AP Psychology

The AP Psychology course offers students a comprehensive introduction to the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Students delve into foundational studies that have shaped psychology, applying key theories, concepts, and phenomena across major topics, such as the biological bases of behavior, cognition, development, learning, social psychology, personality, and mental and physical health. Throughout the course, students engage in applying psychological principles, utilizing research methods, interpreting data, evaluating claims, analyzing evidence, and effectively communicating ideas.

College Course Equivalent

AP Psychology is comparable to an introductory college-level psychology course.

Prerequisites

AP Psychology has no prerequisites. Students should be prepared to read college-level textbooks and communicate their ideas clearly in writing.

Course Content

The AP Psychology framework aligns with the content and skills emphasized in college-level courses and recommended by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Introductory Psychology Initiative. Organized into five units, this framework reflects the APA’s recommended content structure. It incorporates essential skills throughout the course, preparing students for success in advanced psychology courses. The framework’s primary focus is to provide students with a solid foundation in introductory psychology content and skills.

This table summarizes the major topics covered in each unit and the percentage of the exam score each unit represents:

Here’s a structured table summarizing each unit in the AP Psychology course:

Unit	Description	Topics Covered	Exam Weight
Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior	Explore behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective, focusing on how human biology and environment interact.	– Interaction of inherited traits, environment, and evolution in shaping behavior – Structures and functions of nervous systems – Neural firing and psychoactive substances – Brain structures and functions – Sleep – Sensation	15%–25% of exam score
Unit 2: Cognition	Examine how memory, intelligence, and other mental processes impact human behavior.	– Perception – Biases and errors in thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving – Cognitive and physiological processes of memory – Forgetting and memory errors – Defining and measuring intelligence and achievement	15%–25% of exam score
Unit 3: Development and Learning	Study the influence of physical and social changes over the human lifespan on behavior and mental processes, as well as the mechanisms of learning.	– Developmental psychology research methods – Physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development across the lifespan – Gender and sexual orientation	15%–25% of exam score
Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality	Investigate how social experiences shape individual and group behaviors and explore the development and study of personality.	– Attribution theory and person perception – Attitude formation and change – Social psychology – Psychodynamic, humanistic, social cognitive, and trait theories of personality – Motivation – Emotion	15%–25% of exam score
Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health	Understand how psychologists support mental and physical health and study and treat psychological disorders.	– Health and positive psychology – Diagnostic standards and psychological disorder explanations – Neurodevelopmental and schizophrenic spectrum disorders – Bipolar, depressive, anxiety, and OCD – Trauma- and stress-related disorders – Eating and personality disorders – Psychological treatment history – Modern treatment options	15%–25% of exam score

AP Psychology Science Practices

The science practices and skills in AP Psychology outline the abilities students should develop as they explore course concepts. The following table lists these practices and the specific skills students are expected to cultivate throughout the AP Psychology course. These skills serve as the foundation for tasks on the AP Psychology Exam.

In the unit guides above, these practices are embedded and revisited to help teachers integrate them into the course content with enough repetition to ensure students can apply these skills effectively on the AP Psychology Exam.

Here is the table summarizing the AP Psychology Science Practices:

