature and nurture in perception, and discuss what research

findings on sensory deprivation and restored vision have contributed to this debate. Describe perceptual adaptation. Explain perceptual set. Evaluate the research and claims of extrasensensory perception and other psi phenemona.

V. States of Consciousness

Learning ObjectivesDiscuss the nature of consciousness and its significance in the history of psychology.Describe how our perceptions are directed and limited by selective attention.Contrast conscious and subconscious information processingDiscuss the content and potential functions of daydreams and fantasies, and describe the fantasy-

prone personality.Describe the cyclical nature and possible functions of sleep.Identify the major sleep disorders.Discuss the Freudian, Information Processing, and Activation Synthesis theories of dreams.

o Describe Hobson’s research on dreaming.Discuss hypnosis, noting the behavior of hypnotized people and claims regarding its uses.Discuss the social phenomena and dissociative phenomena theories of hypnosis and the research

that supports and/or refutes those theories.o Describe and evaluate Hilgard’s research on hypnosis.

Describe the physiological and psychological effects of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.

VI. Development

Learning ObjectivesDiscuss the course of prenatal development.Describe the capacities of the newborn.Describe the course of brain and motor development.Discuss and evaluate Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.Discuss the impact of body contact, familiarity, and responsive parenting on infant social

attachments.o Discuss the attachment research of Bowlby, Ainsworth, and Harlow.

11

Describe the benefits of a secure attachment and the impact of parental neglect and separation.

Discuss possible effects of different parenting styles on children.Discuss and evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.Discuss and evaluate Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development.

VII. Learning

Learning Objectives Discuss the nature and importance of associative learning, and describe the behavioral approach

to the study of learning. Describe the general process of classical conditioning as demonstrated by Pavlov’s experiments. Explain the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and

discrimination. Describe Watson’s experiment with Little Albert. Discuss the importance of cognitive processes and biological constraints on conditioning. Discuss the Garcia and Koelling’s research and the Garcia Effect. Explain the importance of Pavlov’s work and describe how it might apply to an understanding of

human health and well-being. Describe the process of operant conditioning, including the procedure of shaping, as

demonstrated by Skinner’s experiments. Identify the different types of reinforcers and describe major schedules of reinforcement. Discuss the punishment and its effects on behavior. Discuss the importance of cognitive processes and biological predispositions in operant

conditioning. Explain why Skinner’s ideas were controversial and the practical application of his theories and

research. Describe the process of observational learning as demonstrated by Bandura’s experiments.

VIII. Cognition

Learning ObjectivesMemory

Describe memory in terms of information processing, and distinguish between sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

o Describe the Atkinson-Shriffrin three stage model of memoryo Discuss Baddely’s theory regarding how working memory operates.

Distinguish between automatic and effortful processing and discuss the difference between maintenance and elaborative rehearsal.

Explain the importance of meaning, imagery, and organization in the encoding process. Describe the limited nature of sensory and short-term memory.

12

Describe the capacity and duration of long-term memory, and discuss the biological changes that may underlie memory formation and storage.

Distinguish between implicit and explicit memory, and identify the different brain structures associated with each.

Contrast recall, recognition, and relearning measures of memory. Describe the importance of retrieval cues and the impact of environmental contexts and internal

emotional states on retrieval. Explain why the capacity to forget can be beneficial, and discuss the role of encoding failure and

storage decay in the process of forgetting. Explain what is meant by retrieval failure, and discuss the effects of interference and motivated

forgetting on retrieval. Describe the evidence for the constructive nature of memory and the impact of imagination and

leading questions on eyewitness recall. o Discuss the research of Elizabeth Loftus.

Discuss the reliability of children’s eyewitness recall and the controversy surrounding the reports of repressed and recovered memories.

Thinking & Language Describe the nature of concepts and the role of prototypes in concept formation. Discuss how we use trial and error, algorithms, heuristics, and insight to solve problems. Describe how a mental set and fixation can interfere with effective problem solving. Explain how the representativeness and availability heuristics influence our judgments. Describe the effects that overconfidence, framing, belief bias, confirmation bias, and belief

perseverance can have on our judgments and decisions. Trace the course of language acquisition and discuss alternative theories of language

development. Discuss the relationship between thought and language. Describe the research on animal intelligence and communication, and discuss the controversy

over whether animals have language.

