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
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.9
(30,018 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 14 hours
Learn at your own pace
99%
Most learners liked this course
Details to know
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Assessments
6 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 7 modules in this course
Meet Paul Bloom, your instructor.
What's included
1 video3 readings
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.
What's included
17 videos3 readings1 assignment
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.
What's included
14 videos2 readings1 assignment
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.
What's included
12 videos2 readings1 assignment1 plugin
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.
What's included
15 videos2 readings1 assignment
In this module, you will learn human variation. The focus will focus on personality and intelligence, and the role of genes and environment in explaining individual differences. The second half will focus on clinical psychology by reviewing prominent mental illnesses and therapies.
What's included
13 videos2 readings1 assignment
In the final module, you will learn how psychologists measure happiness and what factors contribute to the good life
What's included
7 videos2 readings1 assignment
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.9 (11,268 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Psychology
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Case Western Reserve University
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Learner reviews
4.9
30,018 reviews
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Showing 3 of 30018
PS
5
Reviewed on Jan 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.
SS
5
Reviewed on Aug 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.
NC
5
Reviewed on Sep 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.
New to Psychology? Start here.
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Frequently asked questions
This course combines complex subject matter with high-end animation. Learn about Julia Veldman, a visual storyteller at http://www.juliaveldmanc.nl/
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:
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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.
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.