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Why do we think and act the way we do? What are we most afraid of, and why? What do our dreams mean? Finding clear answers to some of our most ambiguous questions isn’t easy.
But one online class — and Coursera’s most popular online psychology course — aims to explore these ideas. With over 620,000 enrollments so far, Yale University’s free Introduction to Psychology class breaks down the science behind cognitive, social, and clinical psychology, from how we perceive things to what influences our relationships.
The course is taught by Paul Bloom, Ph.D., a Yale professor who’s been teaching psychology since 1990. He’s also the author of five books and co-editor of three, including “Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion.”
Bloom designed the course to answer many pressing questions we may have about our thoughts and behaviors using research-backed facts to explain everything in a digestible way. Ultimately, Bloom uncovers the hidden factors that shape our actions — knowledge can direct us towards building more fulfilling lives.
As someone who’s always seeking to learn more about my own mind and why we think the way we do, this course really caught my attention as it provides a comprehensive overview of key psychology topics. To see why so many people were drawn to this course, I decided to sign up.
You can take the course for free here. Or, keep reading for an overview of what to expect and a firsthand review of the online course.
Each section includes video lectures, readings, and short quizzes to apply your knowledge. It takes six weeks to officially finish the course, but since it’s self-paced, you can complete it in a week or even one sitting.
There are also required readings and quizzes, which really enhance the course, in my opinion. Most of the readings are studies conducted by psychologists, which go above and beyond the course material to show you how these concepts apply to human beings in the real world. I’m not a huge fan of tests in general, but the weekly quizzes really helped me stay on top of the material throughout the weeks. You do have to score higher than 80% to pass, but don’t worry — you get three attempts every eight hours.
Psychology can be very abstract, but Bloom presents the material in a really comprehensible way. His tone is inviting and conversational, making the lectures feel more personal and fun to listen to, almost like he’s speaking directly to you.
Plus, the videos are filled with interactive graphics and key summaries to supplement the lectures, and some even include clips of relevant social experiments so you can see how the concept actually applies to individuals.
If you’re looking for an enriching alternative to a Netflix binge, this course is for you. One thing that fascinated me was when Bloom examined the research behind smiles and what they can tell you about a person. For example, there’s the Duchenne smile, a genuine smile that people have when they’re happy, and the Pan Am smile, which (as the name suggests) is fake. Learning how to spot the difference even inspired me to open my old high school yearbook and compare my findings based on how I knew my classmates.
Throughout the course, I found plenty of opportunities for self-reflection. One particularly memorable moment was when I learned why people can have such distorted memories — or even memories of things that didn’t actually happen.
According to Bloom, false memories are shaped through exercises where we think back and try to reconstruct what we remember. For instance, I can have a memory of a party I went to that is very similar to my friend’s description of the event. We may have not had the same experiences at the party, but now our personal recounts of the party are similar because of the discussions we’ve had about it.
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You’ll find yourself growing throughout the course as you start to analyze more of your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. When I took the baseline happiness survey at the beginning of the course, I found myself with lower scores in the relationships and meaning categories. The questions posed in the survey helped me identify the sources of dissatisfaction when it came to my relationships and how I was finding meaning in my life.
By the time the six weeks were over, I became more mindful of how I was forming relationships and finding fulfillment in my day-to-day life. My scores in the relationship and meaning categories improved at the end of the course because I started to internalize more of Bloom’s teachings, such as embracing unexpected changes as a gift.
Ultimately, this class doesn’t teach you just about psychology — it shows you tangible steps you can take to improve your mindset, strengthen your relationships, and feel more fulfilled. By the end of the course, you’ll definitely be able to identify the deeper reasoning behind common thoughts and behaviors. Personally, it’s helped me foster greater connections with people and develop a more optimistic mindset, even when things feel gloomy.
Best of all, the lectures in this course feel like listening to an audiobook and the online format is low-pressure. I enjoyed watching or even just listening to Bloom’s videos at my own pace – often while I was taking a walk in my neighborhood or exercising on the elliptical. He’s very passionate about the subject, and you’ll feel just as enthusiastic listening to this engaging, one-sided conversation.
This course costs nothing upfront but will deliver tons of unexpected benefits in return that’ll make your life more rewarding and exhilarating.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].
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