Infant Reflexes

Infant Reflexes
Your text does not cover some of these important infant reflexes, so I want to make sure you've had a chance to see them. All of them are present in newborns and aid the survival of otherwise vulnerable infants.

Rooting Reflex



Sucking Reflex (this video will actually demonstrate both sucking and rooting reflexes)


Grasping Reflex


Moro Reflex (This is sometimes described as an infant's startle response. Can be brought on by any unexpected stimulus. Although this is nicely illustrated in the video below, I like this one better, because it's cute.)


Babinski Reflex (Ignore the weird, melodramatic tone in this video)

Psych Club Ornament Directions

For today's Psych Club meeting, you'll have a chance to make a holiday ornament featuring your favorite psychologist.

Follow the directions found here, and just swap in a picture of your selected psychologist for the holiday paper.

Who wouldn't want Freud glaring at them from the tree?

States of Consciousness Links

Video #1: Hypnosis



After you respond to the questions on your handout, enter your ideas on this Google Form and see how they compare to those of your classmates.

Video #2: Psychoactive Drugs and Addiction

Synesthesia

Need a refresher on what synesthesia is? Check out this video:

Survey: Schedule Option for 2018-19

If you would be willing to do so, please provide Mrs. Welle with some feedback regarding the proposed scheduling change described, using this form.

Absolute Thresholds

Today in class we'll be exploring thresholds.

Use this link to view a quick interactive about absolute thresholds.

Brain Food Contest

I tend to believe that the best models of the brain are edible ones. So, our next Psych Club (Friday, Nov 3) meeting will feature a celebration of delicious neuroanatomy through a "Brain Food" contest. 

Current AP Psych students who participate will earn 3 points extra credit (computed in test category), as this will help them review important structures in the brain/nervous system.

The Rules:

• Entries must be edible representations of the brain or portions of the nervous system (e.g. neuron, synapse, brain stem, etc).
• Component parts must be accurately labeled.
• Entries will be judged during LUNCH A, so they must be delivered to room 136 no later than 12:15. You have to set up/complete registration for your entry during lunch (or have a friend do so), so please don't just leave your creation in my room in the morning an assume it will get set out.
• Winners will be announced and snacking will commence during our regular meeting time (Lunch B)!

Even if you do not wish to enter, you are welcome to join us for the meeting and eating. There is always plenty of food to go around.

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, check out the AP Psychology Facebook page for pictures of some of last year's entries and winners.

Survey

Today in class we'll be taking a look at gender differences in attitudes toward dating. At some point you will be invited to participate in a survey on this topic.

If you would like to participate, here is the link!

Neurotransmitters

In class on Monday (A-Day) and Tuesday (B-Day) we'll be exploring the functions of several different neurotransmitters. In addition to the informational chart you can find on pg. 82 of your textbook, you might find the following links helpful:

• Here's a great overview of what neurotransmitters are, as well as the functions of particular types (including relationships to diseases and drugs that alter their activity).
• This chart of drugs and their effects can be helpful, particularly if you scroll to the bottom for the table that is sorted by neurotransmitter type.
• Here's a more simplified neurotransmitter list.

Memory Demo

When prompted by your instructor, please complete this form.

Eye Witness Testimony: How Reliable Is It?

For today's activities, you'll be completing this worksheet and viewing the two video clips below. Your teacher (either myself or the sub) will lead you in a discussion about what you learned.

NOTE:
To become familiar with the research on human memory, we will be viewing, in two parts, a video that shows how basic memory concepts apply to eye-witness testimony. The video we are about to watch details the way in which memory impacted the outcome of a criminal investigation of a rape. While it is not graphic, and you are only provided enough details about the crime itself to understand its relation to cognitive science, this can be an emotionally evocative topic for some. If you would prefer to instead use your Chromebook and headphones to the alternate video posted below (a TED Talk by the same cognitive psychologist profiled in the video shown in class). That talk still mentions crimes, including rape cases, but is more academic and less personal.

Clip #1


Clip #2



Alternate Video Option:

Winner, Winner!

What can I say? The people love Freud. Today's vote on t-shirt designs gave Mr. Freud a clear victory over his competition.

