Welcome to AP Psychology. This packet contains your course preparation assignments.
You will need to complete the reading and assignments before the start of school in
August. In order to ensure a successful year, we are asking you to 1) read the Prologue
and Chapter 1 in the book you have been assigned and complete the reading worksheets;
2) complete the practice test for the Prologue; 3) read Appendix A, Careers in
Psychology (at the back of the book) and complete an interview with a psychologist of
your choosing; and 4) get your course supplies.
We plan to “hit the ground running” on the first day of class. This means that we will
begin working on the first day of class. On the first or second day you will receive the
schedule of presentations (from the psychologist you interviewed). These presentations
will begin at the end of the first week of school. On the first day of class, we will make a
list of ideas for presenting the information you collected during the interview.
Although it is necessary as background for the course, the Prologue is not
fun. And Chapter 1 is mostly review from your science classes. However,
you must remember it is necessary reading and is referenced throughout
the course. It also shows up on the semester exam and the AP exam. To
keep you focused, I have provided reading worksheets which will be
collected and graded. This too will be turned in the first week of class.
I strongly recommend that you secure the following supplies for the course. This list has
been created based on feedback from previous classes. First, you should get one of the
AP Exam support books. There are several from which to choose. Go to the bookstore
and preview them to find the one you like the best. McGraw-Hill puts out 5 Steps To A
5. There is one by Barron’s and there are others also. The choice is yours. I’d also like
you to have a notebook with dividers for each of the chapters (there are 19 including the
Prologue). I will provide the cover page if you want one.
Above all I want you to get excited about taking Psychology. If you need anything, feel
free to contact me by email. Have a great summer.
Regards,
D. Maloney
[email protected]
Prologue
Reading Worksheet
Name:_________________
*if you are retrieving this from the internet you will need to stop by
guidance and pick up a book
PSYCHOLOGY’S ROOTS
Objective 1: Define Psychology
1. The author of your textbook defines psychology as the scientific study of
_______________________ and __________________________ processes.
2. In this definition, “behavior” refers to any action that we can ____________________
and “mental processes” refers to the internal __________________
___________________ we _______________ from behavior.
3. As a science, psychology is less a set of findings than a way of
________________________________________________________________________
____________.
Objective 2: Trace psychology’s prescientific roots, from early understanding of mind
and body to he beginnings of modern science.
4. In the prescientific era, scholars such as ____________________in India and
____________________ in China pondered the relationship between mind and body.
5. The Greek philosophers __________________________ and
___________________________ viewed the mind and body as
_______________________ (inseparable / separable) and assumed that knowledge is
_____________________ (learned / innate). The Greek philosopher who argued that all
knowledge comes from experience stored in memories is _________________________.
Unlike his teacher, who derived principles from ______________________, he derived
principles from careful _______________________________.
6. In the 1600’s the views of the Greek philosophers were revived by
____________________, who believed that some ideas are innate; by Englishman
_______________________, who became one of the founders of modern science; and by
______________________ who believed that knowledge originates in experience. This
idea, along with the principle that science flourishes through observation and experiment,
is called ______________________.
Objective 3: Explain how the early psychologists sought to understand the mind’s
structure and functions, and identify some of the leading psychologists who worked in
these areas.
7. The first psychological laboratory was found in 1879 by Wilhelm
__________________. His student, __________________________, introduced the
school of ___________________________, which explored the basic elements of mind
using the method of ______________________________. This method proved
_________________ (unreliable / reliable), and psychologists _____________________
introduced the school of __________________________, which focused on how mental
and behavioral processes enable the organism to adapt, survive and flourish.
8. The first female president of the American Psychological Association was
______________________. The first woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology was
___________________________________.
Objective 4: Describe the evolution of psychology as defined from the 1920’s through
today.
9. The historical roots of psychology include the fields of
_______________________________ and _______________________________.
10. Some of the early psychologists include Ivan Pavlov, who pioneered the study of
________________; the personality theorist _____________________________; and
Jean Piaget, who studied ____________________________.
11. In its earliest years, psychology was defined as the science of
_____________________ life. From the 1920’s into the 1960’s, psychology in America
was redefined as the science of _____________________ behavior. The author of your
text defines psychology as the science of _______________________ and
_________________________ processes.
12. As a response to Freudian psychology and to ____________________, which they
considered too mechanistic, pioneers __________________________ and
____________________________ forged _________________________ psychology.
This new perspective emphasized the _____________________ potential of people.
13. During the 1960’s, psychology underwent a _____________________ revolution as
it began to recapture interest in __________________________ processes. The study of
the interaction of thought processes and ____________________ function is called
______________________________________.
CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY
1. Worldwide, the number of psychologists is _____________________ (increasing /
decreasing).
