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Structure of the Standards
No one psychology course can cover all of the standards described in this document. We think psychology can be well represented by including at least one unit from each of five "domains" of psychology described below. This proposal advocates a strategy for coping with the pressures high school psychology teachers feel to cover the entire content of the discipline of psychology in the high school psychology course. We recommend making judicious selections among the content areas available to suit the length of the course, needs of the students, and talents of the teachers. High school psychology courses often reflect two basic approaches: They emphasize either the scientific basis of psychology or the personal insight and adjustment side of psychology. This emphasis may reflect the departmental home of the course in the high school structure or it may represent the training and preferences of the teacher. The task force crafted standards in each of 15 content areas, or units, although introducing content in all of these areas may not be reasonable, given the time constraints in some courses. These standards are clustered into five content domains, and we recommend that all high school courses reflect content from all of them. Teachers are encouraged to select one or two units in each domain to fit their courses. For example, a one-semester course might include anywhere from 5 to 10 standard areas selected across the five content domains. (You will find examples of specific designs for different content configurations on pages 94-96.) Experienced teachers may find ways to integrate content listed under one domain with other domains as well, which is appropriate and desirable. Specific standards are listed only under the domain where they fit most clearly. In addition to content specifications, a well-taught course should foster development of certain abilities and attitudes. For example, high school psychology students should develop curiosity about the causes of human behavior. They should learn to reject simplistic explanations of behavior in favor of richer, more complex approaches (other examples are outlined later, as "Course Objectives"). Some content standards may emphasize certain abilities and attitudes over others. However, course objectives should include the integration of abilities and attitudes across content domains. DEFINITIONS OF CONTENT AREAS
In the METHODS Domain
In the BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL Domain
Sensation and Perception examines how the brain makes meaning out of the physical sensations generated by the environment.
Motivation and Emotion examines the drives and needs that direct behavior, including sex, thirst, hunger, and social needs, as well as the range of human emotions. Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior Psychology explores how we perceive the social world and how we behave in relation to other people.
Stress, Coping, and Health identifies how stress reactions hinder our effectiveness and proposes alternatives that lead to a healthier existence.
In the COGNITIVE Domain
Memory addresses how we remember as well as how we can improve memory.
Thinking and Language examines the role of language, problem-solving skills, creativity, multilingualism, and intelligence testing as primary interests of researchers in this area.
States of Consciousness explores varying stages of awareness, including sleep, reactions to drugs, daydreaming, and controlled conscious processes.
In the DEVELOPMENTAL Domain
In the SOCIOCULTURAL Domain
Personality and Assessment demonstrates scientific explanations of personality development along with the methods psychologists use to measure personality concepts.
Psychological Disorders investigates patterns of behavior that are considered deviant or distressful in our culture and includes how psychologists diagnose these patterns.
Treatment of Psychological Disorders discusses the various intervention methods, including psychotherapy and medical interventions, that mental health practitioners use in treating abnormal conditions.
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior explores how we perceive the social world and how we behave in relation to other people. This unit also explores how social and cultural contexts influence behavior.
CONTENT STANDARDS AND DOMAINS
The five content domains are Methods, Biopsychological, Cognitive, Developmental, and Social–Emotional. The content standards are organized according to these domains as follows:
Central to the objectives of a well-designed psychology course is an emphasis on scientific method. Our placement of Methods at the center of the model underscores the importance of teaching the content and skills consistent with the science of psychology as the core activity of the course. We believe that a unit involving Introduction and Research Methods should be taught as a formal unit in the beginning of the course, but research methods should also be a prominent feature of units taught in other domains. The Task Force for the Development of National High School Psychology Standards recommends that historical aspects of psychology beyond those introduced in the Methods Domain be infused throughout the units to structure the course.
We endorse the importance of emphasizing biological processes in understanding human behavior in the Biopsychological content domain. Biological Bases of Behavior is the unit we recommend in the physiological domain for the greatest emphasis; however, teachers may also include additional units in this domain to reinforce psychology’s tie to biological processes. Standards for Sensation and Perception, Motivation and Emotion, and Stress, Coping, and Health also reflect this tie.
We address the importance of understanding cognitive processes in the Cognitive domain. Memory is the unit we recommend in the cognitive domain for the greatest emphasis, if selections in the cognitive area must be restricted. However, cognitive processes are also explored in the areas of Learning, Thinking, and Language, and States of Consciousness when more time can be spent in this domain.
