Crash Course Psychology

 What does Psychology mean? Where does it come from? Hank gives you a 10 minute intro to one of the more tricky sciences and talks about some of the big names in the development of the field. Welcome to Crash Course Psychology!!! 

 So how do we apply the scientific method to psychological research? Lots of ways, but today Hank talks about case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys and interviews, and experimentation. Also he covers different kinds of bias in experimentation and how research practices help us avoid them.
Table of Contents
The Scientific Method 2:06
Case Studies 3:05
Naturalistic Observation 3:48
Surveys and Interviews 4:15
Experimentation 6:35
Proper Research Practices 8:40 

BAHHHHHH! Did I scare you? What exactly happens when we get scared? How does our brain make our body react? Just what are Neurotransmitters? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes us to the simplest part of the complex system of our brains and nervous systems; The Neuron.

 In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, we get to meet the brain. Hank talks us through the Central Nervous System, the ancestral structures of the brain, the limbic system, and new structures of the brain. Plus, what does Phineas Gage have to do with all of this?
Table of Contents:
Basics of the CNS 2:15
Basics of the Brain 5:03
Ancestral Structures of the Brain 5:37
Limbic System 7:31
New Structures of the Brain 8:32 

 Just what is the difference between sensing and perceiving? And how does vision actually work? And what does this have to do with a Corgi? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes us on a journey through the brain to better explain these and other concepts. Plus, you know, CORGI!
Table of Contents:
Sensation vs. Perception :54
Sense Thresholds 2:11
Neurology of Vision 4:23 

  HOMUNCULUS! It's a big and weird word that you may or may not have heard before, but do you know what it means? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank gives us a deeper understanding of this weird model of human sensation. 

 So what does perception even mean? What's the difference between seeing something and making sense of it? In today's episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank gives us some insight into the differences between sensing and perceiving.
Table of Contents
Perceptual Set 01:53:15
Form Perception 03:44:17
Visual Cues 06:08:08
Depth Perception 05:39:12 

 So what does perception even mean? What's the difference between seeing something and making sense of it? In today's episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank gives us some insight into the differences between sensing and perceiving.
Table of Contents
Perceptual Set 01:53:15
Form Perception 03:44:17
Visual Cues 06:08:08
Depth Perception 05:39:12 

 Why do we sleep? Well... that's a tricky question. More easily answered is the question, "How do we sleep?" In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank discusses some of the ways our brain functions when sleeping and how it can malfunction as well.
Table of Contents
Four Stages of Sleep 02:38
Why We Dream 04:28
Information Processing 08:13
Physiological Function 08:31
Cognitive Development 08:52
Neural Activity Models 09:04 

 You may think you know all about hypnosis from the movies. Zoolander, The Manchurian Candidate, etc... but there's a whole lot more going on. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank tells us about some of the many altered states of consciousness, including hypnosis.
Table of Contents
Hypnosis 0:00
Psychoactive Depressants 05:51
Non-Drug Induced Hallucinations 09:33 

 I'm sure you've heard of Pavlov's Bell (and I'm not talking about the Aimee Mann song), but what was Ivan Pavlov up to, exactly? And how are our brains trained? And what is a "Skinner Box"? All those questions and more are answered in today's Crash Course Psychology, in which Hank talks about some of the aspects of learning.
Table of Contents
Associative Learning 01:33:17
Behaviorist Theory 04:32:05
Classical and Operant Conditioning 03:47:01
Positive and Negative Reinforcement 07:18:22
Reinforcement Scheduling 09:32:02 

 In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about how we learn by observation... and how that can mean beating the tar out of an inanimate clown named Bobo.
Table of Contents

The Bobo Doll Experiment 0:00:00
Limitations of Classical and Operant Conditioning 01:58:09
Basics of Learning 02:24:23
Mirror Neurons 07:20:16

