Psychology is one of the most interesting things you can study. At its core, it explores human behavior and explains why we do things the way that we do.
Psychology is also a valuable tool for healing interpersonal relationships, but it’s a difficult field to study because the web is full of pseudo-science. When browsing Google, it’s hard to escape BuzzFeed personality quizzes and clickbait “studies.” How do you get around this mess?
Well, here are some of the best psychology websites. Through these, you can learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know.
1. Online University Courses
The best place to start is an introductory psychology course taught by an expert. Schools such as Yale, Oxford, and MIT sometimes offer free online psychology courses for beginners.
Because these courses are free, you won’t earn credit. However, you will receive a world-class introduction to psychology. You can also find supplementary info on the YouTube channel YaleCourses.
Additionally: you can take an online introductory statistics class. Statistics are key for understanding study results.
2. Explore Psychology With Khan Academy
Khan Academy is one of the best online tools for beginners. They don’t have a ton of resources, but the ones they do post are great.
Their lecture series begins with human development and the role of genetics in behavior. They then touch upon classic psychological areas for beginners, including personality theories and disorders.
Many of the online psychology courses offered by Khan Academy come with supplemental materials. As well, you can study for the MCAT or similar tests with their review questions.
3. Understanding Key Psychology Experiments With Simple Psychology
Experiments form the backbone of what we know about human psychology. Many experiments are so famous that lecturers only refer to them in passing, as they expect you to know the key points.
Online psychology courses can be difficult, so take every opportunity that you can to make things easier on yourself! Use Simple Psychology’s overview on famous experiments to help: they’re listed by their titles under the “studies” tab in the top menu.
4. Crash Course Psychology
If you’re looking for a gentle introduction to psychology, Crash Course (created by Hank and John Green) is the way to go.
The Crash Course YouTube channel offers bite-sized lectures on academic subjects at a high-school level. There are a ton of videos, but each video is under twelve minutes long.
This series covers many of psychology’s biggest hits. It’s a great way to review difficult concepts by yourself.
5. Testing Yourself With Psych Central
Assessments and analysis are key to studying psychology. While Psych Central offers several great resources, one of its biggest strengths is a list of psychological tests and links.
Now, we need to caution that these tests should not be used for diagnostic purposes. Some of the tests on this list are more legitimate than others, too!
True psychological assessments must be performed by trained professionals. However, online psychology tests are important for understanding what assessments look like and how they work.
With that in mind, spend some time exploring these psychological tests and quizzes. Take note of how the questions are phrased, research the theories linked to each assessment, and have some fun learning about yourself!
You can also learn more about your “life’s purpose” with these additional online tests.
6. Get to the Source With APA.org
The American Psychology Association (APA) is a major authority when it comes to an academic study on how the mind works. Its website is a never-ending treasure trove of information for professionals, researchers, and students alike.
APA’s educational psychology website also offers detailed overviews on most psychological conditions. Additionally, they cover:
- New research involved in the discipline.
- New ways to get involved in psychology research, politics, and education.
- Opportunities to learn from the professionals involved.
Another great resource on their website is the “Psychology Help Center,” which offers advice to those considering therapy or treatment.
7. Pursue Big Ideas With TED Talks
Once you grasp the psychological basics, you can appreciate its impact on our world. TED Talks are short, powerful speeches by global experts working in technology, education, and design. The site is divided by subject, and there are over a hundred psychology TED Talks available!
Right now, the psychology videos range from:
- Mental illness.
- The reliability of memory.
- The power of perseverance.
Often a single video will grab your interest and send you down a whole new path of research and learning.
If you like the engaging style of TED talks, but want more in-depth discussions, consider listening to podcasts instead!
8. Practical Psychology
Practical Psychology is a YouTube channel I personally enjoy. It’s also a great place to go if you’re looking for easy info on psychology and how it affects our everyday lives.
Practical Psychology is perfectly designed for the average YouTube viewer, and it’s similar to Crash Course Psychology at #4 on our list. Video topics range from the dangers of limited thinking to the habits of highly effective people.
9. Mind Hacks
Mind Hacks is a “news and views” psychology blog that publishes insights into neuroscience. Despite the simplicity of the blog’s design, the coverage is broad and the analysis is complex.
This broad coverage can make Mind Hacks difficult to navigate, but a fan-made psychology Wiki helps readers locate topics of interest. In each article, authors Dr. Tom Stafford and Dr. Vaughn Bell summarize and explore recent studies.
If you want to read more scholarly research, this psychology blog is a great place to start! Their statistics and methods are well explained, and you can follow up with their list of referenced articles.
10. Follow Academic Research With Google Scholar
The psychology websites listed above are amazing for learning the basics. However—if you want to follow psychology in its truest form—your best bet is to go to the primary source.
Google Scholar makes psychology as simple as possible. A quick search directs you to journal articles, books, and PDFs of interest. You can also set up alerts to track authors, topics, or journals of note. Additionally, you can save important papers to your library.
If you want to read more, try something from this list of Google Scholar’s most popular psychology journals.
Where Can You Go From Here?
One of the best things about psychology is the number of directions you can take when researching the different subcategories online! There are so many areas of psychology, and it’s impossible to run out of things to learn.
If you want to find some great trivia to use at your next dinner party, here are some psychological reasons why video games are so addicting.
Read the full article: The 10 Best Psychology Websites to Help Educate Yourself
from MakeUseOf
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