Duration of the online course: 18 hours and 43 minutes
4.88
(98)
Understand human behavior and boost your career with this free psychology course—brain, emotions, development, mental health, plus quizzes and a certificate option.
In this free course, learn about
Why people study intro psych; value of studying unusual mental disorder cases
Mind/brain foundations: dualism vs Crick’s Astonishing Hypothesis (mind as brain activity)
Smiles & culture: primate vs human smile meanings; US “culture of honor” findings
Individual differences: behavioral genetics (shared environment often least); env. IQ factors
Sex & morality: parental investment theory; time-use data; Milgram on obedience
Clinical & happiness: defining/diagnosing disorders; therapy evaluation; regression to mean
Course Description
Understanding why people think, feel, and act the way they do is a powerful skill in health, education, business, and everyday life. This free online course offers a clear, engaging introduction to psychology, connecting classic ideas with modern research so you can build a solid foundation and apply it right away. You will explore how the mind relates to the brain, why consciousness is more limited than it feels, and how perception and attention can mislead us in ways that are both surprising and deeply practical.
The course also looks at how human beings develop from infancy through the growth of thought and learning, and how language emerges as a uniquely rich tool for communicating and shaping memory. Along the way, you will examine motivation, attraction, and social influence, gaining insight into what draws people together, how emotions guide decisions, and why reasoning is not always as rational as we hope. You will encounter key findings from behavioral science and evolutionary perspectives that help explain everyday behavior, from instant judgments to the subtle forces that shape habits.
A major emphasis is understanding individual differences and the complex interaction between biology and environment. You will also develop a more informed view of psychological well-being by exploring how mental disorders are defined, why diagnosis can be challenging, and what it means to evaluate whether a therapy works. To balance the clinical perspective, the course closes with a thoughtful look at happiness and how to interpret change over time using core research concepts. Exercises throughout help you check your understanding, strengthen critical thinking, and learn to evaluate psychological claims with greater confidence.
Course content
Video class: 1. Introduction29m
Exercise: What type of unusual motivations do some students have when they come to Intro Psychology that the course may actually help with?
Exercise: In an introductory psychology course, what is a likely reason for studying cases involving unusual mental disorders?
Video class: 2. Foundations: This Is Your Brain53m
Exercise: _What is the main difference between dualism and the Astonishing Hypothesis?
Exercise: What is the 'Astonishing Hypothesis' proposed by Francis Crick?
Exercise: What is the Astonishing Hypothesis as described in the lecture on the Introduction to Psychology?
Video class: 3. Foundations: Freud56m
Exercise: _Who developed an encompassing theory of mind over the span of many decades?
Exercise: In Freud's psychoanalytic theory, which component of the personality is responsible for dealing with reality?
Exercise: According to Freud, what are the three distinct processes going on in the unconscious mind that influence behavior?
Video class: 4. Foundations: Skinner58m
Exercise: _According to some psychologists and biologists, why would an unconscious evolve from an evolutionary standpoint?
Exercise: Why does the concept of the unconscious challenge the idea that all mental processes are conscious?
Exercise: According to the discussed psychological concepts, why might deception evolve as an unconscious process?
Video class: 5. What Is It Like to Be a Baby: The Development of Thought48m
Exercise: _According to Piaget, what are the two mechanisms of learning that drive a child through different stages of cognitive development?
Exercise: Which theoretical concept did Piaget contribute to psychology that involves the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can't be seen?
Exercise: What term describes the process where children change their system of knowledge to incorporate new experiences?
Video class: 6. How Do We Communicate?: Language in the Brain, Mouth56m
Exercise: What is the term used to describe the smallest meaningful unit in a language?
Exercise: What evidence supports the idea that the ability to use language is part of human nature, according to the lecture on language?
Video class: 7. Conscious of the Present; Conscious of the Past: Language59m
Exercise: Based on the lecture content, which statement accurately reflects the nature of human perception?
Exercise: Which of the following is a reason why human perception is considered a difficult problem to solve?
Video class: 8. Conscious of the Present; Conscious of the Past:59m
Exercise: What is the concept of change blindness in psychological studies?
Exercise: What does the term 'change blindness' describe in psychological research?
Video class: 9. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Love (Guest Lecture by1h09m
Exercise: According to psychological research presented by Dean Peter Salovey, which of the following is NOT one of the factors that significantly influences the initial attraction between people?
Exercise: What concept in social psychology suggests that we are more attracted to competent individuals who occasionally make mistakes, boosting their likability?
Video class: 10. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Evolution and Rationality59m
Exercise: What does the 'endowment effect' suggest about how we value possessions?
Exercise: What is the primary difference between ultimate and proximate causation in evolutionary psychology?
Video class: 11. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Emotions, Part I53m
Exercise: _What is one advantage of an evolutionary perspective on the mind, according to Professor Paul Bloom?
