Introduction to Psychology from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome to Introduction to Psychology

Meet Paul Bloom, your instructor.

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.

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.

Cognition

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.

Self 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.

Variation

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.

The good life

In the final module, you will learn how psychologists measure happiness and what factors contribute to the good life

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches foundational knowledge that all students of psychology should know

Explores diverse perspectives within psychology, from Freud's psychodynamic theory to Skinner's behaviorism

Covers a wide range of topics, including perception, communication, learning, memory, decision-making, persuasion, emotions, and social behavior

Examines how psychological processes develop in children and how they differ across people

Investigates the relationship between language and thought, as well as how language is learned

Provides an overview of cognitive psychology, including perception, attention, and memory

Explores emotions and social behavior, and how people interact as groups

Examines individual differences in personality and intelligence

Reviews prominent mental illnesses and therapies, providing a foundation for understanding clinical psychology

Investigates the factors that contribute to happiness and a fulfilling life

Reviews summary

Highly engaging psych course

Students largely agree that this Introduction to Psychology course is very well organized and engaging. Students recommend this course.

Professor lectures effectively and in an engaging way.

"The professor was very engaging and made the material interesting."

Course is highly organized and structured.

"Well organized and presented in an engaging, interesting manner."

"Very organized in a way that made learning easy and fun."

"The course was very well organized in terms of the material, the schedule, and the assignments."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Psychology with these activities:

Watch a documentary on the history of psychology

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Gain a deeper understanding of the origins and development of psychology as a field of study.

Browse courses on History of Psychology

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Choose a documentary that covers the history of psychology.
Watch the documentary.
Take notes on the key ideas and concepts discussed in the documentary.

Take the cognitive assessment

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Practice the skills that are essential to the study of psychology and prepare for success in this course.

Browse courses on Cognitive Skills

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Read the instructions carefully.
Answer all of the questions to the best of your ability.
Check your work carefully.

Review chapters from your high school psychology textbook

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Reviewing basic psychological concepts will help you refresh your memory and make it easier to understand the more complex topics covered in this course.

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Choose a few chapters from your high school psychology textbook that cover topics you're interested in or that you struggled with.
Read through the chapters carefully, taking notes on the key concepts.
Test your understanding by answering the questions at the end of each chapter.

11 other activities

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Do practice problems on statistical analysis

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Develop your ability to analyze data, a crucial skill for understanding psychological research.

Browse courses on Statistical Analysis

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Find a set of practice problems on statistical analysis.
Work through the problems, checking your answers as you go.
Review the solutions to the problems.
Identify any areas where you need additional practice.

Take practice quizzes on psychological theories

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Taking practice quizzes will help you test your understanding of the key psychological theories covered in this course and identify areas where you need more practice.

Browse courses on Cognitive Psychology

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Find some practice quizzes on psychological theories online or in your textbook.
Take the quizzes and review your answers.
Identify the areas where you need more practice and focus on those topics in your studies.

Create a mind map of the different topics covered in this course

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Creating a mind map will help you visualize the different topics covered in this course and how they are connected to each other.

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Start by writing down the main topic of the course in the center of a piece of paper.
Then, draw branches off of the main topic and write down the different subtopics covered in the course.
Continue branching out until you have a complete map of all the topics covered in the course.

Attend a guest lecture on a specialized topic in psychology

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Gain exposure to cutting-edge research and perspectives in psychology.

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Find a guest lecture on a topic that interests you.
Attend the lecture.
Take notes on the key ideas and concepts discussed in the lecture.

Join a study group with other students in this course

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Joining a study group will help you stay motivated and on track with your studies.

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Find other students in this course who are interested in forming a study group.
Meet regularly to discuss the course material.
Quiz each other on the material.
Work together on assignments.

Write a blog post about a psychological phenomenon

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Demonstrate your understanding of psychological concepts by explaining them to a broader audience.

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Choose a psychological phenomenon that you want to write about.
Research the phenomenon.
Write a blog post that explains the phenomenon in a clear and engaging way.
Share your blog post with others.

Attend a workshop on a topic related to this course

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Attending a workshop will help you learn more about a specific topic related to this course and gain practical experience.

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Find a workshop that is related to this course.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop and participate in the activities.