The Developmental domain provides learning opportunities about processes that occur throughout life. Lifespan Development offers a context in which students can explore what people have in common as well as how they differ. Exploration of individual, generational, and cultural patterns in human development is crucial in developing strategies for adapting to change. The course should give students the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that will help them understand and appreciate our multicultural society. This content area is crucial in developing strategies for adapting to change.
The final domain, Sociocultural, has intrinsic appeal to high school students. Because each of these standards can effectively introduce students to the major themes and concepts of the domain, we do not endorse one particular content area over another. Typically, teachers will elect two or more units to represent social and emotional processes. The psychology course should provide substantive content and opportunity for self-examination of the student’s personal attitudes to promote understanding of differences in people who vary by ethnicity, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, gender, and able-bodiedness.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The Task Force for the Development of National High School Psychology Standards developed course objectives to emphasize how students are likely to change as a result of their experience in the high school course. The objectives reflect performance expectations across content domains.
Objective 1: Overall Content Goal
To understand the methodological aspects of the discipline of psychology as well as the biopsychological, cognitive, developmental, and sociocultural processes of human behavior
Students would demonstrate an acceptable degree of mastery of the basic concepts, principles, and processes of psychology with the understanding that social behavior and attitudes are largely learned. This learning is situated in historical times. Thus, the historical experience of certain groups of people who have been regarded as racial or ethnic minorities, and even inferior at different times in history, will necessarily be part of the curriculum. Specifically, the historical attitudes that disenfranchised American Indians, Africans, Asians, and Hispanics from civil rights and educational and legal recourse become a context in which to understand certain group values, some behaviors, and intergroup process. The psychology course should provide substantive content and opportunity for self-examination of the student’s personal attitudes in order to promote effective understanding of differences in people who vary by ethnicity, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, and able-bodiedness. Integrating frameworks for understanding diversity in the curriculum will also support the development of critical thinking skills.
Objective 2: Scientific Reasoning
To improve in the ability to reason scientifically about behavior• Observe/listen accurately.• Analyze (interpret) examples of behavior cautiously.• Read and interpret psychological findings.• Use several perspectives to explain causality.• Require evidence for casual conclusions.• Evaluate the quality of psychological findings.• Practice ethical standards.• Evaluate generalizability of results from sample to larger more diverse populations.
People skilled in this ability would be unlikely to accept simplistic solutions or conclusions based on a single instance of behavior. These individuals are likely to reject pseudoscientific explanations or to accept conclusions without analyzing the soundness of the argument. Such people would be less inclined to make logical errors in interpreting behavior.
Objective 3: People Skills
To improve in the ability to interact effectively with others • Use psychological concepts meaningfully to explain behavior in speaking and writing.• Demonstrate ability to use technology to enhance analysis and communication.• Interact appropriately with others in interpersonal and group contexts.• Manage the challenges of working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Develop the ability to understand issues from diverse points of view.• Enact practices that promote respect and trust (e.g., honesty, fair-minded judgment, and reliability).
People skilled in this ability would avoid using "psychobabble." Such individuals connect with others in different formats using different modes of communication. They would show enthusiasm for the prospect of working with people from diverse backgrounds. Although they may make mistakes, they strive to maintain trust-promoting character traits, values, and practices.
Objective 4: Values of Psychology
To reflect the values of the discipline of psychology• Demonstrate enhanced curiosity about understanding people.• Recognize the breadth and complexity of behavior and mental processes.• Recognize the need for scientific explanations of behavior.• Appreciate the role of technology in expanding psychology’s boundaries.• Recognize the importance of lifelong learning to improve adaptability.• Acknowledge the role of psychology in promoting human welfare.• Appreciate how culture provides a context for learning and producing behavior.
Students would emerge from their first exposure to psychology with a rich appreciation of the nature of psychology. Although the majority of students will not become psychologists, they would be favorably disposed toward the potential role that psychology—its principles, processes, and professionals—may play in their lives.
LINKING CONTENT DOMAINS WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THINKING
The content domains not only provide a means of structuring content standards, but they can also organize the specific characteristics of "thinking like a psychologist." Although these characteristics are likely to be apparent throughout the psychology course, the model below highlights where these characteristics can be emphasized within specific content domains.
Students will vary in their demonstration of these characteristics before, during, and even after their exposure to psychology. However, we propose these characteristics as an ideal that captures the nature of psychological thinking. As with the skills discussed in the previous section, experienced teachers may work toward integrating these characteristics across the domains.