Study Materials
AP Psychology Exam: Tuesday, May 12 at 12:00 pm (local time)
Winter and Spring Quarter Schedule (After Winter Break)
Meeting pattern: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:45 to 3:30 pm (90-minute blocks) with a 15-minute break.
Course Flow (After Winter Break)
- Unit 3 – Development and Learning
Dates: Jan 5 to Feb 11, 2026 (holiday: Jan 19, no class) - February Break
Dates: Feb 16 to Feb 20, 2026 - Unit 4 – Social Psychology and Personality
Dates: Feb 23 to Mar 26, 2026 - Unit 5 – Mental and Physical Health
Dates: Mar 30 to Apr 29, 2026 - Spring Recess
Dates: Apr 20 to Apr 24, 2026 - AP Review and Practice
Dates: May 4 and May 11, 2026 - Post-Exam Module – Research Methods Deep Dive and Transcend (selective)
Dates: May 13 to June 12, 2026
AP Psychology – Syllabus and Calendar
Instructor: Michael Ferguson, PhD
Email: mferguson@bwh.harvard.edu
Office hours: by appointment (in person or Zoom)
Schedule: Block schedule – Mon and Wed, 1:45 to 3:30 pm (15-minute break)
Primary Text: Myers Psychology for the AP Course, 3rd ed. (2018)
Course Overview
The purpose of AP Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes in humans and animals. We explore core theories, research methods, and applications across major subfields. Instruction blends mini-lectures, guided discussion, hands-on activities, and curated video segments. Ethical practice and scientific reasoning are emphasized throughout.
Learning Objectives
- Apply psychological concepts and theories to explain behavior, cognition, and emotion in real-world contexts.
- Analyze and interpret research data; distinguish correlation from causation; evaluate research designs and ethics.
- Compare and contrast major perspectives (biological, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, sociocultural, evolutionary).
- Demonstrate scientific reasoning: identify variables, operational definitions, controls, and limitations.
- Connect themes across units (e.g., biological bases with cognition; development with learning).
- Practice critical thinking: evaluate claims, recognize biases, and communicate evidence-based conclusions.
Themes and Skills
Course Themes
- Biological Bases of Behavior – Brain, nervous system, genetics.
- Cognitive Processes – Learning, memory, thinking, problem solving.
- Development and Change – Lifespan physical, social, cognitive development.
- Sociocultural Contexts – Culture, society, groups, norms.
- Variation and Health – Disorders, treatment, well-being.
- Applications – Education, work, relationships.
- Scientific Foundations – Methods, statistics, ethics.
Assessment Skills
- Concept Application – Use theories to explain behavior.
- Data Analysis – Read tables and graphs; draw inferences.
- Scientific Reasoning – Variables, design, causality.
- Connections – Link ideas across units.
- Critical Thinking – Evaluate evidence; avoid fallacies.
General Expectations
- Attendance and Engagement: Arrive on time, prepared, and ready to participate.
- Respect: Handle sensitive topics with care and professionalism.
- Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism earns a zero and may trigger disciplinary action. AI tools are not cheating when used transparently and appropriately.
- Notebooks: Handwritten classwork; bring your notebook and binder every session.
- Platforms: Track grades and assignments in Blackbaud; use AP Classroom as directed.
Grading
Categories
- Communication (10%) – Presentations, written explanations, discussion.
- Engagement Process (25%) – Homework, participation, practice, revision.
- Knowledge and Understanding (35%) – Tests, major quizzes, content assessments.
- Skills and Applications (30%) – Projects, problem solving, labs, FRQs, portfolios.
Classroom Policies
- Electronics: Phones off and away. Laptops only when directed.
- Food and Drink: None in the classroom to keep the space clean.
- Bathroom and Breaks: Use the restroom before class; we take a mid-block break.
- Cleanliness: Dispose of trash; help keep our classroom tidy.
Texts and Resources
- Primary Text: Myers Psychology for the AP Course, 3rd ed. (Worth, 2018)
- Optional: Scott Barry Kaufman, Transcend – selective readings interwoven during the year.
- Textbook PDF: Download Myers AP 3e (PDF)
- Other media: Curated YouTube segments embedded within weekly pages.
Calendar and Key Dates
Meeting pattern: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:45 to 3:30 pm (90-minute blocks) with a 15-minute break.