 Remember that guy from 300? What was his name? ARG!!! It turns out our brains make and recall memories in different ways. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about the way we do it, what damaging that process can do to us, and that guy... with the face and six pack...
Table of Contents
Encoding and Storing Memory 03:15:08
Implicit & Explicit Processing 04:46:03
Shallow & Deep Processing 07:27:03
Long-Term Storage 04:03:00 

  In this REALLY IMPORTANT EPISODE of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about how we remember and forget things, why our memories are fallible, and the dangers that can pose.
Table of Contents
How Memories are Stored 01:12:05
Retrieval Cues & Priming 02:19:10
Context & Mood Influences 03:00:09
How Information is Forgotten 04:34:20
Interference & Misinformation 06:21:06
Issues with Eyewitness Accounts 07:02:23 

 We used to think that the human brain was a lot like a computer; using logic to figure out complicated problems. It turns out, it's a lot more complex and, well, weird than that. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank discusses thinking & communication, solving problems, creating problems, and a few ideas about what our brains are doing up there.
Table of Contents
Thinking & Communicating 01:39:16
Solving Problems 03:21:03
Creating Problems 05:46:06 

  You know what's amazing? That we can talk to people, they can make meaning out of it, and then talk back to us. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks to us and tries to make meaning out of how our brains do this thing called Language. Plus, monkeys!
Table of Contents
Phonemes, Morphemes, Grammar 01:48:13
Receptive and Productive Language 03:22:06
Babbling 03:55:22
How We Acquire Language 05:50:22 

   Feeling motivated? Even if you are, do you know why? The story of Aaron Ralston can tell us a lot about motivation. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank tells us Ralston's story, as well as 4 theories of motivation and some evolutionary perspectives on motivation.
Table of Contents
Four Theories of Motivation:
Evolutionary Perspective 1:38:22
Drive-Reduction 2:45:10
Optimal Arousal 3:38:21
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 4:49:04
How Sex, Hunger, and the Need to Belong Motivate us 5:29:02 

 How does our knowledge grow? It turns out there are some different ideas about that. Schemas, Four-Stage Theory of Cognitive Development, and Vygotsky's Theory of Scaffolding all play different roles but the basic idea is that children think about things very differently than adults. Hank explains in today's episode of Crash Course Psychology.
Table of Contents
Schemas, Assimilation & Accommodation 2:39:12
Piaget's Four-Stage Cognitive Development 1:47:02
Sensortimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational,
and Formal Operational Periods 3:48:22
Vygotsky's Theory of Scaffolding 7:45:05

 In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes a look at a few experiments that helped us understand how we develop as human beings. Things like attachment, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, and morality are all discussed... also, a seriously unpleasant study with monkeys and fake mothers.
Table of Contents
Three Styles of Attachment 02:16:23
Parenting Styles 07:35:19
Developing Self Concept 06:34:04
Kolhberg's Stages of Morality 08:18:00 

  In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank has a look at that oh so troublesome time in everyone's life: Adolescence! He talks about identity, individuality, and The Breakfast Club.
Table of Contents
Erikson's 8 Stages of Progressive Psychosocial Development 02:08:00
Emerging Adulthood 03:41:00
Fluid & Crystalline Intelligence 06:53:00
Dementia & Alzheimer's Disease 08:10:00 

 Herman Rorschach (no, not the guy from Watchmen) came up with the eponymous tests, but what do they mean? Why are we so fascinated with them despite the division in the world of Psychology? Hank tackles these topics as we take a closer look at personality in this episode of Crash Course Psychology.
Table of Contents
Personality Theory 02:16:12
Psychoanalytic Theory 02:52:11
Neo-Freudians 07:44:00
Humanistic Theory 09:31:02 

 How would you measure a personality? What, exactly, is the self? Well, as you've come to expect, it's not that easy to nail down an answer for those questions. Whether you're into blood, bile, earth, wind, fire, or those Buzzfeed questionnaires, there are LOTS of ways to get at who we are and why.
Table of Contents
Trait & Social-Cognitive Personality 01:35:01
Measuring Personality 02:57:03
Who or What is the Self? 09:16:14
How Self Esteem Works 09:42:04

