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Episodes
- S1 E1 - Psychology, You, and Your WorldApril 22, 202129minYour survey begins with an introduction to the field of psychology and an overview of the major ideas of the field, examining how modern psychology is practiced now versus in the past, and why it is so fascinating. Find out what psychology is—and is not—and get a sense for how findings from psychology can influence how we think about ourselves and the world around us.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E2 - How and Why Psychology MattersApril 22, 202130minPsychology has the power to provide answers to important questions about human nature. Investigate the real-world impact of psychology and the methods psychologists employ to understand the world. You’ll look at the role of observation, as well as challenges of bias in psychological experiments. Then get a taste for how nature and nurture affect our behaviors.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E3 - Positive Psychology: A Science of HappinessApril 22, 202129min“Positive psychology” is a relatively new field that emphasizes the value of positive emotions such as joy, satisfaction, and happiness—in other words, mental wellness. Uncover the elements of positive psychology and how 21st-century psychology offers strategies for increasing your well-being.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E4 - Your Brain: A User’s GuideApril 22, 202131minThanks to modern genetics research and imaging techniques, our understanding of the brain is more powerful than ever. Delve into the secrets of this mysterious organ with an insightful tour based on the field of neuroscience that helps us understand not only the functions of the brain, but also learning, behavior, and development.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E5 - Your Nervous System, Hormones, and BehaviorApril 22, 202132minContinue your study of the human hardware with a survey of the nervous system. Zoom in on neurons and explore the ways neurotransmitters connect your mind to your body. Then review a variety of neurochemicals and hormones that are responsible for everything from our mood to our body’s growth and decline. Close with a study of stem cells.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E6 - Understanding and Managing StressApril 22, 202131minOne fundamental aspect of stress is that different people respond to similar events in different ways. To understand why, Professor Sanderson examines the nature of stress—in relationships, in work, and in the environment—and shows how stress can be helpful (e.g., fight or flight) or harmful (e.g., PTSD). See how to better manage your stress.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E7 - Sensation: How You Gather InformationApril 22, 202131min“Sensation” refers to the physical input we receive from the environment;“perception” is the process by which we make sense of this input—how the brain organizes and interprets these inputs. Delve into the field of “psychophysics” to examine the link between physical stimuli and psychological experience.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E8 - Perception: Illusions and InterpretationsApril 22, 202131minHow we perceive the world is often driven less by our objective reality than by psychological factors that influence our interpretation of the world. Understanding this key idea—that we interpret the world—is the subject of this episode. Professor Sanderson takes you through an eye-opening world of illusions, gestalts, and subliminal messaging.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E9 - Pain and PlacebosApril 22, 202132minOur experience of pain is heavily influenced by psychology; so this lesson examines how we perceive pain—and what we can do about it. Learn about the peak-end theory of experience, as well as techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and biofeedback to treat pain. You’ll also reflect on the effect of placebos.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E10 - Attention, Sleep, and DreamingApril 22, 202130minHumans experience numerous states of consciousness, from focused attention to autopilot to dreaming. Sleep, in particular, offers intriguing insights into the relationship between our brains and consciousness. Here, you will analyze our mental processes during sleep and some of the theories to explain what’s going on when we dream.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E11 - Consciousness Modified: Drugs to MindfulnessApril 22, 202132minThere are extreme ways to alter consciousness, but as you will find out in this episode, there are plenty of ordinary ways to change how you think and increase mindfulness. Delve into the human mind as modified by stimulants, depressants, hypnosis, meditation, and more.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E12 - Performance Psychology in Sport and LifeApril 22, 202131minOne recurring theme of this series is how psychology can help you improve your life, and this is arguably no more apparent than in the world of sports. How do athletes get into the flow? How can you optimize your performance? Studying “drive theory” can help you on the field, in the office, and everywhere else, as well.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E13 - Cognitive Development across the LifespanApril 22, 202128minWe are all familiar with the way learning grows exponentially in childhood and then slows as our brains become more fixed in adulthood. But of course, learning and mental growth can continue across your lifetime. Here, investigate the states of cognitive growth in children, and then turn to strategies to change your perspective on aging.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E14 - How Language Develops and Why It MattersApril 22, 202129minOne important component of mental development is our acquisition of language, both verbal and written. Walk through the building blocks of learning a language, from phonemes and morphemes to grammar and semantics. Then consider what it takes to be bilingual and what people who speak multiple languages can tell us about the human mind.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E15 - Attachment Bonds from Infancy to AdulthoodApril 22, 202129minContinue your study of human development, beginning with the way infants form attachments in the first few weeks of life. Explore the relationship between children and their parents, and the role of the environment on development in childhood and adolescence.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E16 - Moral Development and Situational EthicsApril 22, 202128minWhat do you do when you witness bad behavior? Do you stand up to say something, or do you remain silent? This episode examines what researchers in psychology say about how people approach moral decisions—and why they choose to act. Survey models and theories of moral development.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E17 - Learning: Conditioned, Reinforced, ObservedApril 22, 202128min“Learning” refers to a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience, and psychologists have three distinct theories to explain how humans learn: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning and modeling. Unpack these theories and see them in action.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E18 - Memory and ForgettingApril 22, 202129minWe may think of memory as a video of things we have experienced, but in reality, memory is a constructive process, meaning that we organize, shape, and even change information as we store it. In this episode, Professor Sanderson delves into the types of information processing in our brains and the way memories are constructed.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E19 - Problem-Solving and Errors of ThinkingApril 22, 202129minPsychologists describe thinking as forming concepts to organize our world, solve problems, and make judgments and decisions. In some cases, our thinking strategies can pay off, but errors in thinking can lead us astray. Discover some new ways of approaching problems to help you think more clearly and make better decisions.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E20 - Psychology of Eyewitnesses and ConfessionsApril 22, 202129minThe implications of psychology—our faulty perceptions, slippery memories, and more—can have serious repercussions for ourselves and the world at large. Consider what happens if an eyewitness to a crime identifies the wrong person? How easy is that to do, and how can law enforcement guard against it? Take a look at the legal implications of psychology.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E21 - Intelligence and CreativityApril 22, 202131minHow do you define intelligence and creativity? And how can they help us manage our environment and achieve greater success? Here, Professor Sanderson explores the multifaceted dimensions of intelligence and shows you techniques to help you improve your natural creativity.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E22 - Emotional Intelligence and SuccessApril 22, 202129minOne dimension of intelligence is your emotional intelligence—your awareness that emotions can drive behavior, coupled with an ability to manage emotions. Find out how you can increase your emotional intelligence, improve your relationships and social skills, and work more effectively under pressure.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E23 - Adversity and ResilienceApril 22, 202128minLife inevitably comes with challenges, and some can be quite extreme—job losses, serious injuries, the loss of a loved one. But people have the remarkable ability to adapt to adversity and even to potentially find something positive developing from even the most dire life events. This episode reflects on “resilience” and how we can cultivate our inner strength.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E24 - Motivation: Eating, Sex, and AchievementApril 22, 202129minMotivation refers to the set of factors that activate and direct our behavior, usually toward a goal. Here, you will survey a range of theories for what motivates us, and how understanding motivation can help in all sorts of ways. Reflect on diets, dating, and “lighting a fire in your belly” to achieve more in life.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
- S1 E25 - Emotions: Why You FeelApril 22, 202128minDig into the murky world of emotions as well as the physical reactions they cause—a racing heart, expectant thoughts, and a smile or tears. Positive psychology offers numerous lessons on how to think about emotions and improve happiness, from maintaining strong friendships to the way we express our feelings.Subscribe to The Great Courses Signature Collection or The Great Courses Living or purchase
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