If you'd like to be the proud owner of this year's Freud-friendly Psych Club t-shirt, sign up in rm 136 and pay your $12 to Mrs. Welle by September 26.

(Note: if paying by check, please make the check to Chippewa Falls Senior HS)

Psych Club Meeting & T-Shirt Voting

Today Psych Club will be kicking off the 2017-18 School Year at our opening meeting during Lunch B! We've got some important agenda items to take care of, but I'm posting this information here for the benefit of those who cannot make it (due to competing clubs or Living Leadership duties).

Agenda:

• Sign-In (so I can get an updated roster for this year) :)
• Voting on T-Shirts! See form below. 
• Sign up for Remind texts for Psych Club meetings.
• Optional: Register for "The Changing Landscape of Drug Abuse: A Community Forum" on Sept 21 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire (7:00 PM).
• Door Prizes

See Agenda document for information about future meeting times.

Note: You need to be signed in to your .chipfalls.org account to view and vote!

Practice: Correlation Coefficients and Scatterplots

Today in class we'll also be practicing interpreting scatterplots.

Use this link to Guess the Correlation

Psych Club Meeting: Tuesday, Sept 12!

Now that our schedules have solidified a bit, it's time to get Psych Club back together!

Our kick-off meeting will be held during Lunch B on Tuesday, September 12 in rm 136.

We've got a number of potential projects/activities to discuss for the year, including:

• Voting on T-Shirt designs (see below)
• Participation in community forum on "The Changing Landscape of Drug Abuse" on Sept 21 at Sacred Heart Hospital in EC
• Participation in the South View Bear Crawl (fundraiser for barrier-free playground)

Also, there will be CANDY. 

And DOOR PRIZES!!!!!

T-shirt Designs (so far...send me others if you have them!)

Survey

In class on Thursday (A-Day) or Friday (B-Day) we will begin to explore the various research methods used in modern psychological science, including surveys.

When prompted by your instructor, please take a moment to complete the survey below. Your responses will remain anonymous and participation is voluntary.

NOTE: Because responses are limited to CFHS students, you must be signed in to your .chipfalls.org Google account to access the form. If you are having trouble accessing the form, try using this link.

Worried about Keeping up in AP? Join Team ASAP!

Feeling behind after only two days back at school? Wondering how you'll keep up with your AP coursework? Not sure you really know how to study, even though all your teachers keep telling you to do more of it?

Join Team ASAP and learn how to thrive in your challenging AP courses!

Team ASAP is a new club for AP Students of all types. We will be meeting on Thursdays during Lunch B in rm 136. Your input will help determine club activities and agendas, but tentative plans include:

• Learning about organizational strategies to help stay on track
• Combating procrastination using tips from cognitive science
• Learning about and practicing effective study strategies
• Hearing from successful former AP Students
• Stress management techniques

Hey, maybe we'll even get T-shirts?!

Our first meeting will be Thursday, September 7th. We'll be sharing strategies for staying organized, so bring your course syllabi and your planner (or whatever organizational strategy you use). For those new to time management strategies, we'll take some time to plug in test and project deadlines so you can practice.

Strive for 5's Have Arrived!

If you ordered your own (personal) copy of the  Strive for a 5 workbook during textbook pick-up, it has now arrived at school! Just in time, too, as I was beginning to worry about the status of our order. 

I'll be happy to help you get your workbook tomorrow before school, during lunch, or after school. (Note: My apologies, but because our classes are shortened and we'll be very busy with planned group activities, I won't be able to write receipts and such during class time tomorrow.) 

When picking up your purchased copy, please kindly keep the following in mind:

• If you were issued a rental (school) copy of the Strive for a 5 workbook, please bring it with you so we can swap it out. That way I can remove the item from your list of issued class materials and you won't end up having to locate it again at the end of the year. That would be no fun.
• If you have not yet paid for the copy you ordered, please bring payment with you. Cash or checks (made payable to Chippewa Falls Senior HS) are accepted, and the cost is $30.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Mrs. Welle - AP Psychology Teacher

So I Picked Up My Textbook...Now What?

By picking up your textbook and materials during Registration Week, you’ve already taken the first steps toward experiencing a year of success in AP Psych. Congratulations! Let’s keep it rolling over the next few weeks and into the school year. We will have a TON of fun learning about psychology this year, and you can ensure that you will get the most enjoyment out of this class by staying on track with your reading and studies (since it’s no fun to feel behind and overwhelmed).