Course Flow (High Level)
- Unit 0 – Research Methods and Data Interpretation
Dates: Sept 15 to Oct 1, 2025 (Weeks 1 to 3) - Unit 1 – Biological Bases of Behavior
Dates: Oct 6 to Nov 12, 2025 (holiday: Oct 13, no class) - Unit 2 – Cognition
Dates: Nov 17 to Dec 17, 2025 - Winter Recess
Dates: Dec 20, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026 (students return Jan 5) - Unit 3 – Development and Learning
Dates: Jan 5 to Feb 11, 2026 (holiday: Jan 19, no class) - February Break
Dates: Feb 16 to Feb 20, 2026 - Unit 4 – Social Psychology and Personality
Dates: Feb 23 to Mar 26, 2026 - Unit 5 – Mental and Physical Health
Dates: Mar 30 to Apr 29, 2026 - Spring Recess
Dates: Apr 20 to Apr 24, 2026 - AP Review and Practice
Dates: May 4 and May 11, 2026 - Post-Exam Module – Research Methods Deep Dive and Transcend (selective)
Dates: May 13 to June 12, 2026
No School and Holidays and Breaks
- Labor Day: Monday, Sept 1, 2025
- Yom Kippur: Wed to Thu, Oct 1 to 2, 2025
- Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, Oct 13, 2025
- Veterans Day: Tuesday, Nov 11, 2025
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, Nov 27, 2025
- Winter Recess: Dec 20, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026 (return Jan 5)
- Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, Jan 19, 2026
- February Break: Monday to Friday, Feb 16 to 20, 2026
- Good Friday: Friday, Apr 3, 2026
- Spring Recess: Monday to Friday, Apr 20 to 24, 2026
AP Exam
- AP Psychology Exam: Tuesday, May 12 at 12:00 pm (local time)
Week-by-Week Table
| Week | Dates (Mon and Wed) | Topic and Unit |
|---|---|---|
| W1 | Sept 15 and 17 | Unit 0 – Scientific Attitude; Why Science; Ops and Variables |
| W2 | Sept 22 and 24 | Unit 0 – Correlation vs Causation; Descriptive Stats |
| W3 | Sept 29 and Oct 1 | Unit 0 – Inferential Stats; Ethics [Oct 1 Yom Kippur, no class] |
| W4 | Oct 6 and 8 | Unit 1 – Interactions of Heredity and Environment |
| W5 | Oct 13 and 15 | Unit 1 – Neural firing and the influences of psychoactive substances [Oct 13 Indigenous Peoples Day, no class] |
| W6 | Oct 20 and 22 | Unit 1 – Brain Structures; Sensation; Sleep |
| W7 | Oct 27 and 29 | Unit 1 – Review and Exam |
| W8 | Nov 3 and 5 | Unit 2 – Perception |
| W9 | Nov 10 and 12 | Unit 2 – Organization and Interpretation [Nov 11 Veterans Day] |
| W10 | Nov 17 and 19 | Unit 2 – Thinking and Problem Solving (A) |
| W11 | Nov 24 and 26 | Unit 2 – Thinking and Decision Making (B) [Nov 27 Thanksgiving] |
| W12 | Dec 1 and 3 | Unit 2 – Memory Intro; Encoding |
| W13 | Dec 8 and 10 | Unit 2 – Storage; Retrieval; Forgetting |
| W14 | Dec 15 and 17 | Unit 2 – Intelligence (theories, assessing, stability and influences) |
| – | Dec 20 to Jan 4 | Winter Recess (return Jan 5) |
| W15 | Jan 5 and 7 | Unit 3 – Developmental Themes; Prenatal to Childhood |
| W16 | Jan 12 and 14 | Unit 3 – Adolescence and Adulthood; Gender and Sexual Orientation |
| W17 | Jan 19 and 21 | Unit 3 – Cognitive, Language, Social-Emotional Dev. [Jan 19 MLK Day, no class] UNIT 3 MID-UNIT TEST |
| W18 | Jan 26 and 28 | Unit 3 – Learning: Classical and Operant Conditioning |
| W19 | Feb 2 and 4 | Unit 3 – Biological Limits; Observational and Cognitive Learning UNIT 3 FINAL TEST |
| – | Feb 16 to 20 | February Break |
| W20 | Feb 9 and 11 | Unit 4 – Attribution; Attitudes; Social Influence (A) |
| W21 | Feb 23 and 25 | Unit 4 – Groups, Aggression, Attraction, Altruism (B) |
| W22 | Mar 2 and 4 | Unit 4 – Personality: Psychodynamic and Humanistic UNIT 4 MID-UNIT TEST |
| W23 | Mar 9 and 11 | Unit 4 – Trait and Social-Cognitive; Self; Motivation (A) |
| W24 | Mar 16 and 18 | Unit 4 – Motivation (B); Emotion: Theories and Physiology UNIT 4 FINAL TEST |
| W25 | Mar 23 and 25 | Unit 5 – Health Psychology: Stress and Coping; Positive Psych (A) |
| W26 | Mar 30 and Apr 1 | Unit 5 – Positive Psych (B); Disorders: Classification and Overview UNIT 5 MID-UNIT TEST |
