AP Psychology

AP Psychology Syllabus

Instructor-Mrs. Julie Faulk

About the  AP Psychology Course 

The AP Psychology course introduces students to systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. While considering the studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts, and phenomena associated with major units of study, including biological bases of behavior, cognition, development, learning, social psychology, personality, and mental and physical health. Throughout the course, students apply psychological concepts and employ psychological research methods and data interpretation to evaluate claims, consider evidence, and effectively communicate ideas. 

Please Note

The course will shift from nine units to five, following the APA’s recommendation to focus content on the “five pillars” of introductory psychology: biological bases of behavior, cognition, development and learning, social psychology and mental and physical health. Additionally, the College Board has narrowed and specified key terms for the course to provide more clarity and highlight the most important concepts. 

Units of Instruction                                                            Exam Weighting
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior                                       15-25%

Unit 2: Cognition                                                                       15-25%

Unit 3: Development and Learning                                        15-25%

Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality                            15–25% 

Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health                                        15–25%

Science Practice Practice 

1: Concept Application Practice        65%

2: Research Methods and Design     25%

3: Data Interpretation                        10%

Highlights of the Revised AP Psychology Exam

The exam will have fewer multiple-choice questions, and multiple-choice questions will have 4 answer choices instead of 5.

The exam will include 2 new free-response questions (FRQs) that more authentically assess a diverse set of skills.

The exam will be administered digitally.

Updated Multiple-Choice Section

The updated multiple-choice section (Section I of the exam) features 75 questions (reduced from 100).

 Additionally, all multiple-choice questions (MCQs) now have 4 answer choices (reduced from 5). 

The revised exam gives students 90 minutes to complete Section I–adding 40 minutes to the previous time limits. This extra time allows students to engage with more robust questions that assess content application, research methods and design, and data interpretation and feature more graphs, charts, tables, and figures.

Multiple-choice questions assess the first three science practices: Concept Application, Research Methods and Design, and Data Interpretation. 

Science Practice 4: Argumentation is not assessed in Section I. This practice is only assessed in Section II, along with the other three practices.

New Free-Response Questions

Two new free-response questions debut with the 2025 AP Psychology Exam, both featuring research studies from the field that more authentically assess a diverse set of skills. 

Article Analysis Question (AAQ)

The Article Analysis Question (AAQ) is the first of two FRQs in Section II. It presents students with one summarized, peer-reviewed source.

Students will identify research design elements (methodology, variables, and ethical guidelines) and interpret basic statistics used in the source. 

Students will explain how well the findings can be generalized and how the article supports or refutes the psychological concept being explored in the study. 

Students will have 25 minutes, including 10 minutes of reading time, to complete this task.

Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)

The Evidence-Based Question (EBQ) is the second of two FRQs in Section II. It presents students with three summarized, peer-reviewed studies on a common topic. 

*Students will make a claim about the topic and use evidence from the sources to support their claim. 

*Students will also explain why the evidence supports the claim and apply related content from AP Psychology to help justify their response. 

*Students will have 45 minutes, including 15 minutes of reading time, to complete this task.

Digital Format

AP Psychology will be delivered digitally in May 2025. Paper exams cannot be ordered unless students have approved accommodations requiring paper testing.

Highlights of the Revised AP Psychology Exam

• The exam will have fewer multiple-choice questions, and multiple-choice questions will have 4 answer choices instead of 5.

• The exam will include 2 new free-response questions (FRQs) that more authentically assess a diverse set of skills.

• The exam will be administered digitally.

Updated Multiple-Choice Section

The updated multiple-choice section (Section I of the exam) features 75 questions (reduced from 100). Additionally, all multiple-choice questions (MCQs) now have 4 answer choices (reduced from 5). 

The revised exam gives students 90 minutes to complete Section I–adding 40 minutes to the previous time limits. This extra time allows students to engage with more robust questions that assess content application, research methods and design, and data interpretation and feature more graphs, charts, tables, and figures.

Multiple-choice questions assess the first three science practices: Concept Application, Research Methods and Design, and Data Interpretation. 

Science Practice 4: Argumentation is not assessed in Section I. This practice is only assessed in Section II, along with the other three practices.

New Free-Response Questions

Two new free-response questions debut with the 2025 AP Psychology Exam, both featuring research studies from the field that more authentically assess a diverse set of skills. 

Article Analysis Question (AAQ)

The Article Analysis Question (AAQ) is the first of two FRQs in Section II. It presents students with one summarized, peer-reviewed source.

• Students will identify research design elements (methodology, variables, and ethical guidelines) and interpret basic statistics used in the source. 

• Students will explain how well the findings can be generalized and how the article supports or refutes the psychological concept being explored in the study. 

• Students will have 25 minutes, including 10 minutes of reading time, to complete this task.

Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)

The Evidence-Based Question (EBQ) is the second of two FRQs in Section II. It presents students with three summarized, peer-reviewed studies on a common topic. 

• Students will make a claim about the topic and use evidence from the sources to support their claim. 

