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Introduction to Psychology

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Introduction to Psychology

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.9

5,427 reviews

2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.9

5,427 reviews

2 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course

There are 12 modules in this course

This course will highlight the most interesting experiments within the field of psychology, discussing the implications of those studies for our understanding of the human mind and human behavior. We will explore the brain and some of the cognitive abilities it supports like memory, learning, attention, perception and consciousness. We will examine human development - both in terms of growing up and growing old - and will discuss the manner in which the behavior of others affect our own thoughts and behavior. Finally we will discuss various forms of mental illness and the treatments that are used to help those who suffer from them.

The fact of the matter is that humans routinely do amazing things without appreciating how interesting they are. However, we are also routinely influenced by people and events without always being aware of those influences. By the end of this course you will have gained a much better understanding and appreciation of who you are and how you work. And I can guarantee you that you'll learn things that you'll be telling your friends and family about, things that will fundamentally change the way you think of yourself and others. How can you resist that?!

This section is about your orientation to the Coursera interface and the logistics of the course.

What's included

2 readings

2 readings•Total 20 minutes
  • Course Logistics•10 minutes
  • Links to Outside Resources•10 minutes

This section is about exploring the introduction to the Science of Psychology. At the end of this first section you'll be able to identify and discuss some of the major movements in the Science of Psychology.

What's included

7 videos

7 videos•Total 107 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Psychology Emerges... (14:38 min)•15 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Before Freud (17:46 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Freud (14:26 min)•14 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - After Freud (16:25 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Truth Seeking (12:35 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Knowledge Association (15:49 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Knowledge by Contrast (15:23 min)•15 minutes

There was a time when one could study Psychology without linking phenomena back to the brain itself, but those days are slowly disappearing. Now every Psychology student, yourself included, is expected to have at least a general knowledge of brain organization and structure. At the end of this section you will be able to locate structures of the brain and discuss its organization.

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 121 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Brain Matter (20:20 min)•20 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Your Light Switch (12:40 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Subcortical Regions (13:27 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - The Occipital Lobe (10:59 min)•11 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - The Temporal Lobe (14:51 min)•15 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - The Parietal Lobe (16:07 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - The Frontal Lobe (18:10 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Split Brain (14:40 min)•15 minutes

This section is all about the systems our brain uses to get input from the world ... you will be able to recognize what those things around us are and where they are ... and be able to interpret who we are and how we fit.

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 133 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Outside In (14:26 min)•14 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Point of Contact (20:24 min)•20 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Perceiving What: Part 1 (18:38 min)•19 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - Perceiving What: Part 2 (17:50 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Perceiving Where (17:35 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Selection (16:38 min)•17 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Self Awareness (13:21 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Theory of Mind (13:40 min)•14 minutes

This section is all about learning and behaviourism. When you're done the videos you'll be able to name and describe the topic of learning and behaviour in contexts such as flirting and gambling!

What's included

8 videos1 assignment

8 videos•Total 117 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Forces of Nature (15:18 min)•15 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Rise of Behaviorism (15:59 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Learning (14:09 min)•14 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - Learning by Consequence (17:32 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - How to Flirt (17:38 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Conditioned Superstition (10:02 min)•10 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Passing the Test (14:40 min)•15 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Observational Learning (11:52 min)•12 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Midterm Test•30 minutes

This topic is Memory, and it's a big topic, and one I know a fair amount about. It was hard to figure out what to present and what to leave out. I tried to include some of the most interesting stuff. I hope you agree. After this section you'll be able to define and summarize topics such as False Memory and Amnesia.

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 126 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Memory is Not Singular: Part 1 (15:55 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Memory is Not Singular: Part 2 (24:34 min)•25 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Reconstructive Memory (13:18 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - False Memory (9:40 min)•10 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Deja Vu (19:23 min)•19 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Familiarity (12:33 min)•13 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Amnesias (15:45 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - What is Not Forgotten (14:39 min)•15 minutes

This topic is Social Psychology and it features some of the most controversial experiments in psychology. Some of these will having you thinking very deeply for a long time after you see them. You'll have time to analyze and interpret our experience with conformity and authority.

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 129 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Conformity (13:51 min)•14 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Authority (16:29 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Protecting the Self (15:04 min)•15 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - Good People Do Bad (16:25 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Bystander Interference (12:00 min)•12 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Schemas, Stereotypes and Prejudice (16:16 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Competition, Ignorance, Fear and Prejudice (18:28 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Attraction (20:15 min)•20 minutes

This topic is Clinical Psychology and you'll learn both about various clinical disorders, and about the therapies commonly used to treat them.You'll be able to extend this knowledge to different disorders. Be careful to not start diagnosing all your friends or family (or yourself!)

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 162 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Diagnosis (21:22 min)•21 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Anxiety Disorders (21:58 min)•22 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Disorders of Emotion (20:32 min)•21 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - Schizophrenia (22:24 min)•22 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Personality Disorders (15:48 min)•16 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Insight Therapies (17:53 min)•18 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (20:30 min)•21 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Biological Treatments (21:44 min)•22 minutes

This module is all about you and is about extending our foundational knowledge in the field of psychology so you can discover and describe to others more of what's interesting to you. These curated videos are based on past course requests. We will add new ones as well from time to time as new cohorts make requests.

