What are people most afraid of? What do our dreams mean? Are we natural-born racists? What makes us happy? What are the causes and cures of mental illness? This course tries to answer these questions and many others, providing a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of thought and behavior. It explores topics such as perception, communication, learning, memory, decision-making, persuasion, emotions, and social behavior. We will look at how these aspects of the mind develop in children, how they differ across people, how they are wired-up in the brain, and how they break down due to illness and injury.
Introduction to Psychology
Offered By
Yale University
About this Course
4.8
285 ratings
Skills you will gain
reasoningProblem Solvingabstract thinkinganalytical thinkingCritical Thinking
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Welcome to Introduction to Psychology
Meet Paul Bloom, your instructor.
1 video (Total 3 min), 3 readings
1 video
3 readings
About this course10m
Optional Happiness Survey10m
Introductory readings10m
Foundations
In this module, you will learn about foundational psychological theories and findings in psychology. We will start with the discovery that our mental lives have a physical basis, introducing the field of neuroscience. And then we will turn to two major psychological theories that have come to shape the world that we now live in—Freud’s psychodynamic theory and Skinner’s theory of behaviorism.
17 videos (Total 136 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
17 videos
Dualism14m
Neurons14m
Parts of the brain9m
Our two brains5m
A bit of humility5m
Sigmund Freud3m
The psychodynamic approach10m
Stages of development5m
Defense mechanisms6m
Scientific assessment of Freud7m
Taking Freud seriously3m
B.F. Skinner4m
Habituation2m
Classical conditioning12m
Instrumental conditioning14m
Scientific assessment of Skinner11m
3 readings
The Brain10m
Freud10m
Skinner10m
1 practice exercise
Foundations30m
Week
2Development and Language
In this module, you will learn about foundational psychological research into development and language. Specifically, you will learn about methods for studying how infants and children think and the core discoveries that they have led to. Then you will learn about the structure of language, how language is learned, and end with a little bit on animal communication, language processing, and relationship between language and thought.
14 videos (Total 111 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
14 videos
Piaget4m
Piaget's Developmental Stage Theory7m
Scientific evaluation of Piaget4m
Methods for studying infants14m
How are children different from adults?6m
Explanations for development11m
What is language?2m
Basic facts about language11m
Phonology3m
Morphology5m
Syntax8m
Language acquisition13m
Language and thought10m
2 readings
Development10m
Language10m
1 practice exercise
Development and language30m
Week
3Cognition
In this module, you will learn about cognitive psychology. Specifically, you will learn about how we perceive the world, how attention works, and we store our experiences in memory.
12 videos (Total 65 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
12 videos
Problems of perception5m
Perception of brightness2m
Perception of objects4m
Perception of depth5m
Attention8m
Important memory distinctions2m
Memory storage6m
Learning5m
Remembering4m
Failures of memory10m
False memories6m
2 readings
Perception and attention10m
Memory10m
1 practice exercise
Cognition30m
Week
4Self and others
In this module, you will learn about psychology examining the self and others. Specifically, in the first half, you will learn about social and non-social emotions. In the second half, you will learn about how we deal with other people—social psychology.
15 videos (Total 122 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
15 videos
Why evolution matters13m
Facial expressions7m
Fear4m
Kinship7m
Attachment8m
Prisoner's dilemma12m
Irrationality and culture8m
Social animals3m
Self12m
Attribution4m
Liking8m
The psychology of groups4m
Social categories4m
Social categories II11m
2 readings
Emotions10m
Social10m
1 practice exercise
Self and others30m
4.8
68 ReviewsTop Reviews
By FF•Jan 24th 2019
I highly recommend this course to anyone willing to understand about the basic history and origins of psychology, scientific approach but full of insights and inspiration to go further in the matter.
By SM•Jan 2nd 2019
This is very basic course on pshchology but I enjoy studying it for personal reason. I think many learners will take advantages of this course for whatever field of studay and work they are doing.
Instructor
Paul Bloom
Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale UniversityPsychology
About Yale University
For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Wow, the animations in this course are great! Who did them?
This course combines complex subject matter with high-end animation. Learn about Julia Veldman, a visual storyteller at http://www.juliaveldmanc.nl/
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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