Introduction to Psychology — Open & Free

EDITED BY HAL As the name suggests, Introduction to Psychology offers students an engaging introduction to the essential topics in psychology. Throughout this study of human behavior and the mind, you will gain insight into the history of the field of psychology, as well as explore current theories and issues in areas such as cognition, motivation, and wellness. The course has been updated to align with DSM-5.

The importance of scientific methods and principles of research design is emphasized throughout this course and presented in a way that will enrich your study of individuals as thinking, feeling, and social beings.

This course is part of our Community College (CC-OLI) series. Although courses in this series are particularly well-suited to the needs of introductory community college courses, the course materials have been used successfully by learners and educators at a broad array of institutions.

Topics Covered:

  • Research Methods
  • Brains, Bodies, and Behavior
  • Sensing and Perceiving
  • Learning; Memory
  • Language
  • Intelligence
  • Lifespan Development
  • Emotion and Motivation
  • Personality
  • Psychology in Our Social Lives
  • Wellness
  • Psychological Disorders
  • Treatment
  • and Consciousness

It consists of 16 units, each with an average of four modules. The content of each module is driven by a set of student-centered learning objectives.

Along with expository text, videos, animations, interactive exercises, and self-assessments form the framework for students to actively discover, acquire, and personally relate to the concepts and ideas offered in this course. For example, students will actively encounter material through “Learn By Doing” activities that facilitate and support learning with hints and immediate, targeted feedback. Coupled with these activities are “Did I Get This?” self-assessments that give students the opportunity to gauge their understanding of the material. The Open & Free version of Introduction to Psychology does not include the scored assessments at the end of each module, nor are the instructor tools available.