Okay, so today I decided to tackle Module 20 of AP Psychology. I’ve been kinda putting off the psych stuff, but I figured it was time to just dive in.
I started by, you know, actually opening the textbook. Big step, I know. I skimmed through the chapter first, just to get a general idea of what I was in for. Seemed like it was mostly about learning and different types of conditioning – classical, operant, all that good stuff.
Then, I went back and started reading more carefully. I took notes as I went, trying to summarize things in my own words. That usually helps me remember stuff better than just highlighting everything.
- Classical conditioning: Pavlov and his dogs, ringing bells, and drool. Got it.
- Operant conditioning: Reinforcement, punishment, and trying to train my cat to stop scratching the couch (still a work in progress).
- Observational Learning is a type of learning where individuals learn by observing the behavior of others, called models, and the consequences that follow those behaviors.
After the reading, I decided to test myself. I went online and found some practice quizzes. The first couple? Total disaster. I realized I hadn’t really understood the concepts, I’d just kind of memorized them.
So, back to the textbook I went. This time, I focused on really understanding the why behind everything. Why does classical conditioning work? What’s the difference between positive and negative reinforcement? (I always get those mixed up!).
I spent a good chunk of time just thinking about real-life examples of each type of learning. Like, how my dog learned to sit for a treat (operant conditioning!), or how I flinch when I hear a dentist’s drill (classical conditioning – yikes!).
Finally, I went back to those practice quizzes, and… much better! Still not perfect, but definitely an improvement. I think I’m finally starting to get a handle on this stuff. It’s all about the Repetition.
Final Step
I made some flashcards with key terms and definitions. I’ll keep reviewing those over the next few days, and hopefully, by the time the test rolls around, I’ll be good to go. Psychology, here I come… slowly but surely!
