AP Psychology

CED topics 1.1 Interaction of Inherited Traits, Environment, and Evolution, 1.2 Overview of the Nervous System. Covers nature vs nurture, behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and the structure of the nervous system (CNS, PNS, subdivisions).

CED topics 1.3 Neural Firing and Psychoactive Substances, 1.4 The Brain. Covers action potentials, neurotransmitters, synapses, psychoactive drugs (depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens), brain structures (lobes, limbic system, brainstem), and brain imaging techniques.

CED topics 1.5 Sleep, 1.6 Sensation. Covers sleep stages (NREM, REM), circadian rhythms, sleep disorders, theories of sleep, sensation vs perception, thresholds, signal detection, and sensory adaptation.

CED topics 2.1 Perception, 2.2 Thinking, Problem Solving, Judgments, and Decision-Making. Covers Gestalt principles, depth perception, perceptual illusions, heuristics, biases, problem-solving strategies, and decision-making.

CED topics 2.3 Introduction to Memory, 2.4 Encoding Memories. Covers the information processing model, sensory memory, short-term/working memory, long-term memory, and encoding processes (automatic vs effortful, levels of processing).

CED topics 2.5 Storing Memories, 2.6 Retrieving Memories. Covers types of long-term memory (explicit/implicit, episodic/semantic, procedural), storage capacity, retrieval cues, recall vs recognition, and the constructive nature of memory.

CED topics 2.7 Forgetting and Other Memory Challenges, 2.8 Intelligence and Achievement. Covers Ebbinghaus curve, interference theory, amnesia, Alzheimer's, intelligence theories (Spearman, Gardner, Sternberg), IQ testing, and achievement tests.

CED topics 3.1 Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology, 3.2 Physical Development Across the Lifespan. Covers research methods in developmental psychology, longitudinal vs cross-sectional studies, and physical development from prenatal through aging.

CED topics 3.3 Gender and Sexual Orientation, 3.4 Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan. Covers gender identity, sexual orientation, Piaget's stages, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, and cognitive changes in adulthood.

CED topics 3.5 Communication and Language Development, 3.6 Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan. Covers language acquisition (Chomsky, Skinner), language stages, Erikson's psychosocial stages, attachment theory, and temperament.

CED topics 3.7 Classical Conditioning, 3.8 Operant Conditioning. Covers Pavlov, UCS/UCR/CS/CR, generalization, extinction; Skinner, reinforcement (positive/negative), punishment, schedules of reinforcement, and shaping.

CED topic 3.9 Social, Cognitive, and Neurological Factors in Learning. Covers Bandura's social learning theory, observational learning, mirror neurons, insight learning, and latent learning.

CED topics 4.1 Attribution Theory and Person Perception, 4.2 Attitude Formation and Change. Covers fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias, stereotypes, prejudice, cognitive dissonance, and persuasion (central/peripheral routes).

CED topic 4.3 The Psychology of Social Situations. Covers conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), group dynamics (groupthink, social loafing, deindividuation), bystander effect, and the halo effect.

CED topics 4.4 Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories of Personality, 4.5 Social Cognitive and Trait Theories of Personality. Covers Freud (id/ego/superego, defense mechanisms), Maslow (self-actualization), Rogers, Bandura (reciprocal determinism), and the Big Five trait model.

CED topics 4.6 Motivation, 4.7 Emotion. Covers theories of motivation (instinct, drive, arousal, Maslow's hierarchy), hunger, achievement motivation; theories of emotion (James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer), and the biology of emotion.

CED topics 5.1 Introduction to Health and Positive Psychology, 5.2 Diagnosing and Explaining Psychological Disorders. Covers health psychology, stress (general adaptation syndrome), coping, positive psychology, the DSM-5, and approaches to explaining disorders (biological, psychological, sociocultural).

CED topic 5.3 Neurodevelopmental and Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders. Covers ADHD, autism spectrum, intellectual disability, specific learning disorders; and schizophrenia (positive/negative symptoms, dopamine hypothesis).

CED topics 5.4 Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders, 5.5 Obsessive-Compulsive and Trauma- and Stress-Related Disorders. Covers bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, phobias, panic disorder, GAD, OCD, PTSD, and acute stress disorder.

CED topic 5.6 Dissociative Disorders. Covers dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalization/derealization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder, including controversies and explanations.

CED topics 5.7 Eating Disorders, 5.8 Personality Disorders. Covers anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder; and the three clusters of personality disorders (odd/eccentric, dramatic/erratic, anxious/fearful).

CED topics 5.9 Historical Developments in Psychological Treatment, 5.10 Modern Treatment Options and Methods. Covers the history of treatment (asylums, deinstitutionalization), psychotherapy approaches (psychodynamic, humanistic, CBT, DBT), and biomedical therapies (medication, ECT, TMS).