Eating Disorders: Mind, Body, and Society
Anorexia. Bulimia. Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric conditions. After defining eating disorders from a clinical point of view, this three-section program explores possible underlying biological bases for ea...
Classic Studies in Psychology
This program brings to life five of psychology’s most significant studies: Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment, 1961; Milgram’s Study of Obedience, 1963; Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Experiment, 1971 and 1978; Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experi...
Making Sense of Sociological Theory
This multi-section program explains the role of sociological theory, distinguishes between structure and action, and sheds light on three major perspectives in sociology—societies as organic structures, societies as economic structures, and societ...
Baron-Cohen: Autism—Core Studies in Psychology
In this program, Simon Baron-Cohen, professor of developmental psychopathology and director of Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre, discusses his case study “Another Advanced Test of Theory of Mind” as it relates to people with Asper...
Obedience and Ethics: Benefits and Costs of Psychological Conformity Studies
Psychological experiments have shown that the natural human desire to conform can lead people to mistrust their own experiences, turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, and even inflict harm on the defenseless. But these findings have come at a...
Core Concepts in Sociology
Sociology, in a nutshell, is about why people behave in the ways that they do, and the key premise is that behavior is shaped by the contexts in which people live. This multi-segment program introduces the sociological concepts of personal, social, ...
Non-experimental Research Methods in Psychology
This program presents non-experimental research methods—questionnaires, interviews, and naturalistic observation—through three studies on the effects of cell phone use. Section one explains good questionnaire design while considering both the ad...
Sociological Theory and Methods
This multi-section program addresses classical social theory, examining the origins of sociology through the efforts of Marx and Comte to build a holistic science of society; positivism, through a case study of students using surveys to do research ...
Meet the Frackers: Energy Independence or Environmental Nightmare?
Spreading out beneath the suburbs of Dallas, the underground deposit known as the Barnett Shale promises vast oil and gas riches. This program follows the efforts of Texas developers as they stampede for a piece of the action, even as local resident...
The Sociology of Families and Households
This multi-section program examines the relationships between established sociological perspectives—structural functionalism, Marxist theory, and early feminist theory—and the family; investigates how over several decades the decline in marriage...