12th GRADE PSYCHOLOGY UNIT GUIDE
MR. BRENNAN

Domain 1: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY DOMAIN

Chapter 1: What is Psychology

Content: During this unit, students will be introduced to the diverse and changing field of psychology.  Students will gain a clearer understanding of the six contemporary psychological perspectives to build a framework for discussing the concepts and theories presented throughout the course.  Students will be introduced to basic methods psychologists use to answer questions about behavior and mental processes, how to think critically about sources of data, what constitutes good research and be provided tools necessary to understand how statistics are derived and valid.

Domain 2: BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN

Chapter 2: Biology and Psychology

Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception

Chapter 4: Consciousness 

Content: During this unit, it will be emphasized to students the importance of understanding the underlying biological processes that shape behavior.  Students will be exposed to the internal workings of the brain and how our bodies adapt to external conditions, building a basis for the teaching of later units such as development and abnormal behavior. Students will also be introduced to research into ways the brain processes stimuli, sleep, body rhythms, psychoactive drugs and the connection between the different biological and psychological forces that affect everyday life.   

Domain 3: COGNITION DOMAIN

Chapter 6: Memory: Remembrance of Things Past-and Future

Chapter 7: Thinking, Language and Intelligence

Content: During this unit, students will be introduced to theories on thinking and learning processes as well as explore how we remember and how we can improve our memory.  Students will be exposed to the important role of cognition in their lives, address how our behavior changes in response to environmental forces, explore states of awareness, sleep and other altered states of consciousness.  Students will also explore the nature of cognition, the role of language, the decision-making process and definitions of intelligence.

Domain 4: DEVELOPMENTAL AND LEARNING DOMAIN

Chapter 9: The Voyage Through the Lifespan

Chapter 5: Learning

Content: During this unit, students will be introduced to the methods, issues and theories on lifespan development, including prenatal development, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Students will also understand theories of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational and cognitive learning, including theories and developmental stages of language acquisition and the connection between language and the brain.

Domain 5: SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT DOMAIN

Chapter 14: Social Psychology

Content: During this unit, students will explore how we are influenced by cultural and societal factors— and how those factors, in turn, are influenced by us. People are subject to the power of the situation almost every day in ways that students often are not aware of. Having knowledge of these influences can help students overcome some of the negative effects these factors can have. Students will focus on how individuals are influenced by circumstances and how circumstances are influenced by individuals. Concepts such as conformity, obedience, and groupthink are highlighted, giving students an idea of how much their behavior is influenced by the situation. Students will also explore the interactions of nature and nurture on behavior. While behavior is significantly influenced by genetic dispositions, the nurturing environment interacts with those dispositions to produce a wide range of behaviors and thoughts. Lastly, students will understand the important influences of culture and gender on behavior. By studying content from this domain, students can appreciate sociocultural diversity and how that diversity can enrich their lives.

Domain 6: INDIVIDUAL VARIATION DOMAIN

Chapter 8: Motivation and Emotion

Chapter 10: Personality: Theory and Measurement 

Chapter 12: Psychological Disorders

Content: During this unit, students will understand the underlying biological processes that shape behavior. This unit reveals the internal workings of the brain and how our bodies adapt to external conditions, including a focus on how our brains interpret environmental sensations. Recent research into the underlying mechanisms of consciousness shows just how interconnected the biological and cognitive processes are.  Students will learn how sleep, body rhythms, psychoactive drugs, and other states of consciousness can affect their normal waking life. Emphasizing these issues will help students understand the critical connection between the many biological and psychological forces that affect their everyday behavior.

Domain 7: APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE DOMAIN

Chapter 13: Methods of Therapy

Chapter 11: Stress, Health, and Coping

Content: During this unit, students will gain an understanding of specific psychological concepts in the area of psychological disorders, treatment of psychological disorders and social and cultural dimensions of behavior.  This includes exploring the symptoms and possible causes of abnormal behavior patterns, various methods of treatment for psychological disorders and how we understand the social world and our interactions with others.