BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
AP Psychology Unit 1 Study Notes
Choose a topic below for detailed Biological Bases of Behavior notes, diagrams and worked examples.
Choose your Unit 1 topic
Interaction of Heredity and Environment
Nature and nurture, research methods, heritability and evolutionary psychology.
Read topic notes →TOPIC 1.2Overview of the Nervous System
CNS and PNS, somatic and autonomic divisions, reflexes and homeostasis.
Read topic notes →TOPIC 1.3The Neuron and Neural Firing
Neuron structure, action potentials, synapses, neurotransmitters, hormones and drugs.
Read topic notes →TOPIC 1.4The Brain
Brain structures, cortical lobes, language, split-brain research and plasticity.
Read topic notes →TOPIC 1.5Sleep
Circadian rhythms, sleep stages, dreaming, sleep disorders and memory.
Read topic notes →TOPIC 1.6Sensation
Thresholds, Weber’s law, vision, hearing, chemical senses and sensory interaction.
Read topic notes →A simple revision route
Start with heredity and nervous-system organization, then study neurons and the brain. Finish with sleep and sensation. Open each topic for the detailed explanations, comparison tables, diagrams and examples.
After reading, use the Unit 1 flashcards for recall and the quiz to practise applying concepts. Return to the relevant topic when an answer needs review.
AP Psychology Unit 1 FAQs
What does AP Psychology Unit 1 cover?
Biological Bases of Behavior includes heredity and environment, nervous-system organization, neurons and neural firing, the brain, sleep and sensation. Choose a topic card to open the complete notes.
Where are the detailed notes?
Each topic has its own detailed study-notes page. This page is a short directory, with links to all six guides and Unit 1 practice resources.