Course Description
& Units of Study
Course Description: AP Psychology
AP Psychology is a fascinating class that will give you the opportunity to understand why humans think, feel, and behave as we do. In this rigorous, college-level course you will explore human behavior and mental processes, important scientists, and psychological studies, theories, concepts, and research methods.
AP Psychology is a year-long course. A passing grade each semester can satisfy a Social Studies elective or general elective graduation requirement.
In AP Psychology You Will:
Study the major core concepts and theories of psychology.
Be able to define key terms related to psychology and apply them to everyday situations.
Learn the basic skills of psychological research and be able to apply psychological concepts to your own life.
Develop critical thinking skills.
Prepare to pass the national AP Psychology Exam on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
Every student enrolled in AP Psychology at BHS is expected to take the exam. The exam is two hours long and consists of 100 multiple choice questions and two free response essay questions. There is a fee of approximately $90 to take the exam (financial assistance is available for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch). Students who pass the exam can earn college credit. Exam registration will take place in October and due dates for the fees, as well as fee waiver qualifications, will be announced later in the year.
Please note that in the course of studying Psychology, we will examine case studies that deal with mature content and sensitive topics such as abuse, neglect, trauma, depression, suicide, etc. Should students or their parents be uncomfortable with such material, they have the choice of dropping the course during the first 10 days of the semester without penalty to the student’s GPA.
Units of Study: AP Psychology
Unit 1:
Scientific Foundations of Psychology
Unit 2: Biological Bases
of Behavior
Unit 3: Sensation and Perception
Unit 4:
Learning
Unit 5: Cognitive Psychology
Unit 6: Developmental Psychology
Unit 7: Motivation, Emotion, and Personality
Unit 8:
Clinical Psychology
Unit 9:
Social Psychology
Unit 10:
AP Exam Review
Unit 11:
Post-Exam CBA and Projects