By completing the following tasks, you can help ease yourself into the workload for this course and start the year strong:

1. Decide if you would like to purchase your own copy of Strive for a 5 (i.e., one that you could write in) for $30. If you want me to order it for you, please contact me no later than Friday, August 18th. Alternatively, you could purchase your own through Amazon.
2. If you haven't already, be sure to obtain a 3-ring binder in which to store your course materials. Bring this to class with you on Sept. 1, and every day thereafter!
3. Read through the Course Syllabus. Make a note of any questions you have so that you can ask them during the first few days of class. You will notice when you get into Canvas that one of the required activities in the “Getting Started in AP Psych” Module is a “quiz” on the important information your syllabus, so go ahead and take that when you are ready. You won’t be able to complete other quizzes/reading until that module is done.
4. Begin reading Units I & II in your text, using the Strive for a 5 book to guide your study. Take notes in any way you feel comfortable, since you can use them while taking your reading quizzes in Canvas. Once you’ve completed the “Getting Started in AP Psych” module in Canvas, you may begin taking the reading quizzes for this first unit. You may complete as many of the Reading Quizzes as you would like, based on your comfort level. None of them are due on Day 1, but as your Pacing Guide reflects, deadlines will start appearing soon after. So, you can buy yourself some precious time by getting a bit done now.

UPDATE: After speaking with the Tech Dept., I've learned that the Canvas course should be able to launch sometime Monday, August 21st! We had hoped for an earlier date, but given all the roster/schedule changes happening during registration this week, it will be easier for them to accurately load my rosters at that time. Once that happens, you should be able to get in and begin work on the activities mentioned above.

Textbook Pick-Up for 2017-18 AP Psych Students

Yesterday I dropped in the mail 101 postcards destined for the homes of next year's AP Psychology students! In case yours went missing, here is the gist of the message it contained:

I know you are probably in the midst of enjoying a beautiful summer, and the fall may be (understandably) far from your mind, but the beginning of AP Psychology is just around the corner!

AP Psychology students do not have a “summer assignment” like some other AP courses, but we do have early textbook pick-up in August. At that time, you’ll get your AP Psych textbook, course materials, and directions for your first reading assignment. You also get to meet me in person, and start talking about the great adventure that is AP Psych!

This year, I was able to schedule textbook pick-up dates and times concurrently with registration week at the high school. I’m hoping this will be convenient for students and their families, since you’ll probably be making a trip to the high school that week anyway. I’ll be meeting students and handing out textbooks in rm 136 (my classroom) during the following times:

Monday, August 14; 9 AM - 5 PM

Tuesday, August 15; 9 AM - 5 PM

Wednesday, August 16; 11 AM - 5 PM

Thursday, August 17; 9 AM - 4 PM

If, for whatever reason, you will not be available to come in during those times, please feel free to contact me via email to arrange some other time to meet.

Have a great summer, and see you soon!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Welle

Congrats to the AP Psych Class of 2017!

My work- and vacation-related travels this summer meant that I had limited access to wifi during the week when students' AP Exam results were released. I was able to log in and check scores briefly... long enough to know that you guys rocked it...but not long enough to compose a summary and congratulatory post. So, here it is: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

This year's class holds two distinct honors that are very difficult to attain simultaneously:

1. At 116 total examinees, this was the largest group of students taking the AP Psych exam in CFHS history. What a wonderful thing that so many students are learning about psychology and challenging themselves to pursue college-level work!
2. More impressive, this group attained the highest average score for which I have records, a 4.303! I began teaching this course in 2005-06, and have examinee records as far back as 2002-03, so that's saying something. 

These results are the product of a tremendous amount of hard work on your part, students. We all know this class was far from easy at points, and you likely sacrificed some sleep and had to forgo more immediately gratifying activities in order to study throughout the year (especially in April). You should be proud of your scores, not just because of the college credit they will earn you, but because of the hard-earned mastery and psychology knowledge that they represent. 

Overall, our group of test-takers compared quite favorably to national averages, as the chart below suggests.

