AP Psychology Outline

Rachel Danzig
AP Psychology
Dr. Eisen
August 20, 2015

I. Psychology’s History A. Psychology’s Roots 1. Prescientific Psychology a. Socrates and his student Plato stated that the human mind is separate from the body and our knowledge is born within us b. Aristotle, Plato’s student, disagreed, concluding that knowledge can not be preexisting and we grow it from our experiences within our memories c. In the 1600s Rene Descartes believed that the mind can survive the body’s death and our brain holds animal spirits in its fluid and flow from the brain through nerves enabling reflexes d. In 1620 Francis Bacon established that humans functioned around order and patterns e. Adding to Bacon’s ideas was John

Be a smart test-taker i. Take time to read prompts, questions, and organize your points
III. Careers in Psychology A. What Psychologists in Various Professions Do and Where They Work 1. Basic Research Subfields a. Cognitive Psychologists look at biology and the correlations with memory, perception, memory, and judgment, and they can work as professors, or specialists in schools or businesses b. Developmental Psychologists study research changes due to age in regards to behavior, they can work in educational and school psychology or gerontology c. Educational Psychologists are involved in psychology pertaining to learning i. Provide ways to improve learning environments or methods ii. Could be employed by the government or employee training programs d. Experimental Psychologists work in research institutions, businesses or government facilities and study behavior in animals and humans to gain, in their subfield, scientific information for future useable data e. Psychometric and Quantitive Psychologists study data and methods to gain psychological knowledge i. A Psychometrician can create and interpret tests for personalities in school and neurocognitive tests in

Forensic Psychologists can be in a correctional setting or research organization and help in criminal investigations, and assist the legal community, but mostly are clinical psychologists b. Health Psychologists are researchers and practitioners who work with psychology and promoting health and dealing with disease i. Can identify illnesses or deal with psychological problems that follow terminal illnesses, and work in health agencies, hospitals, medical school, and universities c. Industrial Organizational Psychologists study people and their working environment and can work in businesses and the government, or could be self employed d. Neuropsychologists study neurological processes and our behavior to diagnose and evaluate disorders in hospitals or academic settings to teach others e. Rehabilitation Psychologists work with patients who have lost optimal functioning and work to gain it back in schools, universities, or federal rehabilitation centers f. School Psychologists work to ease obstacles students face at school and can work in schools, a children guidance center or laboratory g. Sport Psychologists work for teams and organizations and research what influences sports and physical activities and individual athletes who seek