What's included

8 videos1 assignment

8 videos•Total 220 minutes
  • Lecture 1 - Sleep (24:59 min)•25 minutes
  • Lecture 2 - Dreams (20:58 min)•21 minutes
  • Lecture 3 - Hypnosis (38:49 min)•39 minutes
  • Lecture 4 - Stages of Development (26:21 min)•26 minutes
  • Lecture 5 - Parent-Child Relationships (27:14 min)•27 minutes
  • Lecture 6 - Intelligence (27:29 min)•27 minutes
  • Lecture 7 - PTSD (23:20 min)•23 minutes
  • Lecture 8 - Love (31:19 min)•31 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
  • Final Exam•30 minutes

Final Peer Assessment Assignment

What's included

1 peer review

1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
  • Relating the Class to World Events•60 minutes

This reading item has links to resources referenced in the course

What's included

1 reading

1 reading•Total 10 minutes
  • Links to Resources•10 minutes

These are extras and side videos that you are not tested on. Feel free to watch if you're interested.

What's included

8 videos

8 videos•Total 109 minutes
  • MOOC2 - Week 1 - Side Dish 1•13 minutes
  • DanVoyer•23 minutes
  • Complex Brains working and not•12 minutes
  • Halloween Side Dish Treat•24 minutes
  • Synesthesia Side Dish•8 minutes
  • Anthony Rucco Interview•13 minutes
  • Jessica Dere Interview•13 minutes
  • Until Next Time Beans!•2 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.9 (1,330 ratings)
University of Toronto
4 Courses•733,069 learners

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IO
·

Reviewed on Feb 7, 2021

I am very happy to complete this course. I really thank the organizers and I wish to frankly say that I have learned a lot about human behavior and how we can appreciate our own capabilities.

RL
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Reviewed on Mar 30, 2021

Such an amazing course! Prof. Steve Joordens explains Psychology in a easy way, the lessons are very well prepared and I definitely lernt a lot. Thank you for providing such a good course for free :)

RF
·

Reviewed on Nov 16, 2017

this was the most usefull and interesting course I've ever take .I enjoyed every single lesson and I strongly recommend it to my friends and Colleagues.thank you very much for your efforts

Frequently asked questions

You'll learn how psychologists study the mind and behavior, and how major findings connect to everyday life. It starts with how psychology became a science, then builds into the brain and cognition, social behavior, and mental health. You'll also use those ideas in quizzes and a short peer-reviewed analysis of a current event.

No, you don't need prior psychology coursework to start. The course begins with how psychology emerged as a science and explains core ideas as it goes, so the early lessons set you up for later topics like learning, memory, and mental illness. Optional outside resources are available, but the assessed material comes from Professor Joordens' lectures.

It is beginner-friendly if you want a wide survey of psychology and you're comfortable learning mainly through video lessons and quizzes. The course explains ideas through well-known experiments and examples, so you don't need specialist knowledge going in. It may feel less suited if you want deep research training or a project-heavy course.

Plan on about 23 hours in total, or roughly 2 to 3 weeks if you study around 10 hours a week. That gives you time to work through the lessons steadily and still leave room for quizzes and the final peer-reviewed assignment. The course includes video lessons, short readings, quizzes, and a short written assignment with peer review.

Yes, but the hands-on work is more analytical than lab-based. You'll check your understanding through quizzes and finish with a short peer-reviewed assignment where you apply a psychological concept to a current event. It's guided rather than open-ended, so the practice helps you use each idea as you learn it.

You'll cover the scientific method, how the brain supports cognition, how people learn and remember, how social settings shape behavior, and how mental disorders are diagnosed and treated. These topics are taught through classic studies and concrete cases, such as false memory or conformity, rather than through definitions alone. By the end, you'll have a broad map of how psychologists explain thought, behavior, and experience.

After finishing, you should be able to explain many everyday behaviors using core psychological concepts and discuss classic studies with more confidence. You'll be better able to judge psychological claims, distinguish correlation from causation, and compare broad approaches to mental health treatment. A realistic next step is analyzing a news story or social situation with a concept from the course and explaining your reasoning clearly.

It's more conceptual than hands-on. Most of the learning comes through lessons that explain experiments, evidence, and major ideas, with quizzes and one peer-reviewed analysis to reinforce the material. It's a better fit if you want to understand psychology broadly rather than do lab-style practice.

This course is a strong choice if you want psychology taught through memorable experiments and real examples, not just a list of terms. Professor Steve Joordens moves from the scientific method into topics like memory, social influence, and mental illness, and the course keeps linking those ideas back to everyday human behavior. If you want a wide, experiment-centered introduction with guided assessments instead of a narrow specialty course, this is a good fit.

Financial aid available,

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.