This chart from the Instructional Planning Report illustrates the percentage of CFHS students and the global sample scoring at various ranges on the national exam. CFHS AP Psych students (represented by the blue bars) substantially outperformed the global sample (represented by the green bars). 

It is important to know, students, that EVERY score on this chart reflects hard work, even if your personal score fell short of the goals you had set for yourself. You grew as a student and you gained psychology knowledge and skills that will help you navigate future challenges, even if the final number was lower than you had hoped. I am proud of each and every one of you. 

APA Summit on High School Psychology

I was lucky to have spent early July in Utah traveling to and participating in the APA Summit on High School Psychology. While I'm happy to be home again, the experience was invigorating and I'm excited to continue the work that was begun at Weber State University in Ogden, UT.

Participants at APA Summit on High School Psychology

The mission of the Summit was to "create the best future for high school psychology education" by addressing eight core issues that were central to moving psychology forward. I had the opportunity to collaborate most intensively with the working group on "Flourishing" (skills that promote well-being, metacognition, and transfer). We drafted deliverables (documents that can be disseminated to relevant audiences) and recommendations that the APA can now review and, hopefully, implement.

Strand 2: Flourishing

As I adjust back to the lower altitude and higher humidity in Wisconsin, I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing folks: other teachers of high school psychology, college-level faculty, and APA staff. My return means it's time to start focusing on preparing for my own school year, but I will also be working on a long "to-do" list in conjunction with Summit goals.

Appropriately, my husband and I chose to make the travel to the Summit part of our own vacation, so I spent the week prior hiking in the many National Parks in southern Utah. The theme of the Summit was "Psychology Climbing." I think that just might capture the theme of my entire summer, too.

Psychology Climbing (literally); Mrs. Welle at Observation Point in Zion National Park

Score Distributions for the 2017 AP Psych Exam

Today, Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement program for the College Board, tweeted out preliminary aggregate data about performance on the AP Psych exam. Before we take a look at the trends, it's important to note two things:

1. These data reflect performance of ALL AP Psych test-takers globally. They are NOT the score distributions of Chi-Hi students, which are often quite different.
2. The score distributions tell you NOTHING about your own individual score. You will be able to view your own scores on July 6th (assuming you are in Wisconsin on that date). So, until then, patience is required. 

That being said, here we go:

Overall, these score distributions are pretty similar to previous years.

Let's hope these students are from Chippewa Falls!
But even more, I hope we're ALL successful. I'd take widespread success over perfection for a few any day.

I'll be able to find out if this trend also held true for Chi-Hi students when Instructional Planning Reports come out later in July. Same goes for the challenging topics identified below.

Looks like Sachio and his saxophone proved to be difficult for many students nationwide. I'm hoping he was not as troublesome for you. 

Now we wait for our own scores. :) Having read student responses from both Q1 and Q2 at the AP Reading earlier this month, I saw a wide variety of levels of student performance. The experience always makes me optimistic. Given what I saw you were capable of on your practice exams, I know there's a good chance you'll be satisfied with your scores come July. You certainly all had the capacity to do well, so I imagine your scores will reflect that.

Activities for Today

Most students will be spending their class time today working on developing Parts II and III of their final projects. If you are one of those lucky individuals who are already finished, here's an option for how to make good use of your time.

1.) Read this article on the therapeutic value of coloring. Then...
2.) Test it out! I have a ton of coloring pages to choose from.
3.) At the close of the hour I'll have you respond to some reflection questions to help you attend to your emotional state.

Final Paper Editing

Today in class we'll be doing some exercises to make sure your final paper (due at 4:00 PM today) is in tip-top shape before you submit it. Here are some resources you will be using:

• You will go through this Checklist of Final Editing Tasks (with your team, if applicable). 
• If transitions appear to be a sticky spot in your paper, you may wish to consult this handout with ideas and examples of transition words/phrases.

I'll also remind you how to submit the link to the final version in Canvas. Even though you have already shared with me an in-progress version, I'll need you to submit the link in Canvas so I can use the rubric there to assess the final product!

Senior Psychology Students Recognized

On Thursday, May 25th, two senior AP Psychology students at Chi-Hi received Academic Achievement in Psychology Awards from TOPSS and the APA. Amelia Schlick and Morgan Belshause were both recognized for their outstanding academic performance this year in AP Psychology.

