About this Course

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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.

Learner Career Outcomes

13%

started a new career after completing these courses

20%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

reasoning
Problem Solving
abstract thinking
analytical thinking
Critical Thinking

Learner Career Outcomes

13%

started a new career after completing these courses

20%

got a tangible career benefit from this course

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.86/5 (9,781 Ratings)

Paul Bloom

Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University

Psychology

1,167,868 Learners

2 Courses

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating99%(160,053 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome to Introduction to Psychology

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 3 min), 3 readings

3 hours to complete

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.

3 hours to complete

17 videos (Total 136 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

17 videos

The astonishing hypothesis4mDualism14mNeurons14mParts of the brain9mOur two brains5mA bit of humility5mSigmund Freud3mThe psychodynamic approach10mStages of development5mDefense mechanisms6mScientific assessment of Freud7mTaking Freud seriously3mB.F. Skinner4mHabituation2mClassical conditioning12mInstrumental conditioning14mScientific assessment of Skinner11m

3 readings

The Brain10mFreud10mSkinner10m

1 practice exercise

Foundations30m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Development 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.

3 hours to complete

14 videos (Total 111 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

14 videos

Big questions about development6mPiaget4mPiaget's Developmental Stage Theory7mScientific evaluation of Piaget4mMethods for studying infants14mHow are children different from adults?6mExplanations for development11mWhat is language?2mBasic facts about language11mPhonology3mMorphology5mSyntax8mLanguage acquisition13mLanguage and thought10m

2 readings

Development10mLanguage10m

1 practice exercise

Development and language30m

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Cognition

2 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 65 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Self and others

3 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 122 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.9

5582 reviews

5 stars
87.20%
4 stars
11.53%
3 stars
0.87%
2 stars
0.14%
1 star
0.24%

TOP REVIEWS FROM INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

by NNSep 19, 2020

The course was helpful in gaining the foundation of psychology. It was clearly structured so that a person with any background can understand it. Thanks for helping me to gain knowledge on psychology.

by SSAug 4, 2020

Professor Bloom has quite engaging style of teaching and the animations in this course provided nice visual reference.Overall, it's a nice course if you want to learn basic introduction of psychology.

by SJun 2, 2020

This course was really very interesting and the way by which lectures was delivered it too awesome.

It was easy to understand and feel connectivity to the Professor.

Thank you Sir and Coursera.

by PGJan 1, 2023

Well structured and engaging course provided by Yale University. I can highly recommend this free course to anyone who is interested in foundational psychological theories and findings in psychology.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
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.

Introduction to Psychology