This podcast is awesome and is among the most useful material I’ve ever seen for understanding what the SCIENCE of psychology is about. As someone with a PhD in experimental psychology (in the clinical area), I can tell you that the way the hosts think and what they believe represents very accurately how the science is and should be done, and what is known and NOT known in psychology. They grapple with subtleties. I don’t have personal knowledge of the hosts, but my colleagues who really knew Paul Bloom’s work respected him greatly. I will especially be recommending this to friends who believe in a lot of pop psychology or “woo-woo” things. (FYI I love some of that stuff—for the practices and experiences, but never their explanations.) My take on the difference is: Those “Experts” and self-help gurus out there want you believe that they have the answers to what you want to know. Why you hurt, how you live your life, etc. Whereas on this podcast, these more-serious scientists are more intellectually honest and rigorous, accepting what they don’t know. Just as importantly, they’re also not OVERLY humble: They do take a stand where the science truly allows it. They’re willing to criticize (like the psychologist on Decoding the Gurus podcast, where host Paul Bloom was a guest in April 2023). I’m so happy that I can now send this podcast to people.

I’m 76 yo woman and I am enjoying this so much.

I’m a 14 year old and I was able to understand his lectures and I found it compelling. I definitely recommend!!

Which is why his course is so addictive!

I am a long time student of the mind, unfortunately I wasn’t able to get the education I was thirsty for. I have Multiple Sclerosis which affects the brain in every possible way. I have been trying to learn everything about the disease and the ways it can effect me and my life. Most of the knowledge that I acquired over the years were combined in Professor Blooms Introduction Course. I can definitely see the way all the pieces fit into a coherent way to better understand how we do what we do in life. As a long time self taught student, through this course I was validated that I am on the right path in my reasoning. I hope that I can find more courses taught by Professor Bloom. I was captured by his personality and his ability to make the subject matter understandable as well as making you want seek a deeper understanding of the way the mind works.

After listening to all of the lectures in this course, I have a much better grasp of psychology and a better understanding of myself. Paul Bloom makes it interesting and entertaining at the same time. I now wish I would have went to Yale!

...and i got by 6th lecture why we can't see slides and other materials

I'm only 14, and still understood this podcast very well. Funny and informitive, I would reccomend this to almost anyone

Paul is a great teaher!

Great teacher! Well recorded. Very humorous, have found myself laughing out loud causing funny looks from co-workers. Please give us more from Paul Bloom, very interesting professor.

I loved this lecture series. Professor Bloom is extremely interesting, engaging, funny, and knowledgable. I listened to one lecture on my way to work and one on my way home, and looked forward to the daily commute! Other than the guest lecturer on clinical psychology (#18), whom I thought was monotone and uninteresting, every other lecture is fantastic. I find myself referring to topics in the lectures all the time lately, with sentences beginning with, "Did you know..." Now I begin to see why attending Yale costs $40,000 per year: professors like this. My only complaint with the series is I wish they could have left the audio in from the in-class presentations, because most of them sounded like they would be interesting, but they were cut out and then the lecture and discussions continued, so I'd have to try to infer what happened in the videos. I presume there were copyright issues or something, and although it's a small annoyance, it doesn't detract from the overall value of the course.

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Paul Bloom clearly knows exactly what hes talking about, regardless of where you are, or what you do, you cant help but be fascinated. Phenomenal.

These lectures have been great supplements to my graduate level Personality 1 course.

at my minor age of 14 professor Bloom has kept me entertained and interested this wide verity of knowledge is easily understandable and a great experience for anyone who would like to be more literate about phycology.

As an 8th grade student, psychology has always been my number one choice of career. Having said that, these audio tapes have helped me to early on understand what I will be explaining and talking about when I am a professional certified psychologist.