Congratulations!

Amelia Schlick and Morgan Belshause at Senior Recognition Assembly
Photo credit: Dan Loomis

Walking in a Straight Line While Blindfolded is No Easy Task

On Wednesday, we took to the outdoors to test out the curious phenomenon of trying to navigate while blindfolded. Much like the research predicted, very few students followed a straight path once they left our predetermined starting point.

Students worked in partners so the blindfolded "subject" was monitored by a spotter (to prevent people from walking into traffic or trees). The goal was to get across the field to a gate directly on the other side. As the video below shows, this proved to be difficult. Most students quickly began to drift from the straight line they believed they were walking, and few got anywhere near the target area.



Apparently, this phenomenon has been puzzling researchers for some time, but it does explain why people so easily get lost in the woods (when all the visual cues appear the same) or in fog. For more on how this has been studied in the past see the video below.

End-of-Course Survey

Greetings, AP Psych students!

As we approach the end of the year, I'd like you to take a moment to complete this End-of-Course Survey for me. Your responses to this survey will remain completely anonymous, and I use them (along with performance data on the AP Exam and unit tests) to make decisions about course activities and instructional strategies.

You will need to be logged in to your .chipfalls.org account in order to submit responses.

Thanks for your help!

Instructor Evaluation Link

Happy Friday!

Today we'll continue work on our Final Projects, but before you begin I hope you'll take a few minutes to complete this Instructor Evaluation to provide me with feedback about my performance this year.

Responses are completely anonymous and will not be reviewed until after course grades have been determined. I do take your feedback seriously and use it to determine what I need to continue (and what I need to change) in the years ahead. So, sincerity is appreciated!

Thanks,

Mrs. Welle

Getting Started on Your Paper

Now that you have had some practice with citing sources in APA style and locating scholarly articles, it's time to get started on that paper!

Here are some things to help you with the process:

1. APA Paper Template - Make a copy of this and use it as the basis for your paper
2. Form for Submitting in-progress link

Links for Today

Today in class we'll be looking at some more examples of scholarly articles and practicing citing them in APA style.

As a warm-up, you are invited to participate in this survey, which is related to one of the articles we will be discussing. Participation, is (of course) voluntary, and your responses will remain anonymous.

Here is the link to the PRACTICE ON APA STYLE activity.

Preparing for Online AP Score Access

You took the AP Psych Exam yesterday. Hooray! You spent a LOT of time preparing for that test this year, so you're going to want to find out how you did as soon as possible! Unfortunately for you, AP Scores aren't available until July, so you'll have to practice some patience.

Also, scores are ONLY available online (you won't get a printed score report mailed to you), so you'll need to have a College Board Account in order to access them. Here are the steps you'll need to take to access your scores:

Students need to:

• Fill in AP answer sheets carefully and consistently during AP testing. Especially important are name, date of birth, sex, mailing address, and email address.
• Sign up for a College Board account at apscore.org. Students must have an account to access their scores. Some students may already have an account. Confirm this by signing in.
• Remember your College Board username and password and your 2017 AP number (or student ID number if they provided it on their AP answer sheet).
• Look for an email at the email address you put on your AP answer sheet reminding you how and when to access your scores.

Exam Day Details for CFHS AP Psych Students

This Monday, you'll be taking the AP Psych Exam. I know you're ready to rock that test, so here's what Chippewa Falls AP Psych students need to know:

• The exam begins at 12:00 at the old Notre Dame Middle School. (See Map below) Arrive a few minutes early, if possible, to locate your testing room, as there will be more than one testing room for this exam. 
• You will be automatically excused from 4th - 7th hours (release @ 11:10 AM) for testing. If you wish to use the morning hours to prepare at home, your parents will need to call you in to excuse you from hours 1-3.
• Since there will be little time between the end of your 3rd hour class and the exam start, consider packing a LIGHT lunch to eat on the way/before the exam begins. However, you can't bring food into the exam rooms. You may pack a snack in your backpack to eat during the break, though. 
• NOTE: If you are also taking the AP Chem exam in the morning you will DEFINITELY want to pack a lunch to eat quickly between exams. You will NOT have time to leave the test site to get food.
• You need to provide your own transportation to the test site. Arrange carpools ahead of time, if necessary. Don't wait until the last minute!
• Be sure to practice a solid pre-test regimen: get plenty of sleep the night before, eat healthful meals, and of course, review your course materials!
• In case you lost them, these directions were provided by Ms. Ebner during pre-registration.

