The Program

How does the human mind work? How do we understand our own behavior? What makes us who we are? Why are we different? How do we perceive the society we all make up? These are among the fundamental questions of psychology.

Yale Professor Paul Bloom and Yale-NUS Professor Paul O’Keefe, two psychologists who contribute frequently in popular media, will offer a 7-week, 14-session (via Zoom) introduction to the field of psychology, which touches on a most important topic: ourselves. Exploring what makes a person unique and how individuals perceive and function within society, this program, which consists of live online lectures and interactive discussions, will provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of thought and behavior, covering topics such as love, lust, hunger, beauty, dreams, perception, communication, learning, memory, decision-making, and persuasion. At the root of all these different ideas? The human mind.

The Speakers

Paul Bloom
Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology &
Cognitive Science, Yale University

Paul Bloom is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology & Cognitive Science at Yale University. He is an internationally recognized expert on psychology, one of Science Magazine’s top 50 science stars on Twitter, the instructor for the widely viewed Open Yale Course Introduction to Psychology, and has given a number of TED talks that have garnered more than 2.8 million views. Born in Montreal, Canada, he was an undergraduate at McGill University and did his doctoral work at MIT. 

He has published in scientific journals such as Nature and Science, and in popular outlets such as The New York Times and The Atlantic Monthly. He is the co-editor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and the author of many books, including Language Acquisition (1994), How Children Learn the Meanings of Words (2000), Descartes’ Baby (2004), How Pleasure Works (2010), Just Babies (2013), and Against Empathy (2016). His research explores children’s understanding of art, religion, and morality. He once said: "A growing body of evidence suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life."

Paul A. O’Keefe
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Yale-NUS College

Paul A. O’Keefe, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, assistant professor at Yale-NUS College, and Director of the Mindsets & Motivation Lab. His research focuses on goal pursuit with attention to motivational factors, such as implicit self-theories, interest, and self-regulation.

His research has been published in leading scientific journals and featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, BBC, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Forbes. He has also contributed articles to such outlets as The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. He co-edited the book The Science of Interest, and his research has been supported by various funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health (USA) and the Ministry of Education (Singapore).

Topics

Paul Bloom：

• The Brain
• Freud and Skinner
• Development and Language
• Attention and Memory
• Emotions
• Self and Others
• Differences
• Mental Illness

Paul A. O’Keefe：

• Social Cognition: How we think about our social world
• Social Influence: Conformity and obedience
• Cognitive Dissonance: How we justify our thoughts and actions (Even when we are wrong)
• Attitudes and Persuasion
• Motivation: Understanding why we do what we do
• Prosocial Behavior: When and why people help others

Format

• 14 75-minute online lecture and discussion sessions (a total of 17.5 hours) over 7 weeks
• Advance viewing of Introduction to Psychology (an Open Yale Course) is highly recommended

Those who attend 100% of the sessions will each receive a certificate of completion.

Language：
The language of the program will be English.

Participation Format

Please download and install the Zoom Application beforehand. Yale Center Beijing’s staff will contact confirmed participants for further testing in advance of the program to ensure a pleasant experience.

Date & Time

Paul Bloom：

• EST: March 26-April 16, Friday Evening 9:00-10:15, 10:30-11:45
• CST: March 27-April 17, Saturday Morning 9:00-10:15, 10:30-11:45

Paul A. O’Keefe：

• EST: April 23, May 7, May 14, Friday Morning 7:00-8:15, 8:30-9:45
• CST: April 23, May 7, May 14, Friday Evening 7:00-8:15, 8:30-9:45

Registration

Participants：

• Middle / high school / university students and anyone who is interested in psychology (Recommendation: be at least 16 years old)
• English language proficiency for meaningful participation during discussions

Fee：

• Flash Sale (by March 8): RMB 9,999
• Early Bird (by March 22): RMB 11,000
• Student Ticket: RMB 12,000
• Group Discount Price (at least three persons): RMB 12,000
• Standard Ticket: RMB 13,000

All fees are non-refundable.

Contact：

Ms. Jing
Phone: +86 139 1131 9551
Email: yalecenterbeijing@yale.edu

Registration：

To apply, scan the QR code below, or click HERE.

Yale Center Beijing Liberal Arts Forum：

Yale Center Beijing aims to bring the best of Yale to China and enable people in China to be exposed to the “best and brightest” at Yale.

A key aspect of the quintessential Yale experience is the commitment to liberal arts education. In hopes of creating a platform for next generation leaders to engage in intellectual exchange and discover new interests and abilities, Yale Center Beijing is launching the Yale Liberal Arts Forum series for eligible participants to experience the essence of liberal arts.

Through interacting with Yale faculty and thought leaders of various fields, participants will engage in critical thinking, evidence-based discussions, and collaborative activities, which are the keystones of a liberal arts education so as to better tackle issues in an ever-changing, complex, and globally interconnected world.