| W27 | Apr 6 and 8 | Unit 5 – Anxiety, OCD, Trauma; Depressive and Bipolar [Apr 3 Good Friday] |
| W28 | Apr 13 and 15 | Unit 5 – Schizophrenia; Dissociative, Personality, Eating, Neurodev. UNIT 5 FINAL TEST |
| – | Apr 20 to 24 | Spring Recess |
| W29 | Apr 27 and 29 | Unit 5 – Treatment: Psychodynamic and Humanistic; CBT and Group; Evaluation; Biomedical |
| W30 | May 4 and 7 | AP Review – Mixed MCQ and FRQ Drills (A) |
| W31 | May 11 and 13 | AP Review – Mixed Drills (B); AP Exam Tue May 12 at 12 pm |
| W32 | May 19 and 21 | Post-Exam – Research Methods Deep Dive; Transcend Part II |
| W33 | May 26 and 28 | Post-Exam – Appendices I and II; Afterword; TCI Character Dimensions |
| W34 | June 2 and 4 | Post-Exam – Projects and Posters; In-class Conference |
| W35 | June 9 and 11 | Post-Exam – Showcase; Reflection and Course Close |
Mind the Gap – Using the 3rd Edition with 4th Edition Updates
Why we are using the 3rd edition: The 3rd edition (Myers, 2018) remains an excellent and comprehensive text for AP Psychology. It is widely available to our students at low or no cost, and ensures every student can bring the same materials to class – digital or print. To keep instruction current, we will actively weave in targeted updates aligned with the most recent AP Psychology course expectations.
What we will supplement from newer materials
- Terminology and classification updates: Where recent standards or clinical references (e.g., DSM language updates) affect definitions or classifications, we will use current terms alongside the 3rd-edition presentation.
- Research highlights and replications: Newer replications, meta-analyses, and examples will be introduced to strengthen scientific reasoning and reduce reliance on dated anecdotes.
- Neuroscience and methods: Select advances in brain imaging, genetics, and methodology that clarify course concepts will be added to lectures, notes, and assessments.
- Data literacy and statistics: We will emphasize contemporary best practices in interpreting graphs, understanding variability, and thinking critically about causality and confounds.
- Cultural breadth: Where newer editions broaden examples and perspectives, we will incorporate those additions to reflect current best practice and AP expectations.
Parents Page – Partnering in Learning
This page is designed to help parents and guardians follow along with what students are studying in AP Psychology. When families engage with course material through conversation, encouragement, and curiosity, students learning is reinforced and their confidence grows.
Psychology is especially well-suited for these kinds of conversations. As the science of the mind and behavior, it connects directly to everyday experiences. Each of us carries a lifetime of insights about how people think, feel, and act, which means you already have what you need to engage in meaningful dialogue with your student.
Even brief exchanges – asking, What is one surprising idea you learned this week? or How might this theory apply in our family or community? – can help solidify classroom concepts and encourage students to see psychology as both relevant and accessible.
To access more parent-specific content and ideas for discussion, please visit:
Click here to go to the Parents Page
Bonus: Understand the AP Psychology Exam
At a glance (current format):
- The AP Psychology exam for 2026 is expected to be 2 hours long and will include two sections: a 1 hour and 10-minute multiple-choice section with 100 questions and a 50-minute free-response section with 2 questions.
- Free-response questions (FRQs) are the AAQ (Article Analysis Question) and the EBQ (Evidence-Based Question); know what each asks you to do.
Official references: AP Psych Exam Overview (AP Central) • AP Students: Assessment Details • AP Students: Exam Tips