BRING:

1. A couple of #2 pencils (for the MC part). Maybe your lucky pencil?
2. A couple of pens (blue or black) for the FRQs. Be sure to have a couple in case one runs out of ink!
3. A photo id (government issued or school id)
4. I recommend bringing a NICE eraser. You don't want to smear up your scantron form with a crappy, dry, ineffective one if you wish to change answers.
5. A watch (that does not beep!), in case you are seated in a place where the clock is not easy to see. NO smartwatches, or any type of watch that can communicate externally.
6. A sweatshirt? It's ideal to dress in layers so you can adjust if you're too hot/cold.

DO NOT BRING:

1. Cellular phones, beepers, MP3 players, or personal data assistants (PDAs)
2. Books, correction fluid, dictionaries, highlighters, or notes
3. Scratch paper (notes can be made on portions of the exam booklets)
4. Calculators
5. Watches that beep or have an alarm
6. Portable listening or recording devices (even with headphones) or photographic equipment
7. Clothing with psych-related information on it (e.g. sorry, even Psych Club shirts are a no-no)
8. Food or drinks

HOW TO GET THERE:

The former Notre Dame Middle School is located at 3 South High Street, Chippewa Falls, WI. (See map below). Enter through the doors that say "Goldsmith Coffee Bar" and go up a half flight of stairs. Look for signs to direct you to your testing room. You will need to bring a picture ID.

Good luck, everyone! You can do it!

Tips and Tricks for Preparing for Your AP Psych Exam

There are SO many things you can do to help you review for your AP Psych Exam, and it can be hard to know where to start. Never fear! Here are some links and general tips, including some important "Do's" and "Don'ts" to help you out.

What NOT to Do:
The following strategies have been shown by researchers to be ineffective (people using them don't do much better than people who hadn't studied at all), so DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THEM.

• Re-reading your textbook. Skimming over previously read passages of your text is a terrible way to study, in part because 1.) it is time-consuming, 2.) you don't actually retain any more info after doing this, and 3.) (even worse) it fosters the "illusion of mastery,"  which leads to WORSE performance. For example, you may think you "know" something just because you think to yourself, "oh, sure, that seems familiar," when actually you aren't able to answer questions about it correctly. Of course, this tip assumes you read the textbook the first time. Also, note that there is nothing wrong with looking up a specific topic that you don't understand in order to get a question clarified or answered. Just avoid passive re-reading of whole chapters (or the whole book).
• Highlighting stuff in your notes. While it sure makes stuff look pretty, there is little processing going on when you highlight terms or ideas in your notes. Since memory is the product of thinking about something, you're better off doing something that forces you to think about the material.

What works?

• Distributed Practice. You may remember this being called "the spacing effect" in your textbook. Spacing out study of your material, rather than planning one giant cram session, leads to better memory. In fact spacing is most powerful once a little "forgetting" has set in. So, study a topic until you feel you've "got it," then come back to it in a day or two and quiz yourself. This strategy can also be a time-saver, since less overall time is needed to achieve the same result as cramming. However, it takes more planning, which is the hard part.
• Retrieval Practice or Self-Testing. There is NO BETTER way to prepare yourself for a test than to practice pulling information from memory. There are LOTS of online tools to help you do this, and I've included some of them below.
• Use what you've learned this year about memory! If you are continuously stumbling over the same term, researcher name, or list of things you need to recall, use encoding strategies to help you! Mnemonics, acronyms, chunking, and DEEP PROCESSING/ELABORATIVE REHEARSAL (thinking about connections between course concepts and what you already know.

So...where do I start?