• Students will also explain why the evidence supports the claim and apply related content from AP Psychology to help justify their response. 

• Students will have 45 minutes, including 15 minutes of reading time, to complete this task.

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Practice for each of the 5 Units
    Using AP Classroom-Unit 1-5 Progress Checks MCQ, FRQs, AAQ

Practice 1
FRQ-
Professor Menendez conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of a new medication for treating the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

a. Explain the concept of compulsion in the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

b.    Explain why each of the following would be used in this experiment to help establish cause and effect. 

     • Random assignment        • Placebo condition

c. Professor Menendez presented the research at an international conference. After the presentation, audience members met in small groups to discuss the research. 

Explain how each of the following may affect the attendees’ discussion of the research 

• Groupthink
• Display Rules
• Belief Perseverance
• Cocktail party effect 

Activities  
  Here are a few examples of  practice activities we will be doing in this class.
*Students demonstrate their understanding of the human brain by completing the worksheet and making a model of the brain using clay and label each part that is required.  

Lastly, students will take a quiz before we move on to the human brain as they label each part and tell the function of each part as well.

*Students will make a neuron from clay to demonstrate how neurons communicate with each other in sending messages.  This will incorporate the specific terms that we will cover in class regarding the part of a neuron and charges.

A quiz and later a major assessment on the structure of the neuron and how it communicates with the body will be given.

*Science Practice 2: Research Methods & Design
Students will design a Naturalistic Observational Research  experiment using the Scientific Method.

*Identifying the specific question or hypothesis that is going to be tested.

An example of this would be observing a child in a classroom, home, and community setting to determine if certain behaviors only occur in certain settings.

1. Define a Question to Investigate. As scientists conduct their research, they make observations and collect data. ...

      2. Make Predictions. Based on their research and observations, scientists will often
          come up with a hypothesis. ...

     3. Gather Data. ...

     4. Analyze the Data. ...

       5, Draw Conclusions.

*Science Practice 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
Students will debate Nature versus Nurture and relate their stance to studies we have covered in class, case studies, specific vocabulary, and APA standards.  (Examples- Genie Case Study, Milgram Experiment, Harlow Monkeys…)

*Students will make headstones of the historic figures in psychology.  This will include the specific individual’s achievement(s) in the field of psychology. (Examples-William James, Carl Rogers, Mary Cover Jones…)

Practice 3: Data Interpretation

Asking students -
  *What is the best format for presenting different types of data?
  * What features of a graph or table would give you the information you need to 
      identify the concept it is depicting?

Have students look at graphs of response behavior for the different schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning without labeling which graph represents which reinforcement schedule. Have students identify which schedule is being used in which graph based on the data depicted in the graph. As an extension to this activity, have students narrate or write a verbal description of a scenario or context that represents the response behavior pattern depicted by their graph. Ensure that they’re able to explain why the graph changes shape at different points.

Practice 4: Argumentation

How can you tell if evidence is scientifically derived?

Students will be presented with a summary of a peer-reviewed research article.
(40 Studies that Changed Psychology by Roger Hock.)

Students complete the following: 

1- Identify the research method used. 

2- Describe The main findings from the research and what evidence was used to support those findings. 

3- Explain how the findings support or refute what they learned about the topic of the article in class.

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Assessments
Traditional assessments include unit tests and daily assignments. Other assessments consist of psychology simulations, experiments, and online activities, such as assessments on AP Classroom.

NOTE-
AP Courses in S.S -

20 points off a day - on the 5th day and beyond it is a zero

 
Grading Percentages :

60% -Major Assessments (tests & major projects)
40%-Minor Assessments (daily work & quizzes)

 Grading Scale:
A: 90-100           B: 80-89              C: 70-79              D: 60-69              F: 0-59 

 ATTENDANCE:  See Student Handbook for all the detailed information.  

It is the STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY to make work up based on the absence status.  Work not completed within 5 days upon return will be issued a zero (excused absence).

 TARDY POLICY:  Review school handbook

 CLASSROOM POLICIES, RULES, and EXPECTATIONS:

*Be in your seat when the bell rings.

*No throwing objects in the room(water bottle into trash, pens/pencils to another student...)

*No standing on top of a desk and/or chairs for any reason.

*Students will show respect to the teacher and other students in the class.

*Students will follow directions the first time given.

*Students will participate in class (No sleeping, no heads on desk...)

*No personal grooming, eating, or drinking (beside water in correct bottle-handbook) in the room

*No ear-phones/buds while in class be used unless Mrs. Faulk gives permission.

*No cell phones out of backpacks, coats, pockets... unless instructed by teacher 

    (Example-researching and/or listening to music while defining terms in notebook permitted by the teacher)

*Enforcement of All school wide rules apply (review the RHS Student Handbook)

DISCIPLINE POLICY: See Student Handbook

*Failure to follow the above rules of conduct may result in: 

     Teacher Detention, Parental Notification, and/or Referral to Administration  (school rules)