Unit 5 - Lesson 1
AP Psychology Lesson: Introduction to Health and Positive Psychology
Unit: Mental and Physical Health | Lesson: 1 of 8 | Topic: Introduction to Health and Positive Psychology
AP Exam Weighting: 15%–25%
Instructions: Complete this lesson during class by filling in the blanks and answering questions. All information needed is provided or will be researched in class. This lesson prepares you for the AP Psychology exam by exploring how health and positive psychology promote well-being. Use the provided spaces to write your answers clearly, focusing on applying concepts critically.
Warm-Up
Purpose: Get you thinking about what promotes mental and physical health.
Questions:
- What activities make you feel happiest or most fulfilled?
- How might focusing on strengths improve someone’s well-being?
Your Answers: Write a short response (1–2 sentences) for each question.
Key Concepts
Instructions: Read the information below and answer the questions to learn core AP concepts. For definitions, write them in your own words based on the content or look up a different definition if directed by your teacher (e.g., via apa.org or Google Scholar).
Content: Health psychology examines how psychological factors affect physical health (e.g., stress impacting heart health). Positive psychology focuses on strengths, happiness, and well-being, not just disorders. Subjective well-being measures personal happiness and life satisfaction. Resilience helps individuals recover from adversity (e.g., coping after failure). Example: Practicing gratitude increases subjective well-being and reduces stress. Flow occurs when fully immersed in an enjoyable task (e.g., playing music). Positive psychology promotes behaviors like optimism and healthy coping. Cultural factors influence well-being (e.g., collectivist cultures value community support).
- Define health psychology in your own words: _______________________________
- Define positive psychology in your own words: _______________________________
- Define subjective well-being in your own words: _______________________________
- Explain how resilience influences a behavior, using a specific example:
- Explain how flow influences a behavior, using a different example:
- How does positive psychology promote mental health over traditional approaches?
- Why might cultural factors affect subjective well-being?
- How could health psychology improve physical health outcomes in a school setting?
Guided Activity
Instructions: Work in pairs to complete the two tasks below. Write your answers and be prepared to share one key point from each task with the class.
Task 1: Scenario Analysis: Scenario: A student feels happier after keeping a gratitude journal. Analyze how positive psychology and subjective well-being contribute to this outcome. For example, consider how focusing on strengths or personal satisfaction drives their behavior.
Your Response for Task 1: Explain the role of each concept in the outcome.
Class Share for Task 1: Note one point you’ll share.
Task 2: Case Application: Imagine an athlete recovers from a loss by focusing on their strengths. Apply the concepts of resilience and health psychology to explain their recovery. For example, evaluate how coping or psychological factors affect their performance.
Your Response for Task 2: Apply the concepts to explain the athlete’s recovery.
Class Share for Task 2: Note one point you’ll share.
Class Assignment: Refer to the assignment file for this lesson
Instructions: Complete the tasks below to deepen your understanding of health and positive psychology.
Study Summary 1: A 2017 study found that gratitude exercises increased subjective well-being in students under academic stress.
Question 1: How does this study demonstrate the role of positive psychology in mental health, and what might enhance its effects?
Study Summary 2: A 2019 study showed that resilience training reduced stress-related health issues in workers.
Question 2: Evaluate how this study illustrates the impact of health psychology on physical health, and suggest one limitation of its findings.
AP Exam Connection: This practices analyzing and evaluating research, a key skill for FRQs.
AP Exam Practice
Instructions: Answer the question below. We’ll review answers as a class to learn exam strategies.
Free-Response Question (FRQ):
Explain how positive psychology, subjective well-being, and resilience interact to influence a specific behavior (e.g., coping, happiness, or health choices). Provide one example for each factor (positive psychology, subjective well-being, resilience) and analyze how they interact to shape the behavior.
Closure
Instructions: Write a brief summary (2–3 sentences) of two key ideas you learned today about how health and positive psychology promote well-being.
Extended Practice
Instructions: Complete the tasks below based on today’s lesson to reinforce AP skills.
- Review your answers from this lesson.
- Write a detailed paragraph (5–7 sentences) applying today’s topic to a real-life behavior (e.g., how positive psychology affects your school or personal life). Include references to positive psychology, subjective well-being, and resilience, and explain their interaction.
- Find a short article or study on health or positive psychology (e.g., via apa.org) and write 2–3 sentences summarizing its relevance to today’s lesson. Cite the source (e.g., website or article title).