• Why do some survivors of hydrocephaly function normally despite having lost as much as two-fifths of their brain mass?
• How did a scientist’s temporary blindness lead to pioneering research in sensory perception?
• What happened when a Stanford psychologist and his students decided to study “being sane in insane places” by getting themselves committed to a mental institution?

This course answers these questions and many others in examining the foundations, methods, major findings, and dominant perspectives in psychology, as well as controversial issues arising from or illuminated by psychology.

The course covers traditional psychologists such as Freud, Skinner, Jung, Watson, Piaget, and Erikson, as well as philosophers and other thinkers who have had an impact on the field.