Beyond Pop Psychology

Psychology, being the study of the mind and human behaviour, draws a lot of interest in the way it can inform us about ourselves. A common problem, however, is exposure to information presented as psychology that is actually unsupported by any scientific research. To combat this, here is a non-exhaustive list of places to learn about psychology that are easy to access, engage with, and that are well-researched rather than a random false Instagram text post you will more than often find in the psychology hashtag.

The British Psychological Association

Let’s start with the official body of psychology. You can see The British Psychological Association’s official website here where you can find a variety of psychological resources, their twitter page where you can stay up to date with their communications, and they also have a range of publications such as The Psychologist where they talk through current issues and news in the psychology sphere. Also, from their Research Digest they have a podcast called PsychCrunch that explores what psychology tells us about different questions in life, such as ‘Can psychology help us learn better?’, in short fifteen minute episodes (Quick answer, yes. Definitely worth listening to as a student. Episode 13).

YouTube

Next up is Crash Course Psychology, hosted by Hank Green. The YouTube video series offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to different research branches in psychology, making it a good place to begin learning.  Following this, a less formal channel is SciShow Psych that gives explanations for everyday questions, like ‘Why do we talk to ourselves?’. Another great educational source of videos is GetPsyched, which explores topics like ‘the psychology of phobias’ and how to approach a variety of things as a psychology student.

Speaking of Psychology Podcast

This is a podcast developed by the American Psychological Society that explores the latest psychological research in relation to world issues by interviewing psychologists in the field. A great episode to listen to is ‘How to Choose Effective, Science-based Mental Health Apps, with Stephen Schueller, PhD’.

Psychologists

To leave the most obvious to last, engaging with psychologists directly is the most effective means of access. Following them on social media can be a great way to see what they are researching and current developments in their fields. A useful place for this is Twitter with the recent rise in academic Twitter, which tries to bridge the gap in scientific communication between researchers and the general public.

• mental health
• psychology
• self help