 So, how many different kinds of intelligence are there? And what is the G-Factor? Eugenics? Have you ever taken an IQ Test? All of these things play into the fascinating and sometimes icky history of Intelligence Testing. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks us through some of the important aspects of that history... as well as Nazis. Hey, I said some of it was icky.
Table of Contents
Defining Intelligence 00:00:00
Types of Intelligence 01:22:09
G-Factor 01:37:05
Sherlock Holmes 04:44:12
Intelligence Testing 02:26:23
IQ Scores 08:00:21
Eugenics 07:47:05
Intelligence Controversy 09:05:17

 In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes a look at WAIS and WISC intelligence tests and how bias can really skew both results and the usefulness of those results.
Table of Contents
WAIS & WISC Tests 01:09:22
Standardization & Validity 02:13:10
IQ Performance 07:44:12 

  Even if you're Mel Gibson or Kanye, it's probably best to not wear all of your emotions on your sleeve. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about these things called "Emotions". What are they? And why do we need them?
Table of Contents:
Emotions 00:54:22
Theories on Emotions 02:10:20
Cognition & Emotion 03:35:17
The Autonomic Nervous System 07:39:11 

   So, it turns out we have an easy time reading emotions in facial expressions, but emotions can straight up kill us! In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank discusses stress, emotions, and their overall impact on our health.
Table of Contents:
How Emotions Work 00:00
Two-Dimensional Model of Emotional Experience 03:29
How Anger, Happiness, and Depression Affect Health 4:52
Stress, the Nervous System, and Chronic Stress 6:36 

  Sex is complicated for different reasons in different cultures. But, it's the entire purpose of life, so there's no reason to blush. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, Sexuality, Gender Identity, Hormones, and even looks into the idea of why we have sex. There's a lot to go through here.
Table of Contents:
Alfred Kinsey & Sex Surveys 0:00
Biological Sex & Gender Identity 2:01
Masters & Johnson 3:07
Sex Hormones 5:31
Physiological & Social Factors of Sex 7:11
Sexual Orientation 8:51
Why We Have Sex 10:17 

 In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes a look at how the treatment for Psychological Disorders has changed over the last hundred years and who is responsible for getting us on the path to getting us here.
Table of Contents:
Defining Psychological Disorders 00:10:09
Perspectives on Mental Illness 03:16:10
Diagnosing Disorders with the DSM 07:09:09
DSM is Constantly Evolving 07:42:12 

   Ever call someone OCD because they like to have a clean apartment? Ever tell someone you have a phobia of spiders when, in fact, they just creep you out a little? In this episode of Crash Course psychology, Hank talks about OCD and Anxiety Disorders in the hope we'll understand what people with actual OCD have to deal with as well as how torturous Anxiety Disorders and Panic Attacks can actually be.
Table of Contents:
Don't Use OCD as a Punch Line 00:00:00

What Defines an Anxiety Disorder 01:55:20
Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 02:35:07
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 04:05:18
Panic Disorder and Phobias 04:47:20
The Learning Perspective 07:38:20
The Biological Perspective 09:13:14

 Not sleeping for days on end. Long periods of euphoria. Racing thoughts. Grandiose ideas. Mania. Depression. All of these are symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about mood disorders and their causes as well as how these disorders can impact people's lives.
Table of Contents:
What are Mood Disorders? 1:05
Symptoms of Depressive & Bipolar Disorders 2:00
Biological, Genetic, Environmental, & Social-Cognitive
Causes of Mood Disorders 5:47

  So, what do Batman and J.R.R. Tolkien have in common? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It used to be called "Shellshock" and it can be really really really destructive. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank lays out the low down on PTSD and how trauma can affect the brain. Plus, a look at how addiction can play into trauma and the different types of treatments used to help those afflicted.
Table of Contents:
The Wise Frodo Baggins 00:00

PTSD: Causes and Symptoms 01:57:18
How Trauma Can Affect the Brain 05:12:09
Addiction 07:08:18
Trauma and Addiction 07:41:17
Dual Treatment Model 08:24:07
Post-Traumatic Growth 06:31:00

