Since we were young children, we have tried to understand, to predict, and to control behavior. We first dealt with our parents and teachers, and later our friends and companions. This course shows, however, how the understanding, prediction, and control of behavior require scientific validation. By using tools that are systematic and objective, psychology has learned how people behave and think.
Psychology is a very broad field of study and the course will include discussions of the brain and nervous system, sensation and perception, learning, memory, intelligence and thinking, lifespan development, emotion and motivation, personality, social behavior, behavioral disorders, and psychological treatment of disorders. The course will include short lecture modules, demonstrations and experiments, and writing assignments.