Do hypnotized people often perform acts that they consider being immoral? Does a permissive style of parenting lead to the best adjustment in children? Is genius closely related to insanity? Is alcohol a stimulant when imbibed in small quantities? Can staring at the back of a person’s head make that person turn around? Do we seek opposites in forming friendships? Are horoscopes usually correct?
These questions have at least two things in common. First, many people would answer these questions in the affirmative, but empirical evidence from scientific investigations does not support "yes" answers. Second, psychologists have studied all these questions because they lie within the realm of psychology. Psychology is commonly defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. What makes psychology scientific is the method by which new information is added to the knowledge base. Psychologists use descriptive, correlational, and experimental research methods to describe, explain, predict, and control behavior and mental processes. Behavior includes our observable actions; mental processes include our perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and motives that are not directly observable.
Problems that challenge humankind today include heart disease, AIDS, accidents, eating disorders, addiction, violence, and suicides. These problems arise from behavior, and their successful management requires behavior change. The science of psychology contributes to the solution of society’s problems. One contribution is a large body of factual knowledge about behavior and mental processes that can be applied to the challenges we face. The second is a set of powerful methods that science uses to attain such understandings. Finally, psychology places great value on the ability of people to grow and change. Therapeutic interventions and other applications of psychology encourage people to face difficulties and enact changes that will improve their life experiences. Because people can improve their quality of life through better understanding of behavior and mental processes, education in psychology should be a priority for high school students.
More than 800,000 high school students enroll in psychology classes each year. Through the study of scientific psychology, students gain an understanding of behavior as they learn the knowledge and skills necessary to address critical problems of the individual and society. Psychology students learn to distinguish between science and pseudoscience, dispelling misconceptions that mind reading, witchcraft, brainwashing, behavioral programming, and thought control are scientific. Psychology students learn that psychologists do not use mysterious methods to "psych out other people" to obtain advantages through trickery. They learn to recognize limitations of what can be known through intuition and common sense as they learn that psychological science is empirical and analytical.
Whereas common sense relies on intuition, authority, and "what everybody knows" as proof of psychological reality, scientific psychology is built on facts available to public observation. Seeing the human condition in scientific terms is essential to improving it.
Psychology is a science with connections to social and natural sciences. Neither social studies nor science standards have addressed psychology adequately. Because of the departmental structure of American high schools, psychology is most frequently taught in the Social Studies Department or the Science Department (or both). Such departmental designation often influences the curriculum. Courses in the Social Studies Department may emphasize history, personality, and social psychology, whereas courses in the Science Department frequently emphasize biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, and learning. Variations in high school courses suggest that students’ first exposures to psychology are vastly different in content and level of challenge.
The American Psychological Association (APA) commissioned the Task Force for the Development of National High School Psychology Standards in 1995 to develop standards that identify what students in an introductory high school psychology course should learn. Members of the task force were chosen by the APA Education and Science directorates to represent experienced psychology educators at the secondary and university levels as well as other scientists in the profession.
The mission of the task force was to prepare a document that can be used by policymakers, educational leaders, curriculum developers, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to determine what high school psychology students should know and how they can demonstrate what they know. The document is constructed to guide curriculum decisions by providing content and performance standards and to guide teachers in designing instruction to meet performance indicators.* Key terms used in development of this document include these five:
Domain. A domain is a cluster of related content areas.
Standard Area. Each standard area refers to a major topic or unit representing a subdivision of psychology.
Content Standard. Each content standard describes what the student should comprehend after completing the unit in a high school course.
Performance Standard. Each performance standard states what the student should be able to do in relation to the content standard.
Performance Indicator. Each performance indicator describes opportunities for students and teachers to demonstrate and assess the standard.
This document includes more than content standards, performance standards, and performance indicators. It also provides recommendations for constructing, maintaining, and revising psychology curricula for a quality high school psychology education. The importance of integrating diversity, technology, and active learning into the curriculum is explained and emphasized. A description of how to use the standards is followed by standards designed for 15 units: Introduction and Research Methods; Biological Bases of Behavior; Sensation and Perception; Stress, Coping, and Health; Lifespan Development; Learning; Memory; Thinking and Language; States of Consciousness; Motivation and Emotion; Individual Differences; Personality and Assessment; Psychological Disorders; Treatment of Psychological Disorders; Social Psychology.
When the high school psychology course is a two-semester course, teachers should complete units in all of the Standard Areas. Teaching all Standard Areas in a one-semester course is impossible. The task force offers suggestions for organizing a short course. Following the standards is a sample unit plan that integrates the standards into a variety of lesson strategies. At the end of the document, appendixes provide resources for educators and other interested stakeholders.
The task force views this publication as a "living document." All of the standards have been reviewed by numerous educators and scientists and revised extensively. We welcome your comments and suggestions on the feedback.
The task force endorses a balanced approach to the teaching of psychology. We are convinced that understanding, predicting, and changing behavior are worthwhile undertakings for high school students. We think all students should enroll in introductory psychology courses that will help them accomplish these ends. These standards were designed to help ensure quality, to express goals, and to promote change in the teaching of the high school introductory psychology course. The public has a right to expect a course in psychology to meet criteria for quality. Expectations with respect to goals should be clear. Standards should be high but attainable. This document represents a vision of what students should know and be able to do after completing the high school psychology course.
The term "standards" is sometimes used to describe mandatory rules, procedures, or other criteria. Also, the failure to comply with some "standards can result in the imposition of penalties or sanctions. The "standards" in this document are not of that sort. This document is intended to encourage excellence in high school psychology programs, but each school must decide how best to structure and conduct its own program.