IX. Motivation & Emotion

Learning ObjectivesMotivation

Define motivation. Compare and contrast the biological, behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial theories of

motivation.o Explain instinct, drive-reduction, incentive, and arousal theories of motivation.

Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of motives. Describe the physiological determinants of hunger. Describe the symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Describe research findings on obesity and weight control. Describe how researchers have attempted to assess common sexual practices.

13

Describe the human sexual response cycle, and discuss the impact of both hormones and psychological factors on sexual motivation.

Identify factors contributing to increased rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease among today's adolescents.

Describe research findings on the nature and dynamics of sexual orientation, and discuss the place of values in sex research.

Describe the adaptive nature of social attachments, and identify both healthy and unhealthy consequences of our need to belong.

Discuss the motivational factors that contribute to drug use. Discuss the nature of drug dependence and identify some common misconceptions about

addiction. Describe the nature and sources of achievement motivation. Distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic achievement motivation, and identify factors that

encourage each. Discuss how managers can create and maintain a motivated, productive, and satisfied work force,

and identify various styles of management.Emotion

Identify the three components of emotion, and contrast the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories of emotion.

Describe Schachter’s two-factor theory of emotion, and discuss evidence suggesting that some emotional reactions involve no conscious thought.

o Discuss LeDoux’s research on the unconscious processing of fear. Describe the physiological changes that occur during emotional arousal, and discuss the

relationship between arousal and performance.o Discuss the Yerkes-Dodson Law.

Describe the relationship between physiological states and specific emotions Discuss the effectiveness of the polygraph in detecting lies. Describe some nonverbal indicators of emotion, and discuss the extent to which people from

different cultures display and interpret facial expressions of emotion in a similar manner.o Discuss Darwin’s views regarding the similar emotional expressions of humans and

animals.o Discuss Ekman’s research on facial expressions, emotions, and detecting deception.

X. Personality

Learning Objectives Define personality. Explain how Freud’s treatment of psychological disorders such as hysteria led to his study of the

unconscious. Describe personality structure in terms of the interactions of the id, ego, and superego. Identify Freud’s psychosexual stages of development, and describe the effects of fixation on

behavior. Explain how defense mechanisms protect the individual from anxiety.

14

Explain how projective tests are used to assess personality and evaluate their reliability and validity.

Evaluate the scientific merits of Freud’s theories. Discuss the contributions of the neo-Freudians, and describe the strengths and weaknesses of

Freud’s ideas. Discuss psychologists’ descriptions of personality in terms of types and traits. Explain how personality inventories are used to assess traits, and discuss research regarding the

consistency of behavior over time and across situations. Describe “The Big Five” Factors/Traits Describe the humanistic perspective on personality in terms of Maslow’s focus on self-

actualization and Rogers’ emphasis on people’s potential for growth. Describe humanistic psychologists’ approach to personality assessment, and discuss the benefits

and liabilities of self-esteem and self-serving bias. Describe the impact of individualism and collectivism on self-identity and social relations. Discuss the criticisms of the humanistic perspective. Describe the social-cognitive perspective on personality, and explain reciprocal determinism. Discuss the important consequences of personal control, learned helplessness, and optimism. Describe how social-cognitive researchers assess behavior in realistic situations and evaluate the

social-cognitive perspective on personality.

XI. Intelligence & Testing

Learning ObjectivesDefine intelligence.Trace the history of intelligence testing.

o Discuss Binet’s purpose of intelligence testing. Discuss factor analysis and how it applies to intelligence and intelligence tests.

o Explain Spearman’s “g” factor.Discuss whether intelligence should be considered a general mental ability or many specific

abilities and describe its relationship to creativity.o Discuss the multiple intelligence theories of Gardner and Sternberg.o Describe the characteristics of savant syndrome.

Describe modern tests of mental abilities such as the WISC-IV and the WAIS-III, and distinguish between aptitude and achievement tests.

Describe test standardization, and explain the importance of appropriate standardization samples for effectively interpreting intelligence test scores.

Describe the normal curve Discuss the mean and standard deviations of intelligence tests. Distinguish between the reliability and validity of intelligence tests, and explain how reliability

and validity are assessed. Discuss evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on intelligence. Discuss whether intelligence tests are culturally or racially biased.

15

Describe group differences in intelligence test scores, and show how they can be explained in terms of environmental factors.

