Let's tackle this critical question! I'm a professional tutor who has helped dozens of students improve their scores in AP Psychology. Read on!
What Psychology Is
Psychology is a branch of social science that studies mental processes and behavior. Social scientists want to understand human behavior, thought, and emotion. They also study how humans interact in groups. Sociology and political science are two other fields classified as social sciences.
A scientist's goal is to use the scientific method to understand humans. Scientists try to observe the world objectively and record their findings. Once they have gathered data, they draw conclusions and share their finding. In practice, this process is complex and often flawed.
What Psychology Isn't
There are many ways to approach the question of what it means to be human and live with other humans. Philosophers, religious leaders, and artists also try to answer these questions. They may also suggest ways for humans to behave or think about the world. People in these fields form opinions about humanity. Unlike scientists, they do not always use concrete data.
Generally, scientists propose ideas based on data. This limits the topics that scientists can study. Many human issues are beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. Philosophers, religious leaders, and artists provide valuable insights in this area. Philosophers have long pondered whether all people see the same colors. This is not a question that science can answer right now.
Psychology can tell us how the eye works. It can tell us how information travels to the brain. It can tell us how the brain processes that information. It can explore how this system can break. It can study the psychological and social impacts of impaired vision.
But it can't tell us if we perceive the same things.
Science can inform political policy, morality, and personal decisions. Meaning, we can use data to understand the potential outcomes of a decision. But psychology can't tell us if that decision is correct. It doesn't tell us what we should value. It doesn't dictate if the cost of a policy is too high, even if it it is effective.
Scientists, philosophers, theologians, and artists all contribute to our understanding of humanity. Without that perspective, science would be less useful. But, it is important to remember that much of what we care about lays beyond the realm of science.
The AP Psychology curriculum focuses on studying behavior and mental processes. Let's look at each of these things in more detail.
Behavior
Behavior is observable actions taken by individuals. Let's break down that definition so we can understand it.
One important aspect of behavior is that it is observable. A researcher can gather information about an action by using their senses. Psychologists typically use their sense of sight and hearing. Actions refers to things people or animals do. A dog fetching a ball is a behavior. A teenager talking to a friend is a behavior.
Psychology became more scientific when scientists began studying behavior. In today's world, we have machines that allow us to see what parts of a person's brain is active. Before these machines, it was difficult to know what the brain was doing. Scientists could study the brain after someone died. That didn't explain how it worked during life. Scientists could study how someone's mood changed after a brain injury. That didn't explain how a healthy brain worked.
Behaviorists argued these methods did not provide insight into human thoughts. Instead, it was best to focus on behaviors that scientists could observe. Scientists could observe living people and animals. They could observe the effects of a brain that was working the way most brains work.
This perspective created important breakthroughs in the field. Classical and operant conditioning explore the processes that shape human and animal behavior. Observational learning describes how humans can learn from other people's behavior. Concepts like latent learning and mental maps showed that thoughts can influence behavior. It seems obvious, but proving something is an important component of science.
Today, very few behaviorists deny the importance of thoughts and mental processes. This is because of new scientific technology. Scientists are open to using techniques that attempt to understand mental processes themselves. This includes surveys, case studies, brain imaging, and the Harvard Implict Association Test (IAT).
Behaviorism remains an important part of the field. Operant and classical conditioning still reign supreme in the world of animal training. Many people want to change their own behaviors. Behaviorist interventions are effective in helping people form new habits. Behaviorist interventions can also help treat mental health conditions. This includes obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, and specific phobias. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is another common form of behaviorist intervention. This practice is controversial, and many people are critical of ABA.
Finally, people's behavior can have profound impacts on people around them. For this reason, behaviorist concepts are often applied to public health interventions. One example of this involves seat belts. Many cars will make an annoying, repetitive noise until the driver buckles their seat. This is a form of operant conditioning.
Mental Processes
Let's focus on the other half of psychology: mental processes. Mental processes are any of the many tasks and activities brains carry out. Broadly speaking, there are two mental processes that are the focus in AP Psychology. They are cognition and emotion.
Cognition
Cognition includes the thoughts you are aware of. For example, a person may picture their friend's face. They may have an internal dialogue when working out the answer to a problem on a test. Cognition also includes thoughts and processes that we are not aware of. Attention is a good example of this. It is common for humans to become distracted without realizing their attention shifted.
Cognition is important because it helps us make sense of the world. Memory, problem-solving, and imagination help us understand ourselves, others, and events. Language and creativity help communicate the things we understand to others. Furthermore, the thoughts we have impact our behavior and emotions.
Like behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology has practical applications. Cognitive-behavior therapy is a common therapeutic technique. It helps people learn to think in new ways while also using behaviorist techniques. Major depression and generalized anxiety disorder are often treated with CBT.
Some people find that behavioral techniques are not enough to change their behavior. Behavioral techniques don't address beliefs or thoughts that can hamstring an individual's growth.. Techniques like cognitive restructuring can help individuals reshape their understanding of the world.
Cognition also plays an important role in learning. Unfortunately, many students and parents don't understand how their brains process information. This can lead to academic struggles. Cognitive science gives us practical insights that can make learning enjoyable and effective. Message me if you'd like to know more.
Emotions
The other component of mental processes is emotion.
What is an emotion? It's unclear.
Emotions are one of the most debated topics in modern psychology. If you ask ten people, you might get ten different definitions. Most psychologists agree that emotions result from mental and physical states. For example, the feeling of anxiety has two components. One part is being aware of the feeling of stress. The other part are the changes that occur in the body itself. For example, an anxious person may have sweaty hands, a stomachache, or an increased heart rate. However, an angry person may have the same physical experience. This means that the mental experience of the emotion is also important.
The debate about emotion continues. That hasn't stopped people from applying what we do know. Positive psychology focuses on human happiness and flourishing. This field offers practical suggestions for improving our emotional states. This can include expressing gratitude and developing our signature strengths.
Extreme or unwanted emotional states are characteristic of many mental health disorders. This includes mood disorders, like major depression and bipolar disorder. It also involves trauma- and stressor-related disorders, like post traumatic stress disorder. Effective treatments for these conditions requires addressing the emotional component. This includes helping people develop skills to manage strong emotions.
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This material is based on my interpretation of the AP Psychology Course and Exam Description and my experience working in education for the past decade. The views expressed on this page are my own. AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site.