Do your dreams have meaning or are they just for entertainment? Why is it not possible to tickle ourselves? Do men actually have more intense sexual desires? Is it possible for apes to learn sign language? Psychology, the study of mental functions and behaviors, has long sought to answer these questions and more. This course delves into the topics of love, lust, art, dreams, hunger, fiction, memory, communication, learning, perception, religion, persuasion, and decision-making. It also looks at how the mind develops, how it is wired, how it differs from person to person, and how it breaks down.
The course is taught by Professor Paul Bloom at Yale University. He studied at McGill University and received his Ph.D. from MIT. He has been published in several journals and has authored two books: Descartes’ Baby: How the Science of Child Development Explains What Makes Us Human and How Children Learn the Meanings of Words.20-Lecture Course: Introduction to Psychology,