Objective 5: Summarize the nature-nurture debate in psychology, and describe the
principle of natural selection.
2. The nature-nurture issue is the controversy over the relative contributions of
__________________ and _____________________.
3. The Greek philosopher who assumed that character and intelligence are inherited is
______________________. The Greek philosopher who argued that all knowledge
comes from sensory experience is ________________________________.
4. In the 1600s, the views of the Greek philosophers were revived by
___________________, who believed that most knowledge comes in through the senses,
and ____________________, who believed that some ideas are innate.
5. In 1859, naturalist _________________ explained species variation b y proposing the
process of ___________________, which works through a principle of
_________________________________.
Objective 6: Identify the three main levels of analysis in the biopsychosocial approach,
and explain why psychology’s varied perspectives are complementary.
6. Each person is a complex ________________ that is part of a larger __________________________ and at the same time composed of smaller systems. For
this reason, psychologists work from three main ________________ of
______________-- biological, ________________-________________-- which together
form an integrated __________________ approach to the study of behavior and mental
processes.
7. Psychologists who study how the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and
sensory experiences are working from the __________________ perspective.
8. Psychologists who study how natural selection influences behavior tendencies are
working from the _________________ perspective, whereas those concerned with the
relative influences of genes and environment on individual differences are working from
the _________________________________ perspective.
9. Psychologists who believe that behavior springs from unconscious drives and
conflicts are working from the __________________ perspective.
10. Psychologists who study the mechanisms by which observable responses are
acquired and changed are working from the _________________ perspective.
11. The ________________ perspective explores how our minds encode, process, store,
and retrieve information.
12. Psychologists who study how thinking and behavior vary in different situations are
working from the ____________________-_________________ perspective.
13. The different perspectives on the big issues ____________________
(contradict/complement) one another.
Objective 7: Identify some of psychology’s subfields, and explain the difference between
clinical psychology and psychiatry.
14. Psychologists may be involved in conducting ________________
________________, which builds psychology’s knowledge base, or ________________
___________________, which seeks solutions to practical problems.
15. Psychologists who help people cope with problems in living are called
_________________ psychologists. Psychologists who study, assess, and treat troubled
people are called __________________ psychologists.
16. Medical doctors who provide psychotherapy and treat physical causes of
psychological disorders are called ________________.
CLOSE UP: YOUR STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGY
Objective 8: State five effective study techniques.
1. In order to master any subject, you must ________________ process it.
2. The ______________ study method incorporates five steps: a.
______________________,
b. ____________________, c.
_______________________, d. ________________________., and
e.
____________________.
List five additional study tips identified in the text.
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
d. _______________________________________
e. _______________________________________
Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
AP Psychology
Name:__________
Chapter 1
Date: _______
*if you are retrieving this from the internet you will need to stop by
guidance and pick up a book
Objective 1: Define hindsight bias, and explain how it can make research findings seem
like mere common sense.
1. The tendency to perceive an outcome that has occurred as being obvious and
predictable is called the __________________ __________. This phenomenon is
__________ (rare/common) in _____________ (children/adults/ both children
and adults).
2. Because it is ______________ (after the fact/usually wrong), this tendency makes
research findings seem like mere common sense.
Objective 2: Describe how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments.
3. Our everyday thinking is also limited by ______________ in what we think we
know, which occurs because of our _____________ to seek information that
confirms our judgments.
4. Most people are _____________ (better/worse/equally wrong) in predicting their
social behavior.
Objective 3: Explain how the scientific attitude encourages critical thinking.
5. The scientific approach is characterized by the attitudes of _____________,
___________, and _______________.
6. Scientific inquiry thus encourages reasoning that examines assumptions, discerns
hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions, which is called
__________________ _______________.
Objective 4: Describe how psychological theories guide scientific research.
7. Psychologists use the _________ ____________ to guide their study of behavior
and mental processes. They make _______________ and form
_______________, which are _______________ based on a new
_______________.
8. An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts
behaviors or events is a _______________. Testable predictions that allow a
scientist to evaluate a theory are called ______________. These predictions give
direction to ______________.
9. In order to prevent theoretical biases from influencing scientific observations,
research must be reported precisely – using clear _____________
_____________ of all concepts – so that others can _________________ the
findings.
10. The test of a useful theory is the extent to which it effectively ________________
observations and implies clear ____________.
11. Psychologists conduct research using ______________ methods,
_______________, and ________________ methods.
Objective 5: Identify an advantage and a disadvantage of using case studies to study
behavior.
12. The research strategy in which one or more individuals is studied in depth in order
to reveal universal principles of behavior is the ________________
_________________.
13. Although case studies can suggest ______________ for further study, a potential
problem with this method is that any given individual may be ______________.
Objective 6: Identify the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys to study
behavior and mental processes, and explain the importance of wording effects and
random sampling.
