Psychology: The Science of Learning and Behaviour

How does learning and experience shape the ways that people (and animals) interact with their world?

This self-paced class focuses on the "Behaviourist" perspective of Psychology, and covers aspects of the subject that can be learned and studied directly and scientifically through observable behaviour. Starting with some historical perspectives, we will work through some of the key ideas and experiments which have shaped psychological knowledge, and learn key concepts and theories which can be applied to a wide range of everyday experiences. 

*Themes such as interpretation of graphs/data and application of knowledge to scenarios will recur through the different topics - with support for developing these skills throughout.
*In some weeks, mental health topics will be used as examples as the class aims to apply theories to a wide range of behaviours. This will be done from the perspective of explaining some of the theories around possible causes/explanations of symptoms, and NOT from the perspective of providing techniques, strategies, or guidance for symptoms or experiences.


CLASS STRUCTURE:
Each week/topic will begin with a 'master post' in the classroom, first with an interactive lecture video, including descriptions and explanations of the key concepts, and pause breaks for students to fill in participation questions. The teacher will use students' responses in discussion prompts later in the week and/or in future weeks' topics.


PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:
A basic introduction to Psychology is useful, though not required for a successful class experience. The most important pre-requisite is an interest in the topic!


FURTHER STUDY:
The class is semester course focusing on one branch of Psychology. The lectures will provide core content, but it is possible for interested students to explore further. Students will be encouraged to expand their knowledge beyond the core class content as appropriate to their interests and capabilities, and independent reading is encouraged, though not required for a successful class experience.

Optional short-essay questions will be set and receive feedback if requested by students.

Learners who join this class are also able to join my "Psychology and Neuroscience GROUP" for a free trial (refunded when signing up), to allow opportunities to interact with other learners, and gain exposure to an even wider range of topics in Psychology.