1. Take a practice test. This will help you identify areas of strength and weakness and provide you with feedback about how "far" you have to go yet to achieve mastery. If you haven't already taken advantage of a weekend practice exam, here are some options to get you started:
• There are online full-length practice tests available for free.
• Don't have time for a full-length one? This one gives you 25 new questions each time.
• Others will provide you with some free content, but charge for full-length versions.
• The College Board also has publicly released two previously given tests, and you could print these for your own practice: the 1999 Released Exam and the 1994 Released Exam. Granted, these are pretty old, but they still aren't bad for practice purposes.
2. Narrow your focus and make a plan. If you found out that you rock at Abnormal Psychology, but are not exactly comfortable with Developmental Psych, use that to plan your study sessions! 
• Write in "Study Time" on your calendar, and the topic you plan to work on each day.
• Plan to review your weakest areas more than once. You may need to go back and watch a video about a topic that is particularly confusing before testing yourself on it again. Some more tricky topics are explained here, too. 
• Brush up on the vocab for a topic by using Quizlet flashcards.
• Then, try out some practice multiple choice questions on a topic that has been troublesome. 
3. In the last couple of days before the test, plan time for "polishing." 
• Review Famous Psychologists to help practice many different areas of the course. Can you identify how these people are similar to each other? Different? 
• Use the "combine sets" feature on Quizlet to study multiple topic areas at once.
• Study with a friend: take turns quizzing each other on major course topics (using flashcards or term lists).

Want a helpful list of the NEED-TO-KNOW terms for the AP Psych Exam? This list won't probably get you a 5, but it will make sure you've got the absolute basics down.

Slides from Psych Disorders and Treatment Unit

Although it goes against my better judgment to provide students with copies of slides from class (see this post for the research on this topic), given the high number of students that either have missed substantial numbers of class days already this unit and who plan to yet next week, I'm posting the three slide shows used in conjunction with this unit's material.

HUGE NOTE OF CAUTION: As you will plainly see if you do explore these resources, there are a LOT of slides and information we did not use in class. This is because I alter and shift what I use every year and retain unused slides in case I need them in the future. So, PLEASE do not send me panicked emails trying to alert me that there is stuff that we "missed," especially in the Psych Disorders slides. My canned response will be: "I know. That was on purpose."

Psych Disorders Notes


Biomedical Treatments


Psychotherapies

Brain Facts Link

Greetings, Psych Club members!

To access the shared Brain Facts document, click here. Be sure to highlight the facts you have "used" so we don't have a bunch of repeats!

Thanks for your help!

Stress and Health

Today in class we'll use a couple of inventories to help you understand the role that stress plays in your health and well-being.

First, you'll be asked to complete this inventory: The Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale. Keep in mind, participation is voluntary, and you won't be asked to share your score.

Later in the hour, time permitting, we may complete this Type A/Type B Inventory.

Lie Detection: Can You Spot the Liar?

Today in class we'll be exploring the practice of lie detection, and learning about psychologists' attempts to improve the process.

If we have enough time following the demonstration, you can test out your own ability to discern truthtellers from liars in this interactive from the NY Times.

Emotion Detection

How well can you read others' emotions? This exercise from the NY Times tests your ability to determine emotion based on facial expression (particularly, views of the eyes).

You might choose to incorporate such physical details (e.g., facial expressions) into your Emotion Theory Poster, depending on which emotion you choose.

1st Semester Final Study Tools

[Note: these are also posted in Canvas for you, along with a 16-item practice quiz that you can take multiple times.]

Here some resources to help you dominate your 1st Semester final:

• First, you want to know what you are up against. You will get a copy of this in class. It describes what the final will look like, and has some basic tips for study.
• As the above handout suggests, you'll want to systematically review each unit/chapter. Here's a handy list of terms/concepts from first semester (which should help speed creation of concept maps or outlines). I will also make copies of this available in class. 
• You will also receive a copy of the Who Am I? Exercise for reviewing famous people. HERE are the ANSWERS so you can check your work.
• If you want to review the Which One Doesn't Belong Exercise that we completed in class on 1/13, HERE are the ANSWERS to that.
• Want to test out your mastery of Semester 1 content AND impress your friends? I've got a competitive review game up and running in Quizizz. It has 50 questions and will be available until Jan 19.
  See if you can get your name to the top of the leaderboard! To play:
  1. Open https://join.quizizz.com (Links to an external site.) in your browser
  2. Enter the 6-digit game code 628156 , and click "Proceed"
  3. Now enter your name and click "Join Game!"
  4. You will get an avatar, and then see a "Start Game" button. Click it to begin!
• Check out the Study Resources page for lots of general review resources. Including this Learnerator site for AP Psychology with practice multiple choice items (some require paid access, but many you can try for free). 