14. The method in which a group of people is questioned about their attitudes or
behavior is the _______________.
15. An important factor in the validity of survey research is the ________________
of questions.
16. The tendency to overestimate others’ agreement with us is the _______________
____________ ___________.
17. Surveys try to obtain a ____________ sample, one that will be representative of
the _____________ being studied. In such a sample, every person
_____________ (does/does not) have a chance of being included.
18. Large, representative samples ______________ (are/are not) better than small
ones.
19. We are more likely to overgeneralize from select samples that are especially
_____________.
Objective 7: Identify an advantage and a disadvantage of using naturalistic observation
to study behavior.
20. The research method in which people or animals are directly observed in their
natural environments is called ______________ ______________.
21. Case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation do not explain behavior; they
simply _____________ it.
22. Using naturalistic observation, researchers have found that people are more likely
to laugh in _________ situations than in ____________ situations. Also, using
observations of walking speed and the accuracy of public clocks, researchers have
concluded that the pace of life ___________ (varies/ does not vary) from one
culture to another.
Objective 8: Describe positive and negative correlations, and explain correlational
measures can aid the process of prediction.
23. When changes in one factor are accompanied by changes in another, the two
factors are said to be _____________, and one is thus able to ___________ the
other. The mathematical expression of this relationship is called a __________
__________.
24. Graphs called _________ are often used to depict the relationship between two
sets of scores.
25. If two factors increase or decrease together, they are ____________
____________. Another way to state the latter is that the two variables relate
____________.
26. A negative correlation between two variables does not indicate the ____________
or ____________ of the relationship. Nor does correlation prove ____________;
rather, it merely indicates the possibility of a __________ - _________
relationship.
27.
If your level of test anxiety goes down as your time spent studying for the exam
goes up, would you say these events are positively or negatively correlated?
Explain your reasoning.
Objective 9: Explain why correlational research fails to provide evidence of cause-effect
relationships.
28. A correlation between two events or behaviors means only that one event can be
_____________ from the other.
29. Because two events may both be caused by some other ______________, a
correlation does not mean that one ____________ the other. For this reason,
correlation thus does not enable ______________.
Objective 10: Describe how people form illusory correlations.
30. A perceived correlation does not really exist as an ________________
______________.
31. People are more likely to notice and recall events that _____________ their
beliefs. This error in thinking helps explain many ___________ beliefs.
Objective 11: Explain the human tendency to perceive order in random sequences.
32. Another common tendency is to perceive order in ______________
____________.
33. Patterns and streaks in random sequences occur _____________ (more/less) often
than people expect, and they _____________ (do/do not) appear random.
Objective 12: Explain how experiments help researchers isolate cause and effect.
34. To isolate _____________ and ____________, researchers _____________
control for other _____________.
35. Research studies have found that breast-fed infants __________ (do/do not) grow
up with higher intelligence scores than those of infants who are bottle-fed with
cow’s milk. To study cause-effect relationships, psychologists conduct
_____________. Using this method, a researcher ___________ the factor of
interest, while _______________ ____________ other factors.
36. If a _____________ changes when an ________________ factor is varied, the
researcher knows the factor is having an _____________.
Objective 13: Explain why the double-blind procedure and random assignment build
confidence in research findings.
37. Researchers sometimes give certain participants a pseudotreatment, called a
_____________, and compare their behavior with that of participants who receive
the actual treatment. When merely thinking that one is receiving a treatment
produces results, a ______________ ____________ is said to occur.
38. When neither the subjects not the person collecting the data knows which
condition a subject is in, the researcher is making use of the _______________________ _____________.
39. An experiment must involve at least two conditions: the ______________
condition, in which the experimental treatment is present, and the ___________
condition, in which it is absent,
40. Experimenters rely on the ______________ ____________ of individuals to the
experimental conditions.
Objective 14: Explain the difference between an independent and a dependent variable.
41. The factor that is being manipulated in an experiment is called the
_____________ variable. The measurable factor that may change as a result of
these manipulations is called the _____________ variable.
42. The aim of an experiment is to ________________ a(n) variable,
_______________ the _______________ variable, and ______________ all other
______________.
43.
Explain at least one advantage of the experiment as a research method.
Objective 15: Explain the importance of statistical principles, and give an example of
their use in everyday life.
44. Researchers use _____________ to help them see and interpret their observations.
Objective 16: Explain how bar graphs can misrepresent data.
45. Once researchers have gathered their _______________, they must
_______________ them. One simple way of visually representing data is to use a
_____________ _____________. It is important to read the _____________
____________ and note the ______________ to avoid being misled by
misrepresented data.
Objective 17: Describe the three measures of central tendency, and tell which is most
affected by extreme scores.