Practice	Description	Skills Developed
Practice 1: Concept Application	Apply psychological perspectives, theories, concepts, and research findings.	– Apply psychological theories and findings to scenarios. – Explain the application of psychological perspectives, theories, and concepts to various contexts. – Compare and contrast perspectives or theories in explaining behavior and mental processes. – Draw logical and objective conclusions about behavior and mental processes. – Explain how cultural norms, expectations, and cognitive biases (e.g., confirmation bias, hindsight bias) apply to behavior and mental processes. – Consider implications of misapplying psychological concepts or theories.
Practice 2: Research Methods and Design	Evaluate qualitative and quantitative research methods and study designs.	– Identify research design types (experimental, non-experimental) and determine their appropriateness. – State hypotheses and assess if they are falsifiable. – Identify operational definitions and evaluate their suitability for replication. – Identify variables (independent, dependent, confounding) in research scenarios. – Assess sampling methods (random, convenience) for representativeness and potential biases. – Identify and evaluate the use of control/placebo, single-blind, and double-blind procedures. – Evaluate ethical practices, including informed consent, confidentiality, and debriefing in psychological studies. – Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
Practice 3: Data Interpretation	Evaluate representations of psychological concepts in quantitative and qualitative research, including tables, graphs, charts, figures, and diagrams.	– Identify psychology-related variables and concepts in data representations. – Calculate and interpret measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and variation. – Interpret elements of the normal curve, including skewness and bimodal distributions. – Explain data trends and relationships between variables. – Interpret inferential data such as effect sizes and statistical significance in research results. – Interpret regression toward the mean in repeated measurements.
Practice 4: Argumentation	Develop and justify psychological arguments using evidence.	– Propose defensible claims based on psychological evidence. – Use scientifically derived evidence to support, refute, or modify claims, policies, or norms. – Explain nuances of claims or policies using psychological evidence. – Evaluate the effectiveness of claims, policies, or norms by grounding arguments in research findings. – Describe the impact of representation and sampling biases on research conclusions. – Explain how scientific processes, like peer review and replication, influence research validity.

This table organizes the core practices students are expected to develop throughout the AP Psychology course, each forming the foundation for tasks on the AP Psychology Exam.

AP Psychology Exam Overview

The AP Psychology Exam evaluates students’ mastery of the skills and objectives outlined in the course framework. The exam duration is 2 hours and 40 minutes, consisting of 75 multiple-choice questions and 2 free-response questions, both equally weighted. Details on exam structure, including question types, number, weighting, and timing, are provided below:

Section	Question Type	Number of Questions	Exam Weighting	Timing
I	Multiple-Choice Questions	75	66.7%	90 minutes
II	Free-Response Questions	2	33.3%	70 minutes
	Question 1: Article Analysis	1	16.65%
	Question 2: Evidence-Based	1	16.65%

Each section emphasizes key competencies required for success in AP Psychology.

How Student Learning is Assessed on the AP Psychology Exam

Section 1: Multiple-Choice

The multiple-choice section includes a mix of set-based and standalone questions, covering all five course units with the following exam weightings:

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%

Three of the four AP Psychology Science Practices are evaluated in this section with approximate weightings as follows:

Science Practice	Approximate Exam Weighting
Practice 1: Concept Application	65%
Practice 2: Research Methods and Design	25%
Practice 3: Data Interpretation	10%

Section II: Free-Response

The free-response section assesses all four AP Psychology Practices and includes tasks that involve engaging with peer-reviewed research summaries.

• Article Analysis Question (AAQ): This question provides a summarized peer-reviewed source. Students identify research elements (such as methodology, variables, and ethical considerations), interpret basic statistics, evaluate generalizability, and discuss how the article supports or refutes a psychological concept. This question allows 25 minutes, including a 10-minute reading period, and assesses Practices 2, 3, and 4.
• Evidence-Based Question (EBQ): Students receive three summarized peer-reviewed sources on a common topic. They propose a claim related to the topic, use evidence from the sources and course content, and provide reasoning to support their claim. This question allows 45 minutes, including a 15-minute reading period, and assesses Practices 1 and 4.

Common Task Verbs in Free-Response Questions:

The following task verbs frequently appear in free-response questions:

• Describe: Provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic.
• Explain: Offer details on how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning to support or clarify a claim.
  • Explain “how” typically involves analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.
  • Explain “why” generally requires examining the motivations or reasons behind the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.
• Identify/State: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic without additional explanation.
• Propose: Present a claim related to a specific topic in your own words.
• Support or Refute: Provide reasoning that explains whether a claim or evidence should be accepted or rejected.
• Use evidence: Draw upon specific and relevant information from a study (such as data, rationales, conclusions, or hypotheses) related to the given topic.

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