An authoritative guide to the latest information and viewpoints on what neurobiologists, psychologists, and other scientists know about the human mind, brought to you by an award-winning professor with training as a clinical psychologist.

1: Brains and Minds, Evolution and Development

• Professor Hinshaw lays the groundwork for this fascinating journey into the depths of the human mind by introducing the structure of the course, posing a series of provocative questions, and explaining the three predominant perspectives on our minds: the spirit-based, the naturalistic, and the humanistic....

2: How the Human Brain Works

• Delve into the make-up and inner workings of the brain, from the level of the individual neuron to the larger regions specialized for the mind's different functions. In addition, get a brief introduction to psychopharmacology, as well as to some of the latest technological advances that help us understand how our brains work....

3: Development of the Human Brain

• This lecture examines the ways in which our brains develop across the human lifespan. Professor Hinshaw uses a case study of children adopted from horribly deprived Romanian orphanages to focus on brain plasticity-the idea that changes in the brain result from experiences-and its potential long-term limitations....

4: Evolution and the Brain

• How did evolutionary forces shape our brains? Discover the answer to this core question in modern science with a look at some of the key features of the human mind produced by natural selection and the ways the brain evolved over the span of millions of years....

5: Psychological Views of the Mind

• Zero in on two modern psychological theories of the mind that serve as counterpoints to the evolutionary theory: the instinctive and deeply symbolic psychodynamic theory, and social learning theory, which explains behavior through our minds' abilities to learn. In addition, address mysteries about human consciousness and self-awareness....

6: Instinct, Learning, and Emotion

• Take an in-depth look at instinct and emotion-two inescapable processes of the human mind. Among the intriguing issues covered in this lecture are the relationship between instinct and language formation, how our primary emotions signal our experiences and intentions to others, and ways we can consciously regulate their expression....

7: Microevolution, Culture, and the Brain

• Return to the evolutionary theory and investigate the key concepts and debates regarding the shaping of the human mind. How have subtle-yet powerful-changes given the modern mind some of its key powers? What are the differences between primate and human brains? And what is the influence of cultural behaviors and values?...

8: Infancy-Temperament and Attachment

• In the first of four lectures on the development of a mind across the human lifespan, examine the first life stage: infancy. The two aspects you cover-temperament and attachment-are crucial for the development of personalities and minds and reflect the importance of the earliest years of life....

9: Childhood-Stages and Widening Contexts

• Turn now to childhood, the second major stage of life during which our personalities and minds develop even further. It is during this stage, you learn, that factors such as families, peers, neighborhoods, and cultures work with our earliest biological and social foundations to mold the person we eventually become....

10: Adolescence-Rebellion, Identity, and Self

• Continue moving up the developmental ladder into adolescence: the crucial period of rebellion, turmoil, and identity formation that prepares us for adult life. How does the mind change during this time? What are the dangers of sleep deprivation? And what are considered normative and healthy self-perceptions?...

11: Adulthood-Aging, Horizons, and Wisdom

• Does getting older predict inevitable declines in how your mind functions? Or could you actually become wiser and more positive as you age? The answers you uncover in this lecture are undoubtedly fascinating-and may just reshape your views of what aging does to the mind....

12: Influences of Sex and Gender

• Focus here on the association between sex and gender, on the one hand, and the brain and mind, on the other. Of vital importance to the study of the human mind, sex and gender have important implications for evolution, our diversity as a species, and our social relationships....

13: Parallels between Development and Evolution

• Bring together several core points about individual development of the mind. As you'll discover, in the development of the minds of both individuals and our species as a whole, biology constantly interacts with environment and context to produce a wealth of change....

14: Myths and Realities of Heritability

• With the mapping of the human genome, we now know that many traits and facets of the mind are more heritable than we once thought. In this lecture, Professor Hinshaw separates the facts from myths about how much importance our genes have in shaping our emotions, behaviors, and minds....

15: Genes and Environments Together

• Move from behavior genetics to a detailed view of how genes and environments influence once another to shape our minds. By examining the ways genes and environments correlate and interact, you realize that the dichotomy of nature versus nurture is inaccurate; instead, it is nature and nurture....

16: The Abnormal Mind-What Goes Wrong?

• Why do some minds suffer mental disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder? Answer this crucial question by exploring seven different perspectives-each of which contributes to our overall understanding of this pressing question in the study of the human mind....

17: Rationality, Psychosis, and Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia is intimately involved with breakdowns in perception, rational thinking, and higher-order executive functions. Here, examine the roots of psychosis and make sense of the risk factors, characteristics, and treatment methods of one of the most devastating mental illnesses....

18: Emotion Regulation and Mood Disorders

• The roots of mood disorders lie in the emotional and mood-related fluctuations that we all experience. After you learn the difference between emotions and moods, you take a closer look at the science of two major mood disorders: depression and bipolar disorder....

19: Attention, Impulse Control, and ADHD

• Turn now to a mental disorder that can affect the way the mind stays attentive and controls inhibitions: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Examine four forms of attention and the importance of inhibitory control, then zero in on the causes and conditions of-as well as treatment options for-ADHD....

20: Empathy, Social Connections, and Autism

• Major difficulties in emotional and social connections with other people present huge problems for the development of the mind. Case in point: autism. Conclude your look at abnormalities in the human mind with a focus on this often-devastating and increasingly prevalent disorder....

21: Evolution and the Paradox of Mental Illness

• If mental disorders are passed through the generations by genes, then why haven't these disabling and maladaptive conditions simply been bred out of existence? Investigate how understanding 'heterozygote superiority,' gene interactions, and changing environments can help us finally answer this baffling question....

22: Roots of Religion, Aggression, and Prejudice

• Investigate how evolution helps us understand these three wider aspects of human culture. Why are humans so prone to be religious? How aggressive are we as a species? How can natural selection help us understand why some people stigmatize their fellow humans?...

23: Bringing in Personal Narratives

• Personal narratives can play key roles in humanizing and helping us better understand the complexities of mental illness. As a powerful example, Professor Hinshaw details his own father's struggle with bipolar disorder -a story that proves just how important it is to blend the scientific and clinical with the personal....

24: The Future of the Human Mind

• In this final lecture, probe some of the fascinating possibilities and ethical issues at the frontiers of the human mind. These include harnessing the hidden and untapped power of our unconscious; making startling advancements in the development of artificial intelligence; and creating the potential for humans to engineer their own minds....

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