Psychology

Identify characteristics that differentiate the field of psychology from other related social sciences.

Trace the historical development of the contemporary perspectives in psychology, including biological, behavioral, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, and psychodynamic.

Explore subfields and career opportunities available in the science of psychology.

Define and differentiate the concepts of theory and principle.

Identify and describe the basic methods of social scientific reasoning.

Apply the standards of the American Psychological Association (APA) for ethical decision making regarding the collection, storage, and use of psychological data.

Define and interpret measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) and dispersion (range and standard deviation).

Describe the anatomy of the central and peripheral nervous systems and the endocrine system.

Explain the effects of the endocrine and nervous systems on development and behavior.

Explain the capabilities and limitations of sensory systems and individual perceptions.

Understand the interaction of the individual and the environment in determining sensation and perception.

Critique the various perspectives presented in the nature versus nurture debate.

Trace the influence of physical development on the individual.

Discuss the role of the caregiver on individual development.

Explain factors involved in cognitive development according to Jean Piaget.

Describe Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development.

Evaluate the predicted outcomes of given courses of actions in particular situations based on an understanding of the development of morality.

Evaluate the presented theories of human development and specify the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of operant and classical conditioning and of social learning.

Describe the processes of learning using typical classroom situations.

Compare predominant theories of motivation and emotion.

Explore the interaction of biological and cultural factors in emotion and motivation.

Differentiate the various types of intelligence.

Describe statistical concepts used in testing.

Differentiate among aptitude, achievement, and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests.

Define personality.

Compare and evaluate various theories of personality, including psychodynamic, trait, humanistic, and sociocultural.

Describe personality assessment tools.

Define and identify the basic elements of thought.

Identify strategies and obstacles associated with problem solving and decision making.

Explore the structural features of language.

Discuss theories of language acquisition and development.

Evaluate the limitations and capabilities of the information processing model.

Understand the states and levels of consciousness.

Explain stress and the individual's physiological, behavioral, and psychological responses to stressors.

Evaluate cognitive and behavioral strategies for dealing with stress.

Analyze the challenges inherent in defining abnormal behavior and acknowledge the sociocultural stigma of labeling behavior as abnormal.

Recognize the biological, social, and cognitive origins of abnormal behavior.

Discuss major categories of abnormal behaviors and identify their respective characteristics as classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

Evaluate the effectiveness of past and present methods of therapy.

Describe how attributions affect explanations of behavior.

Explore the nature and effects of bias and discrimination.

Describe circumstances in which conformity and obedience are likely to occur.

Describe the effects of the presence of others on individual behavior.

Discuss the nature of altruism.

Discuss the factors influencing attraction.

Identify sources of attitude formation and assess methods used to influence attitudes.

Create a product on a contemporary psychology-related issue or topic using critical methods of inquiry.

Draw and evaluate conclusions from qualitative information.

Apply evaluation rules to quantitative information.

Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions.

Use psychology-related terminology correctly.

Use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.

Transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and written or visual to statistical, using computer software as appropriate.

Create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.

Use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.

Use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information, identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.

Participate in conflict resolution using persuasion, compromise, debate, and negotiation.

Illustrate the relationship and sequence between intermediate goals and terminal goals.

Monitor and evaluate self-directed inquiry or projects for timelines, accuracy, and goal attainment.

Analyze examples of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to changes in available technology.

Evaluate the impact of changes in technology on personal growth and development.