46. The three measures of central tendency are the _______________, the
_______________, and the _______________.
47. The most frequently occurring in score in a distribution is called the
______________.
48. The mean is computed as the ____________ ___________ of all the scores
divided by the _______________ of scores.
49. The median is the score at the _____________ percentile.
50. When a distribution is lopsided, or _____________, the ______________
(mean/median/mode) can be biased by a few extreme scores.
Objective 18: Describe two measures of variation.
51. Averages derived from the scores with ____________ (high/low) variability are
more reliable than those with _____________ (high/low) variability.
52. The measures of variation include the _____________ and the _____________
______________ ____________.
53. The range is computed as the _______________ __________________________.
54. The range provides a(n) _____________ (crude/accurate) estimate of variation
because it ______________ (is/is not) influenced by extreme scores.
55. The standard deviation is a _______________ (more accurate/less accurate)
measure of variation than the range. Unlike the range, the standard deviation
______________ (takes/does not take) into consideration information from each
score in the distribution.
Chapter 19: Identify three principles of making generalizations from samples.
56. It is safer to generalize from a _____________ sample than from a
______________ sample.
57. Averages are more reliable when they are based on scores with _____________
(high/low) variability.
58. Small samples provide a ______________ (more/less) reliable basis for
generalizing than large samples.
Objective 20: Explain how psychologists decide whether differences are meaningful.
59. Tests of statistical ____________ are used to estimate whether observed
differences are real-that is, to make sure that they are not simply the result of
_______________ variation. The differences are probably real if the sample
averages are _____________ and the difference between them is
______________ (relatively small/relatively large).
60. Statistical significance does not necessarily indicate the importance or
_______________ significance of a difference or result.
Objective 21: Explain the value of simplified laboratory conditions in discovering
general principles of behavior.
61. In laboratory experiments, psychologists’ concern is not with specific behaviors
but with the underlying theoretical _____________. As an example, researchers
have found that people who flexibly cope with _____________ stresses also cope
flexibly with __________________ __________________.
62. Psychologists conduct experiments on simplified behaviors in a laboratory
environment in order to gain _____________ over the many variables present in
the “real world.” In doing so, they are able to test _______________
______________ of behavior that also operate in the real world.
Objective 22: Discuss whether psychological research can be generalized across cultures
and genders.
63. Culture refers to shared _____________, ____________, and _____________
that one generation passes on to the next.
64. Although specific attitudes and behaviors vary across cultures, the underlying
______________ are the same. For instance, throughout the world people
diagnosed with ______________ exhibit the same _________________
malfunction. Likewise, similarities between the ______________ far outweigh
differences.
Objective 23: Explain why psychologists study animals, and discuss the ethics of
experimentation with both animals and humans.
65. Many psychologists study animals because they are fascinating. More important,
they study animals because of the ________________ (similarities/differences)
between humans and other animals. Theses studies have led to treatments for
human _______________ and to a better understanding of human functioning.
66. Some people question whether experiments with animals are _____________.
They wonder whether it is right to place the _____________ of humans over
those of animals.
67. Opposition to animal experimentation also raises the question of what
_____________ should protect the well-being of animals.
68.
Describe the goals of the ethical guidelines for psychological research.
Objective 24: Describe how personal values can influence psychologists’ research and
its application, and discuss psychology’s potential to manipulate people.
69. Psychologists’ values _________________ (do/do not) influence their theories,
observations, and professional advice.
70. Although psychology ______________ (can/cannot) be used to manipulate
people, its purpose is to _______________.
71. (Thinking Critically) The viewpoint called ________________ questions
scientific objectivity, arguing that most scientific concepts are merely
______________ constructs. Psychological scientists ________________
(agree/disagree) on whether there is, in fact, a “real world” of psychological
principles that science can reveal.
72. (Thinking Critically) People who serve on juries in capital punishment cases
____________ (do/do not) represent the greater population. They are
________________ (more/less) likely to be minorities and women.
73. (Thinking Critically) States with a death penalty ______________ (have/do not
have) lower homicide rates.
Name:
AP Psychology
Interviewing a Psychologist
There is much that can be learned about the history of psychology by interviewing
someone that works in the field. As your first project for this course, you are being asked
to interview someone that is currently or has previously worked in the field of
psychology.
You may be creative or traditional in selecting the person you interview. You will
present your findings to the class in any format you choose. The following questions are
suggested and may need to be edited to fit your situation.
The due date for this assignment will be announced the first week of class. Presentations
may not be any more than 5 minutes.
Please tell me about your education. Where did you go to school? What level of
education is required for someone in your field? How / why did you become
involved in this field of study?
Please tell me what someone in your field does. What is a typical day at work
like for you?
Have there been any recent developments in your area of psychology?
What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
If you had to do it over again, would you choose psychology as your field?