Foundations of Psychology: How We Think, Learn, and Relate

How do we learn, remember, feel, and connect with others? Why do certain habits stick—and how can they be changed? What makes some decisions feel rational and others emotional? This course offers a comprehensive, accessible pathway through the foundations of modern psychology, equipping you with a clear, research-informed understanding of how the human mind works and how behavior unfolds in real life.

This course is designed for beginners and curious professionals alike. You’ll start with big-picture models that organize our understanding of cognition and behavior, then move through the essential methods scientists use to study the mind. From there, you’ll dive into thinking and memory, learning and conditioning, the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, and mind and emotion—including how psychoactive substances alter experience. You’ll also explore relationships, mental health and treatment, personality, social influences, attitudes and bias, and development across the lifespan. Throughout, you’ll connect theory to practical strategies for learning, decision making, communication, and personal growth.

What You’ll Experience

This is a story-driven, example-rich course. Each section blends foundational theory with clear demonstrations you can apply immediately. You’ll learn how effective learning strategies (such as spaced practice and retrieval) enhance memory; how classical and operant conditioning shape habits; why biases and heuristics influence everyday judgments; how brain systems and neurochemistry support perception, emotion, and behavior; and how social context subtly steers actions, attitudes, and identity.

By the end, you’ll be able to explain core psychological concepts, read research with confidence, and translate insights into practical tools for studying, communicating, leading, and supporting others.

Part I: Foundations & Methods

Foundations of Psychology introduces conceptual models for understanding mind and behavior, setting up the “big map” of the course. You’ll examine what counts as evidence, how theories evolve, and where different subfields fit.
Research in Psychology walks you through study design—from hypotheses and operationalization to sampling and measurement—and the ethical principles that protect human participants. You’ll learn to critically evaluate claims, spot common methodological pitfalls, and appreciate the trade-offs between internal and external validity.

Part II: Cognition, Learning, and the Brain

Cognition and Memory explores how we think, reason, solve problems, and remember. You’ll compare memory systems and see how attention, encoding, and retrieval interact.
Learning and Behavior covers classical and operant conditioning, habit formation, reinforcement schedules, punishment pitfalls, and how unlearning/extinction works. You’ll get practical frameworks for shaping behavior—your own and others’.
Biological Bases of Behavior introduces neurons, synapses, neurotransmitters, major brain regions, and common methods of studying the brain—linking physiology to cognition and emotion.

Part III: Senses, Mind, and Emotion

Sensation and Perception traces how information becomes experience, focusing on vision and extending to other senses. You’ll learn how expectations, context, and attention affect what we “see.”
Consciousness and Emotion examines models of mind and the functions of emotion—along with how psychoactive substances modulate perception, mood, and behavior. You’ll connect these topics to well-being and decision-making.

Part IV: Relationships, Mental Health, Personality & Society

Relationships and Social Behavior covers attraction, attachment dynamics, communication skills, and supportive relationships—grounding social insights in everyday practice.
Mental Health and Treatment surveys models of mental health, DSM frameworks at a high level, and approaches to treatment. You’ll learn how to interpret diagnostic categories critically and compassionately.
Personality and Social Influence compares historical and modern theories, including trait models, and shows how social contexts shape behavior.
Attitudes and Social Cognition explores attitudes, balance, dissonance, attribution, bias, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination—equipping you to recognize and mitigate bias.
Developmental Psychology brings it together across the lifespan, covering comparative development, attachment, and major theoretical frameworks.

What Makes This Course Different

• Holistic coverage: From methods and brain basics to relationships, mental health, and development—all in one coherent pathway.

Ready to Begin?

Whether you’re preparing for formal study, building skills for work, or simply curious about how the mind works, this course will help you see human behavior more clearly, learn more effectively, and relate more skillfully—with tools you can apply right away. Enroll now to start your journey into the science of mind and behavior.