XII. Abnormal Psychology & Psychological Disorders

Learning Objectives Define abnormal and list four criteria for abnormality. Identify the criteria for judging whether behavior is psychologically disordered. Describe the medical model of psychological disorders, and discuss the bio-psycho-social

perspective offered by critics of this model. Describe the aims of DSM-IV and discuss the potential dangers associated with the use of

diagnostic labels. Describe the prevalence of various disorders and the timing of their onset. Describe the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive

disorder. Explain the development of anxiety disorders from learning, biological, cognitive, and socio-

cultural perspectives. Describe major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Explain the development of mood disorders from learning, biological, cognitive, and socio-

cultural perspectives. Describe the major somatoform disorders. Describe the major personality disorders, focusing on the characteristics of the antisocial

personality disorder. Describe the major dissociative disorders. Describe the various symptoms and types of schizophrenia, and discuss the research on its

causes.o Discuss the research on brain abnormalities using identical twins and MRI scans.o Discuss the dopamine hypothesis.

XIII. Treatment of Psychological Disorders

Learning Objectives Define psychotherapy. Discuss the aims and methods of psychoanalysis, and explain the critics’ concerns with this form

of therapy, noting how psychodynamic therapists have tried to answer the criticisms. Identify basic characteristics of the humanistic therapies and the specific goals and techniques of

client-centered therapy. Identify the basic assumptions of behavior therapy, and discuss the classical conditioning

techniques of systematic desensitization and aversive conditioning. Describe therapeutic applications of operant conditioning principles, and explain the critics’

concerns with this behavior modification process. Describe the assumptions and goals of the cognitive therapies and their application to the

treatment of depression.

16

Discuss the findings regarding the effectiveness of the psychotherapies, and explain why ineffective therapies are often mistakenly perceived to be of value.

Describe the commonalities among the psychotherapies, and discuss the role of values and cultural differences in the psychotherapeutic process.

Identify the common forms of drug therapy. Describe the use of electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery in the treatment of

psychological disorders.

XIV. Social Psychology

Learning Objectives Describe the importance of attribution in social behavior

o Discuss the fundamental attribution error. Identify the conditions under which attitudes have a strong impact on actions.

o Explain the foot-in-the-door phenomenon. o Discuss Festinger’s research and cognitive dissonance theory.o Discuss and evaluate Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment

Discuss the results of experiments on conformity, and distinguish between normative and informational social influence.

o Describe Solomon Asch’s research on conformity. Describe Milgram’s controversial experiments on obedience and discuss their implications for

understanding our susceptibility to social influence. Describe conditions in which the presence of others is likely to result in social facilitation, social

loafing, or deindividuation. Discuss how group interaction can facilitate group polarization and groupthink. Describe self-fulfilling prophecies. Describe the social, emotional, and cognitive factors that contribute to the persistence of cultural,

ethnic, and gender prejudice and discrimination. Explain ingroup bias and the scapegoat theory. Describe the impact of biological factors, aversive events, and learning experiences on

aggressive behavior. Discuss the effects of observing filmed violence and pornography on social attitudes and

relationships. Explain how social traps and mirror-image perceptions fuel social conflict. Describe the influence of proximity, physical attractiveness, and similarity on interpersonal

attraction.o Describe the mere exposure effect.

Describe and explain the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility. Explain altruistic behavior in terms of social exchange theory and social norms. Define the concept of superordinate goals.

17

Class Schedule/Rules/DirectivesStudents must be on time for class.

Students should refrain from talking when the teacher or another student is speaking.

Students must have a binder for notes, returned quizzes/tests, and other handouts.

Students must come prepared for class by bringing their textbook (when appropriate), binder, and Chromebook.

Students should read text and other reading assignments prior to coming to class.

Students should download Lecture Outlines and bring them to class in their binders or Chromebook

Students should take notes.

If absent, students are responsible for getting missed notes and assignments from the course website and/or from a classmate.

All evaluations (quizzes, tests, essays, and homework) are scheduled so that students know well in advance when they will be given or when they will be due.  As such, students who may miss classes because of trips, retreats, or other pre-scheduled events are responsible to take these evaluations when they are given/due or on the day that they return. If a student misses a quiz, test, or essay because of an absence on the day of such an evaluation, then he must take a make-up within two days of returning to class.

18