AP Psychology – Part 2: Cognition, Development, Motivation, Clinical & Social

Complete Course Material | 30 Lectures (50 Minutes Each) | GyanAcademy

📋 Course Overview

📚 Detailed Lecture Breakdown

MODULE 1: Cognition (Memory, Thinking, Language, Intelligence) (Lectures 1-6)

Lecture 1: Memory Models & Storage

• Atkinson-Shiffrin model: Sensory, Short-term, Long-term
• Working memory components
• Effortful vs. Automatic processing
• Levels of processing effect
• Takeaway: Understanding how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved.

Lecture 2: Forgetting & Memory Construction

• Ebbinghaus forgetting curve
• Interference: Proactive vs. Retroactive
• Repression and motivated forgetting
• Misinformation effect and source amnesia
• Takeaway: Analyzing why memory fails and how it can be distorted.

Lecture 3: Thinking & Problem Solving

• Concepts, prototypes, and categories
• Algorithms vs. Heuristics (Representative, Availability)
• Obstacles: Confirmation bias, Fixation, Functional Fixedness
• Takeaway: Understanding strategies and barriers in human thought.

Lecture 4: Language Structure & Development

• Phonemes, Morphemes, Grammar, Semantics
• Chomsky vs. Skinner: Nature vs. Nurture in language
• Critical periods and linguistic determinism (Whorf)
• Takeaway: Analyzing how language is acquired and influences thought.

Lecture 5: Intelligence: Theories & Assessment

• Spearman’s g factor, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Sternberg’s Triarchic
• History of testing: Binet, Terman, Wechsler
• Standardization, Reliability, Validity
• Takeaway: Evaluating different conceptualizations and measurements of intelligence.

Lecture 6: Module 1 Review & Quiz

• Comprehensive review of Cognition
• 15-question quiz (MCQs + Short Answer) with detailed solutions
• Self-assessment guide and weak area identification
• Transition to Developmental Psychology
• Takeaway: Solidifying knowledge of mental processes before studying lifespan changes.

MODULE 2: Developmental Psychology (Lectures 7-12)

Lecture 7: Prenatal Development & Infancy

• Zygote, Embryo, Fetus stages
• Teratogens and fetal alcohol syndrome
• Infant reflexes and habituation
• Attachment styles: Secure, Avoidant, Anxious (Ainsworth)
• Takeaway: Understanding the earliest stages of physical and social development.

Lecture 8: Cognitive Development: Piaget

• Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal Operational
• Schema, Assimilation, Accommodation
• Object permanence and Egocentrism
• Takeaway: Mastering the stages of how children think and learn.

Lecture 9: Adolescent Development

• Puberty and brain development (Prefrontal cortex vs. Limbic)
• Identity vs. Role Confusion (Erikson)
• Peer influence and risk-taking behavior
• Takeaway: Analyzing the biological and psychosocial changes of adolescence.

Lecture 10: Adulthood & Aging

• Physical changes and health in adulthood
• Cognitive stability vs. decline (Crystallized vs. Fluid Intelligence)
• Socemotional development in later life
• Death and dying stages (Kubler-Ross)
• Takeaway: Understanding development across the entire lifespan.

Lecture 11: Moral & Social Development

• Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning
• Gilligan’s critique and care ethics
• Parenting styles: Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive
• Takeaway: Evaluating how moral reasoning and social behaviors develop.

Lecture 12: Module 2 Review & Quiz

• Comprehensive review of Developmental Psychology
• 15-question quiz (MCQs + Short Answer) with detailed solutions
• Self-assessment guide and focus areas for continued study
• Transition to Motivation, Emotion & Personality
• Takeaway: Ensuring mastery of lifespan concepts before studying individual differences.

MODULE 3: Motivation, Emotion & Personality (Lectures 13-18)

Lecture 13: Motivation Theories

• Instinct theory, Drive-Reduction theory, Arousal theory
• Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow)
• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivation
• Takeaway: Understanding what drives human behavior.

Lecture 14: Specific Motivations: Hunger, Sex, Social

• Biological basis of hunger (Hypothalamus)
• Eating disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia
• Sexual motivation and orientation
• Need for Affiliation and Achievement
• Takeaway: Analyzing biological and social motivational states.

Lecture 15: Emotion Theories & Stress

• James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer Two-Factor
• Facial feedback hypothesis
• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion
• Takeaway: Understanding the physiological and cognitive components of emotion.

Lecture 16: Personality: Psychoanalytic & Humanistic

• Freud: Id, Ego, Superego, Defense Mechanisms
• Neo-Freudians: Jung, Adler, Horney
• Humanistic: Rogers and Maslow (Self-actualization)
• Takeaway: Evaluating early theories of personality structure and growth.

Lecture 17: Personality: Trait & Social Cognitive

• Big Five Traits (OCEAN)
• Locus of Control (Internal vs. External)
• Reciprocal Determinism (Bandura)
• Takeaway: Understanding modern trait-based and interactionist perspectives.

Lecture 18: Module 3 Review & Quiz

• Comprehensive review of Motivation, Emotion & Personality
• 15-question quiz (MCQs + Short Answer) with detailed solutions
• Self-assessment guide and weak area identification
• Transition to Clinical Psychology
• Takeaway: Solidifying knowledge of individual differences before studying disorders.

MODULE 4: Clinical Psychology (Disorders & Treatment) (Lectures 19-24)

Lecture 19: Introduction to Psychological Disorders

• Definition of disorder: Deviant, Distressful, Dysfunctional
• Medical model vs. Biopsychosocial approach
• DSM-5 classification system
• Labeling and stigma
• Takeaway: Understanding how disorders are defined and classified.

Lecture 20: Anxiety, OCD & Trauma Disorders

• Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Phobias
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Takeaway: Identifying symptoms and characteristics of anxiety-related disorders.

Lecture 21: Mood Disorders & Schizophrenia

• Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
• Schizophrenia: Positive vs. Negative symptoms
• Biological and psychological explanations
• Takeaway: Analyzing severe mental illnesses and their causes.

Lecture 22: Psychotherapies: Psychoanalytic & Humanistic

• Psychoanalysis: Free association, dream analysis, transference
• Humanistic Therapy: Client-centered, active listening, unconditional positive regard
• Takeaway: Understanding insight-oriented therapeutic approaches.

Lecture 23: Psychotherapies: Behavioral & Cognitive

• Counterconditioning, Exposure therapies, Token economies
• Cognitive Therapy (Beck) and CBT
• Group and Family therapies
• Takeaway: Evaluating action-oriented and thought-changing therapies.

Lecture 24: Biomedical Therapies & Effectiveness

• Psychopharmacology: Antipsychotics, Antidepressants, Mood stabilizers
• ECT and Psychosurgery
• Evaluating therapy effectiveness and evidence-based practice
• Takeaway: Understanding biological interventions and treatment outcomes.

MODULE 5: Social Psychology & Exam Prep (Lectures 25-30)

Lecture 25: Social Thinking & Attitudes

• Attribution Theory: Fundamental Attribution Error
• Attitudes and actions: Foot-in-the-door phenomenon
• Cognitive Dissonance
• Takeaway: Understanding how we explain behavior and form attitudes.

Lecture 26: Social Influence & Conformity

• Conformity: Asch experiment
• Obedience: Milgram experiment
• Normative vs. Informational social influence
• Takeaway: Analyzing how group pressure shapes individual behavior.

Lecture 27: Social Relations: Prejudice, Aggression, Attraction

• Prejudice: Stereotypes, Discrimination, Ingroup/Outgroup
• Aggression: Biological and learning factors
• Attraction: Proximity, Similarity, Physical attractiveness
• Altruism and Bystander Effect
• Takeaway: Evaluating positive and negative social interactions.

Lecture 28: FRQ Strategies & Writing Workshop

• Types of FRQs: Concept Application, Research Design, Argument Essay
• Defining terms accurately
• Applying concepts to scenarios
• Common mistakes and point earning strategies
• Takeaway: Mastering the free-response section of the exam.

Lecture 29: Full AP Exam Mock Test

• Simulated MCQ Section: 100 multiple-choice questions covering all 9 units
• Simulated FRQ Section: 3 free-response questions
• Exam conditions: Timed practice to build stamina and strategy
• Answer key and scoring guidelines provided separately
• Takeaway: Experiencing real exam conditions to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Lecture 30: Final Review, Exam Strategies & Course Completion

• Mock test solutions walkthrough and common error analysis
• Final exam strategies: Keyword usage, Scenario application, Time management
• Course wrap-up: Key themes across all 9 units
• Final pep talk, certificate distribution, and next steps for college and beyond
• Takeaway: Confidence, clarity, and readiness for exam day and lifelong learning.

📝 Part 2 Learning Outcomes

📦 What’s Included in Part 2

• 🎥 30 HD Video Lectures (50 Minutes Each)
• 📄 Lecture Notes PDF (Downloadable, concise summaries for review)
• ✍️ Practice Problem Sets (150+ questions with detailed solutions)
• 📊 Module Quizzes (5 quizzes with instant feedback)
• 📝 1 Full Mock Test (Simulated AP Exam conditions)
• 🎯 Case Study Workbook (Practice with Clinical & Social Scenarios)
• 📚 Vocabulary Lists (Key terms for each module)
• 💬 Priority Doubt Support (Email/WhatsApp within 24 hours)
• 📜 Certificate of Completion (Full Course)