A woman goes to her mother’s funeral. While she is in the front pew, a man walks by the casket to pay his respects and upon seeing each other the man and the woman fall madly in love with one another. One week later, the woman kills her sister. Why?

Welcome to AP Psychology

Are you a student with: –Excellent test taking skills? –Strong writing skills? –Excellent listening skills? –Good reading skills? –A serious interest in learning? –Excellent attendance? –Good behavior? –An open mind towards new, sometimes even controversial, issues regarding human behavior? –An ability to discuss abstract theories? –A serious interest in a branch of psychology as a possible career choice?

If you answered “Yes” to all of the above questions, then you may be a good candidate for taking AP Psychology.

Excellent test taking skills? –The entire purpose of this course is to prepare students for the AP Psychology Exam in May of this school year. Period. In preparation for that exam, there are 14 unit exams, 3 cumulative exams, multiple announced and unannounced quizzes, and multiple practice AP exams that figure into each student’s grade each marking period. If you are not a good test taker, this class is not for you.

Strong writing skills? –1/3 of the AP Psychology Exam score is made up of two required free- response questions. In preparation for that portion of the exam, student will be writing multiple responses to multiple practice prompts throughout the year, in addition to writing several short papers dealing with psychological issues. If you do not like to write, or do not have strong writing skills, this class may not be for you.

Excellent listening skills? –90% of this course is taught via lecture. That means that I talk a lot! If you do not prefer lecture as the primary way of learning information, this class is not for you.

Good reading skills? –Students will be issued a textbook. You will be required to read each chapter as we progress through the units. –Pop quizzes will be frequent, and test questions will come from the textbook, though they may not be directly referenced in lecture. –It will be important for students to be able to analyze and disseminate the questions of the AP Exam in order to do as well as possible. If your reading skills are weak, or you do not enjoy reading, this class is not for you.

A serious interest in learning? –The course content of this class is equivalent to the course content of a typical college Introductory to Psychology class. –Thus, students taking this course should be college-bound and ready to begin assuming the responsibilities of a college undergrad. Intense studying will be required to pass each marking period and ultimately to pass the AP Exam. If you are looking for a class to boost your GPA, a class to simply fill your Social Studies requirement, or a class to simply hang out with your friends, this class is most definitely not for you.

Excellent attendance? –Students are expected to be in class, on time, and on a regular basis. Senioritis is no excuse for frequent absenteeism. –We will be covering one unit every two weeks, so the pace is quick and the notes are plentiful. –I will not be printing your notes for you, nor will I hound you to hand in missed assignments or to make up exams. –The responsibility is solely yours to maintain excellent attendance and to complete all of the required work on time. If you frequently miss classes, or regularly miss assignments, this class is not for you.

Good behavior? –If you plan on using class time to talk to your friends, listen to your headphones, text message your significant other, program new tunes in your phone, sleep, or otherwise disrupt class, this class is most definitely not for you.

An open mind towards new, sometimes even controversial, issues regarding human behavior? –There is almost a limitless list of possibilities when it comes to explaining human behavior. Many of the topics that we will discuss are steadfast and proven facts, and some are still in the research stage. – If you are closed-minded and unwilling to accept and discuss modern science, theory, and hypothesis, as odd or as different from what you may have previously thought, then this class is not for you.

An ability to discuss abstract theories? –Class discussion is an important key to learning the course content. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions, to ponder deep theories, and to discuss a wide variety of challenging topics. –If you do not like to participate in class discussions, this class is not for you.

Approaches and History of Psychology

…stats too! Methods of Research and Ethics

The Biological Basis of Behavior

Sensation

PERCEPTION!

STATES of Consciousness

Learning

Memory

INTELLIGENCE

Motivation!

EMOTION

Personality

Lifespan Development

Abnormal Psychology Psychological disorders

Psychological Therapies

Social Psychology

On the first page of your notebook, Define “Psychology” IN YOUR OWN WORDS