Exercise: Why do evolutionary psychologists believe humans have instinctual fears of animals like snakes and spiders?
Exercise: What is one key reason why evolutionary psychology is important in understanding human emotions according to the text?
Video class: 12. Evolution, Emotion, and Reason: Emotions, Part II56m
Exercise: _What is the main difference between nonhuman primate smiles and human smiles according to the second world's expert on smiling?
Exercise: According to the studies by Richard Nisbett and Dov Cohen, which region in the United States is more associated with a 'culture of honor'?
Exercise: What do the behaviors of nonhuman primates, such as chimpanzees or gorillas, primarily use smiles to convey?
Video class: 13. Why Are People Different?: Differences1h05m
Exercise: According to contemporary research in behavioral genetics, which factor has been found to contribute the least to individual human differences in traits such as intelligence and personality?
Exercise: Which of the following is most likely an environmental factor contributing to differences in intelligence among individuals?
Video class: 14. What Motivates Us: Sex52m
Exercise: According to the data presented by Professor Paul Bloom, how much time does the average American spend on sex per day?
Exercise: What is the concept of 'parental investment' as described in biological terms?
Video class: 15. A Person in the World of People: Morality1h01m
Exercise: Which of the following concepts were discussed by Professor Paul Bloom in his lecture on the Introduction to Psychology?
Exercise: What does the Milgram experiment illustrate about human behavior?
Video class: 16. A Person in the World of People: Self and Other, Part I58m
Exercise: _What is the individual difference in our social natures that Professor Paul Bloom talks about before introducing the test?
Exercise: Based on the psychology lecture, which of the following factors is typically NOT associated with why we like other people?
Exercise: What is the 'mere exposure effect' in social psychology?
Video class: 17. A Person in the World of People: Self and Other, Part II;1h04m
Exercise: Based on the Introduction to Psychology course lecture, which of the following aspects about dreams is NOT accurate?
Exercise: What is the Pygmalion effect as discussed in the context of social psychology?
Video class: 18. What Happens When Things Go Wrong: Mental Illness, Part I54m
Exercise: _What is the most fundamental question in clinical psychology according to Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema's lecture?
Exercise: What are some of the characteristics that are used to label behaviors as abnormal or unhealthy in the field of clinical psychology?
Exercise: What is a significant challenge in diagnosing mental disorders according to the lecture on modern clinical psychology?
Video class: 19. What Happens When Things Go Wrong: Mental Illness, Part II56m
Exercise: _What is the scope of mental disorders discussed in the lecture?
Exercise: Which of the following statements best reflects the topic that is greatly emphasized in the final part of the Introduction to Psychology course?
Exercise: In relation to the historical understanding of mental illnesses, which of the following statements is true?
Video class: 20. The Good Life: Happiness47m
Exercise: _What is the "regression to the mean" phenomenon in psychology?
Exercise: Based on the content provided regarding clinical psychology and the evaluation of therapy's effectiveness, which of the following best describes the concept of 'regression to the mean' in the context of psychological therapy?
Exercise: What is one method researchers use to determine if therapy is effective?
This free course includes:
18 hours and 43 minutes of online video course
Digital certificate of course completion (Free)
Exercises to train your knowledge
100% free, from content to certificate
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Course comments: Introduction to Psychology
Students loved the free course—highly interactive, engaging, and informative, with clear theories and analogies. Many praised the professor’s teaching and said it felt like being in class; one asked about accessing study materials.
FJ
fatima jahan
Paul's class are my favorite.He is fantistic lecturer.
AS
Akeem Simmonds
"Interactive."
CG
Cecelia Goedel
professor bloom is one of the most informative and complete professors I have had ever. I love his theories and analogies during lectures.
CA
crystal atkins
I absolutely love this course. I learned so much from Professor Paul Bloom. I hope more is to come. thank you
JR
Jincy Ruble
good session
PS
Phumello Success
how do we get the study material online?
FH
Fatima Hussain
super
KG
Keirsten Gadwah
love the instructor
TM
Tegra Mbombo
This means a lot to me I feel like I'm in the class right now.
Course comments: Introduction to Psychology
Students loved the free course—highly interactive, engaging, and informative, with clear theories and analogies. Many praised the professor’s teaching and said it felt like being in class; one asked about accessing study materials.
fatima jahan
Paul's class are my favorite.He is fantistic lecturer.
Akeem Simmonds
"Interactive."
Cecelia Goedel
professor bloom is one of the most informative and complete professors I have had ever. I love his theories and analogies during lectures.
crystal atkins
I absolutely love this course. I learned so much from Professor Paul Bloom. I hope more is to come. thank you
Jincy Ruble
good session
Phumello Success
how do we get the study material online?
Fatima Hussain
super
Keirsten Gadwah
love the instructor
Tegra Mbombo
This means a lot to me I feel like I'm in the class right now.