TVS Initiative

AP Pyschology
(One Semester)

Course Description:
AP Psychology provides an overview of current psychological research methods and theories. Students will explore the therapies used by professional counselors and clinical psychologists and examine the reasons for normal human reactions: how people learn and think, the process of human development and human aggression, altruism, intimacy, and self-reflection. They'll study core psychological concepts, such as the brain and sense functions, and learn to gauge human reactions, gather information, and form meaningful syntheses. Along the way, students will also investigate relevant concepts like study skills and information retention. The equivalent of a 100-level college survey course, AP Psychology prepares students for the AP Exam and for further studies in psychology and life sciences.

Prerequisites: One year of Biology

Course Cost: $350 / student / semester + required materials

Required Text: Essentials of Psychology: Exploration and Application. 8th ed. Coon, Dennis. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 1999. ISBN: 0534264255. Alternate edition also acceptable: 9th ed, 2003. ISBN 0534597874.

*Note: The college-level textbook used for this course includes a chapter on human sexuality; however, only the introduction of that chapter is referenced in the course.

Course Outline
Welcome to Psychology
Child and Life-Span Development
Sensation, Perception and Consciousness
Learning, Thinking, and Feeling
Personality Development and Abnormal Psychology
Gender, Social Behavior, and the Applications of Psychology