Design a research study

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Apply your knowledge of psychological research methods to design a study that investigates a psychological phenomenon.

Browse courses on Research Design

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Choose a research question.
Develop a hypothesis.
Design a research method.
Collect data.
Analyze the data.
Write up your results.

Read 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman

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This book provides a fascinating look at the two systems of thinking that our brains use and how they can be applied to our everyday lives.

View Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment on Amazon

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Purchase or borrow a copy of 'Thinking, Fast and Slow'.
Read the book carefully, taking notes on the key concepts.
Discuss the book with a friend or classmate.

Create a presentation on a psychological disorder of your choice

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Creating a presentation will help you learn more about a specific psychological disorder and how it affects people.

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Choose a psychological disorder that you're interested in.
Research the disorder, including its symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Create a presentation that includes an overview of the disorder, its symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Present your presentation to your classmates.

Volunteer at a mental health organization

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Volunteering at a mental health organization will give you hands-on experience working with people who have mental illness.

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Find a mental health organization that you're interested in volunteering at.
Apply to volunteer.
Complete the necessary training.
Start volunteering.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Psychology will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Research Psychologist

Research Psychologists conduct research on a variety of psychological topics. This course may be useful as it covers foundational theories and topics in psychological research. This knowledge of research methods and theories will be invaluable to success as a Research Psychologist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research Psychologist

Social Psychologist

Social Psychologists study the social behavior and processes. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as social behavior, the self, and others. This provides foundational knowledge in social psychology, which is essential in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Social Psychologist

Cognitive Psychologist

Cognitive Psychologists research the mental processes that underlie human cognition. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as perception, attention, memory, and decision-making. This knowledge will be invaluable to you in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cognitive Psychologist

Neuropsychologist

Neuropsychologists study the relationship between the brain and behavior. This course may be useful as it covers foundational theories and topics in psychological research including the physical basis of mental life. This will provide a solid basis of knowledge of the brain and behavior, helping in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Neuropsychologist

Personality Psychologist

Personality Psychologists study the personality and individual differences. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as variation, the self, and others. This will help build a foundation in personality psychology, which is central to this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Personality Psychologist

Sports Psychologist

Sports Psychologists apply psychological principles to sports and athletic performance. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as motivation, emotions, and stress. This knowledge may be applied to help athletes enhance their performance and mental well-being.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sports Psychologist

Forensic Psychologist

Forensic Psychologists apply psychological principles to criminal investigations and legal proceedings. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as perception, communication, and decision-making. This knowledge will help you use psychology to better understand criminal behavior and legal processes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Forensic Psychologist

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists apply psychological principles to the workplace. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as motivation, leadership, and communication. This will help build a foundation of knowledge in workplace psychology, enabling better performance in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

School Psychologist

School Psychologists provide mental health services to students in schools. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as development, learning, and behavior. This knowledge may be applied to help school-aged children with their academic, social, and emotional development.

See salaries and explore the career path for School Psychologist

Educational Psychologist

Educational Psychologists utilize psychological principles to improve educational practices and student outcomes. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as cognition, learning, and memory. This knowledge may be applied to help build a solid base of fundamentals needed in this role.

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Health Psychologist

Health Psychologists apply psychological principles to health and illness. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as emotions, stress, and coping. This knowledge will help you to better understand the psychological factors that influence health and illness.

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Developmental Psychologist

Developmental Psychologists study human development across the lifespan. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as development and language. This knowledge will provide a solid basis for work as a Developmental Psychologist, as it will equip you with knowledge of the different stages of human development.

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Writer

Writers create written content for a variety of purposes. This course may be useful as it covers topics such as communication, persuasion, and the self. Understanding psychology will help you to write more effectively and persuasively, regardless of the context.

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Teacher

Teachers provide instruction to students in a variety of subjects. This course may be useful as it covers foundational psychological theories and topics in areas such as learning, memory, and development. This knowledge may be applied in teaching to help students learn more effectively.

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Clinical Psychologist

Clinical Psychologists are those who provide mental health treatment to those who need their help. This course may be useful as it covers the causes and cures of mental illness. This knowledge can be applied in a career as a Clinical Psychologist as it will help build a foundation of understanding mental illnesses and their relevant treatments.

See salaries and explore the career path for Clinical Psychologist