Since we weren't able to run the scheduled study session on Monday evening, I've posted the slide below (and in Canvas). In addition to some review prompts, there are several interactive practice question sets (in Quizizz) for you to try out.



I've also created a Quizlet flashcard set that combines all of the flashcards from 1st Semester this year. It's a whopper, but if you want to brush up on your vocabulary there is no better tool. Use the settings to shuffle & randomize terms (or better yet, complete the "Learn" mode) for a recall challenge.

Also, many students find reviewing the important "names" in psychology to be a helpful study approach. Below, I've embedded the Famous Psychologists quizlet. Please note that it contains the big names from the WHOLE year, so there are folks in here you may not be familiar with. But many will be familiar, so study away!

Updated Finals Schedule

Well, good morning, folks! I hope you're safe at home and were able to sneak in a little extra shut-eye.

I'm assuming more details will follow, but here was the message we got from administration about how the ice/snow day will impact the finals schedule:

Here is the new schedule for finals, and the red indicates how AP Psych students will look. 

If I receive new information from administration regarding schedules, I'll update it here as soon as I can, but as of right now this is my best guess on timing.

Wednesday - Resource, Period 1, Period 2, Period 3

• 1st Hour AP Psych will begin at 9:05 (as previously discussed, this is a bit early to allow for test completion).
• 2nd Hour will begin at 11:15 (per the normal finals schedule) and will conclude when the test is finished (shortening lunch by, hopefully, only 10 minutes or so).
• 3rd Hour will begin at 1:45 (per the normal finals schedule) and will conclude when the test is finished (hopefully around 3:30 or so).

Thursday- Resource, Period 4, Period 5 

• 5th Hour will start at its scheduled time (per the school's schedule, which I *think* will be 11:15). We will conclude when the test is finished, which may be slightly after the 12:45 scheduled dismissal. Probably 1 PM, is my guess.

Monday - Resource, Period 6, Period 7, Early Bird

• 6th Hour will begin at 9:05 (earlier than the scheduled start at 9:35), and conclude on time.
• 7th hour will begin at the scheduled start time (per the school schedule: 11:15 AM) and conclude when the test is finished, which will probably be 1 PM (shortening lunch by a small amount). There is NO need for Early Bird students to arrive early, since you'll still have time for lunch prior to EB finals.

2nd Semester will begin on Tuesday.

When more details about start/end times become available, I'll send those along as well. It looks like most of my classes should have no trouble proceeding with our agreed-upon plans for how to structure the needed finals time. 6th and 7th hours will look a little different, but I'll message those classes specifically with details once I know for sure.

Happy bonus studying day!

Resources for your Development Unit Test

Your last test of 2nd quarter is just around the corner, so you'll want to review carefully to finish the semester strong! The resources posted here should help with your review, as should the MC study guide you received last week.

• Quizlet flashcards will help you review vocabulary.
• Review your Unit Learning Objectives. If you are not ready to do each of these things, you're not ready for your test!
• If you finish the MC Study Guide and need additional practice, try these questions:
• Developmental Psych
• Child Development
• Sex and Gender Development
• For additional explanation, you might wish to view these Crash Course videos (note: these move pretty quickly and should be supplemented with retrieval practice for best outcomes).
• The Growth of Knowledge (Cognitive Development)
• Monkeys and Morality (Social and Moral Development)
• Adolescence 
• Study Session Resources: (I will post more as I finish building them...perhaps finalizing the slides after Wednesday's study session)
• Practice FRQ + Commonly Confused Term Pairs
• Slide Prompts for Review
• I will also be posting some Socrative questions for general review the night of the study session.

Gender-Typing in Toy Catalogs

Today in class we may have time for an activity that involves examining toy catalogs for messages about gender. Because a lot of my toy catalog stash was sacrificed to our pre-break Piaget activity, it might be helpful to view an online one.

Click here to examine the 2016 Christmas toy catalog from Shopko.

As you do so, consider:

• How might Social Learning Theory explain how the images in these ads impact gender-typing in children?
• How would Gender Schema Theory explain how these images impact gender-typing?