Introduction to Psychology

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The American Psychological Association (APA) defines psychology as the scientific study of mind and behavior. This course aims to elucidate what the APA means by this. Psychologists wish to understand how and why we think, feel, perceive, and act in a certain way. Their research results quite often defy conventional wisdom and insights from psychology have proven useful for other fields such as management and marketing, law and justice, education, and (mental) health. This introductory course will cover topics ranging from the workings of the brain to consciousness, from intelligence to abnormal behavior, and from elementary sensations to wonderful visual illusions. It will tackle questions like: Do we have free will? Why do we blindly obey authority? Can we trust our own memory?