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About the Course
Have you ever wondered why you act a certain way around different people? Or how your family and society influence your behaviors? In AP Psychology, you’ll learn the foundational concepts that detail how and why people think and behave the way they do.
Skills You'll Learn
Connecting psychological concepts and theories to real-life scenarios
Understanding and interpreting data
Analyzing research studies in psychology
Equivalency and Prerequisites
College Course Equivalent
A one-semester, introductory college course in psychology
Recommended Prerequisites
None
Exam Date
About the Units
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Course Content
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
You’ll study behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective and explore the effects of the interaction between human biology and our environment.
Topics may include:
- The interaction of inherited traits, environment, and evolution in shaping behavior
- Structures and functions of nervous systems
- Neural firing and the influence of psychoactive substances
- The study of the brain, including its structures and functions
- Sleep
- Sensation
On The Exam
15%–25% of exam score
Unit 2: Cognition
You’ll examine the complex nature of how memory, intelligence, and other mental processes impact human behavior.
Topics may include:
- Perception
- Biases and errors in thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving strategies
- The cognitive and physiological processes that make up memory
- Forgetting and typical memory errors
- Defining and measuring intelligence and achievement
On The Exam
15%–25% of exam score
Unit 3: Development and Learning
You’ll study how physical and social changes over humans’ lifespans can influence behavior and mental processes from a variety of perspectives and how learning works.
Topics may include:
- Research methods used in developmental psychology
- Physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development across the lifespan
- Gender and sexual orientation
On The Exam
15%–25% of exam score
Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality
You’ll study how the social experience influences behavior of individuals and groups and how personality is studied and develops.
Topics may include:
- Attribution theory and person perception
- Attitude formation and change
- The psychology of social situations
- Psychodynamic, humanistic, social cognitive, and trait theories of personality
- Motivation
- Emotion
On The Exam
15%–25% of exam score
Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health
You’ll learn how psychologists promote mental and physical health and evaluate, study, and treat a range of psychological disorders.
Topics may include:
- An introduction to health and positive psychology
- Standards for diagnosing and approaches to explaining psychological disorders
- Neurodevelopmental and schizophrenic spectrum disorders
- Bipolar, depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Dissociative and trauma- and stress-related disorders
- Eating disorders and personality disorders
- Historical developments in psychological treatment
- Modern treatment options and methods
On The Exam
15%–25% of exam score
Credit and Placement
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Course Resources
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AP Psychology can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors