Subliminal Messages

The widely accepted psychological view of subliminal messages is that the effects (if any) are weak and thus no cause for alarm. They are worthy of research and debate, but certainly not a justification for concern.  In the 1980's rock music came under fire for allegedly encouraging devil worshiping through subliminal messages in their music. To listen to some of those music samples, click here.

Disclaimer: I do not believe any of these bands are satanic, nor do I endorse such "lyrics". The key here is to realize how our expectations influence our perceptions. Listen to the music backwards before you look at what it supposedly says. Then judge how your own anticipation of such lyrics changed the way you hear them.

Recent research has focused on how subliminal messages may influence out political attitudes. The following article summarizes research conducted at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that found that efforts to influence voters attitudes didn't work as planned. Click here to read the article.

Stanford Prison Experiment

Today you were given an assignment asking you to answer questions about the famous Stanford Prison Experiment. Please use this link to answer the questions.

What Would You Do?

If you like social psychology, check out ABC's show "What Would You Do?". They create controversial situations in public settings and record the reactions of strangers. For instance, would you defend a couple of gay parents who were being openly bashed in a restaurant for their sexual orientation? You can watch full episodes online here.

Contemporary Psychological Perspectives

In our first unit we will be touching on the various perspectives or "schools" of psychology. This assignment can seem overwhelming because it is all new information. At least one of the perspectives of psychology will be in almost every chapter we discuss over the year. The packet you have now is just to introduce you to the concepts we will be using all year. When completing this please draw information from your textbook and the following website.

Perspectives of Psychology

Due Wednesday, August 17th.

Book Companion Website

Our textbook does not have an online edition, however, it does have a companion site. Use the link below to access a full glossary, tutorials and flashcards.

AP Psychology Book Companion Site

Welcome Back!

Hope everyone had a nice summer! I'm really looking forward to the upcoming school year. Please use this blog as a way to stay connected to our class' activities and topics. I'll also post extra credit opportunities if they arise, supplemental reading materials for class, and AP testing information.

Please be sure you have the summer reading assignment completed and with you on the first day of school.

See you soon!

What score do I need on the AP Exam?

If you're wondering what you need to make on the AP Psychology exam to receive credit at any college/university, click here to search.