Foundations of Psychology

Learn the basics of psychology: explore its definition, core goals, scientific methods, and how psychologists study behavior and mental processes. A perfect introduction for beginners.

Discover the key figures who shaped modern psychology, including Wundt, Freud, Skinner, and Bandura. Learn their major contributions to psychological theory in this beginner-friendly guide.

Learn how psychologists apply the scientific method to study behavior and mental processes. Understand each step from forming questions to drawing conclusions, with clear examples and beginner-friendly explanations.

Explore the different research methods used in psychology, including descriptive, correlational, experimental, longitudinal, and case studies. Learn how psychologists study behavior with clear explanations for beginners.

Learn the core ethical principles in psychology, including informed consent, confidentiality, protection from harm, and professional responsibilities. Understand how ethics guide research and practice in this clear beginner-friendly module.

Learn the structure and function of the brain and nervous system in psychology. Explore brain regions, nervous system components, and how neurons communicate.

Learn how neurotransmitters influence behavior, mood, and mental health. Explore dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, GABA, and glutamate in psychology.

Explore the nature vs. nurture debate in psychology. Learn how genetics and environment interact to shape behavior, personality, and development.

Learn the basics of classical conditioning through Pavlov’s famous dog experiment. Understand how neutral stimuli become associated with automatic responses, explore key terms like UCS, UCR, CS, and CR, and see real-world applications of associative learning.

Discover operant conditioning with B.F. Skinner’s experiments. Learn how behavior is shaped by consequences, explore reinforcement and punishment, and understand reinforcement schedules that influence learning and behavior retention.

Explore observational learning through Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment. Learn how behaviors are acquired by watching others, the role of modeling, and key processes involved in social learning.

Learn about habituation and sensitization, two simple forms of learning where organisms adapt responses to repeated stimuli, helping them focus on important environmental changes.

Explore Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development and discover how children’s thinking evolves from sensory exploration to complex abstract reasoning.

Learn Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development, exploring how individuals navigate key life conflicts that shape personality from infancy through late adulthood.

Explore Bowlby and Ainsworth’s Attachment Theory, including the Strange Situation experiment and the different attachment styles that influence lifelong emotional and social development.

Learn how memory works through encoding, storage, and retrieval. Discover how information enters the brain, how it's kept, and how it's recalled when needed. Understand what factors help or hinder memory performance.

Explore the different types of memory: short-term, long-term, and working memory. Learn how each system stores, processes, and uses information in daily life, and how they work together to help you learn and remember.

Learn how people solve problems and make decisions using strategies like algorithms, heuristics, and insight. Understand how cognitive biases and mental obstacles can affect reasoning, and how to improve decision-making skills.

Learn how language develops from infancy to early childhood, explore key stages, theories, and factors that shape language acquisition, and understand how both nature and nurture contribute to language learning.

Learn how social influence shapes behavior through conformity and obedience. Explore Asch's conformity experiments and Milgram's obedience study, with factors that affect group pressure and authority compliance.

Discover how group behavior and groupthink affect decision-making. Learn about social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, and the risks of groupthink in group dynamics.

Learn how attribution theory explains how people assign causes to behavior. Explore internal vs. external attributions, common errors like fundamental attribution error and self-serving bias.

Learn about stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Understand their origins, harmful effects, and evidence-based strategies to reduce social bias and promote equality.

This lesson introduces students to Freud’s psychodynamic theory, emphasizing his tripartite model of personality (Id, Ego, Superego), unconscious conflicts, defense mechanisms, and the psychosexual stages of development.

This lesson introduces the Big Five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), explaining each dimension and its role in personality.

This lesson provides an accurate introduction to Freud’s concept of defense mechanisms, covering key types (e.g., repression, denial, projection, displacement, regression, rationalization, sublimation).

Learn about anxiety disorders, including types, symptoms, causes, and treatments. This psychology lesson covers generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, and panic disorder.

Learn about depression, its symptoms, types, and treatments. This psychology module covers major depressive disorder, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, and therapy options.

Learn the basics of schizophrenia, including symptoms, causes, and treatments. This module explains positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms, as well as medications and therapies for managing schizophrenia.

Learn the basics of psychological treatment approaches, including psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic therapies, as well as the role of medications in mental health care.

Learn about stress and coping in psychology. Explore the causes, effects, and evidence-based coping strategies to manage stress and improve well-being.

Explore health psychology and the mind-body connection. Learn how behaviors, emotions, and psychological strategies influence health and promote well-being.

Discover positive psychology with Martin Seligman’s PERMA model. Learn science-based strategies for happiness, resilience, and enhancing well-being in daily life.

Learn how Industrial-Organizational Psychology improves workplaces through hiring, leadership, motivation, and employee well-being. Explore key principles and real-world applications.

Review the complete foundations of psychology course, covering key theories, famous experiments, brain and behavior, development, personality, mental health, and applied psychology.