  Did you know that Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder aren't the same thing? Did you know that we don't call it Multiple Personality Disorder anymore? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank takes us down the road of some very misunderstood psychological disorders.
Table of Contents:
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders 01:31:05
Brain Activity 05:03:16
Dissociative Disorders 08:04:23
Sybil Was a Lie! 08:58:14 

  In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank walks us through the troubling world of Eating and Body Dysmorphic disorders. There's a lot going on here and, even though we still have a lot of dots to connect, a lot we can learn to help ourselves and each other.
Table of Contents:
Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating Disorder 01:55
Types of Body Dysmorphic Disorders 05:58
Psychological & Environmental Roots 08:03 

  What exactly are Personality Disorders? How can they be diagnosed? Can we prevent some of them? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank gives us the down low on things like Ego-Dystonic and Ego-Syntonic Disorders, Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorders, and Potential Biological, Psychological, and Social Roots of these disorders.
Table of Contents:
Personality Disorders 02:04
Ego-Dystonic vs. Ego Syntonic Disorders 00:44
Three Clusters of Personality Disorders 02:23
Overlapping Personality Disorders 03:35
Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorders 04:31
Bio-Psycho-Social Roots 06:54 

  So, you know you'd like to get help with some problematic behavior (like fear of flying). What do you do? Who can you go to for help? Once you've gone, what can you expect? In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about what "Getting Help" can look like.

If you are currently in need of help: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/

Table of Contents
Major Types of Psychotherapy 00:00
Psychodynamic Therapy 01:14
Freud's Psychoanalysis 01:28
Existential-Humanist Therapy 03:45
Roger's Client-Centered Focus 04:20
Behavior & Cognitive Therapies 06:00
Group and Family Therapy 09:48 

 Do you know how Prozac works? Or lithium? Did you know that electro shock therapy is still a thing? There's a lot to know about biomedical treatments and how they work in tandem with psychotherapy or talk therapy. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about how Biomedical Treatments have evolved and how they work with other therapies.
Table of Contents:
Client & Clinician Perceptions 01:19
Efficacy & Effectiveness of Psychological Treatments 03:10
Biomedical Therapies & Drug Therapies 04:46
Electroconvulsive Therapy 07:37
Lifestyle Changes 09:25 

  Why do people do bad things? Is it because of the situation or who they are at their core? In this week's episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank works to shed a little light on the ideas of Situation vs. Personality. Oh, and we'll have a look at the Stanford Prison Experiment... It's alarming.
Table of Contents

Social Psychology 01:29
Fundamental Attribution Error 02:04
Dual-Process Theory of Persuasion 03:18
Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon 04:35
Stanford Prison Experiment 05:12
Cognitive Dissonance 8:08 

    Why do people sometimes do bad things just because someone else told them to? And what does the term Groupthink mean? In today's episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank talks about the ideas of Social Influence and how it can affect our decisions to act or to not act.
Table of Contents:
Milgram Experiment 0:31
Automatic Mimicry 3:29
Solomon Asch 4:08
Normative Social Influence 5:31
Social Facilitation 5:59
Social Loafing 6:19
Deindividuation, Group Polarization, & Groupthink 6:50 

  In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank tackles some difficult topics dealing with prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.
There's a lot here, so let's get started.
Table of Contents:
Prejudice, Stereotyping, & Discrimination 00:00
Prejudice Can Often Be Non-Conscious 02:03
Implicit Association Test or AIT 04:23
Ingroup-Outgroup Phenomenon 07:08
In-Group Bias 07:48

 In our final episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank discusses the ideas of Aggression and Altruism. These two things are difficult to understand and explain so sit tight and get ready to run the gauntlet of human emotions.
Table of Contents:
Robber's Cave Experiment 0:00
Realistic Conflict Theory 0:57
Physical & Environmental Triggers 3:23
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis 4:24
Altruism 5:25
Bystander Effect 5:56
Social Exchange Theory 7:19