5 Online Psychology Resources

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I write a lot about mental health and psychology. The other day I was researching a topic, and the website I was reading was good. And I thought to myself that I would add this to my list of useful websites.

To write responsibly, I must use reliable information. I benefit from a third-level education, so I have a better than average idea of what constitutes reliable. But I also have websites that I rely on to understand topics. I know that lots of you are interested in psychology, so I thought I would share some of my favourite resources.

Here my top five favourites.

Crash Course

Crash Course is a YouTube show that covers various topics in science, literature, business and more. And OMG, it is incredible.

Several years ago, Crash Course covered psychology topics over forty weeks. The playlist is based on the 2013 Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology curriculum (US). The series was hosted by Hank Green. Hank Green is not himself a psychologist, but the information he uses is well resourced.

Topics included perception, social psychology and memory. I particularly liked the video on thinking and language. If you want more, the anatomy and biology series also cover the brain.

I have been watching Crash Course for years. Hank Green was my first psychology teacher. Even during my degree, I went back to those videos over and over. In fact, I may owe Hank Green part of my degree.

In any case, check it out the preview for Crash Course Psychology here.

Kati Morton

As I write this, I am listening to Kati Morton’s podcast ‘Ask Kati Anything.’ But Kati Morton is best known for her YouTube channel.

I have been a fan of hers easily as long as Crash Course.

Kati Morton covers mostly mental health topics. Thought patterns, diagnosis and therapy are some of her themes. Kati makes mental health accessible for non-professionals.

She also answers questions on her podcast. And I never come away having learned nothing. Check out the podcast episode I am currently listening to here.

Positivepsychology.com

PositivePsychology.com is a recent find of mine and the site I referenced in the introduction.

Positivepsychology.com is a platform that provides positive psychology information to professionals. It is always science-based and lists its references and the bottom of each post.

Positive psychology is a field lots of the public are interested in. But there is a lot of misinformation that gets labelled positive psychology. You don’t need that, you need the good stuff. And that’s what this site provides.

That said, always check sources. Anyone can make a mistake. And the whole point of my posts is to help you do better research on the things you are interested in.

Check out their recent article on hypnosis.

The Greater Good Science Centre, Berkeley

The Greater Good Science Centre Berkeley produces an online magazine called Greater Good Magazine. It is science-based information for improving your life. The idea is that science journals are not open to all people. And maybe hard to read for many.

Topics are based on ‘keys to wellbeing’ like:

Happiness
Empathy
Mindfulness
Gratitude
and more

They also produce books, videos and a podcast. In their blog posts, they link to their sources the same way I do. Remember if a writer is making claims with no reference, it may not be reliable information.

Check out their article on the pressure to always be productive here.

Psychology Today

Psychology Today is a magazine and website written by psychology professionals. Articles are on mental health, society and more.

I have been reading Psychology Today magazine and blog since I started college. If you want to stay up to date with new research, PT is fantastic. It has some very insightful pieces. And during lockdown, I loved the Covid-19 articles.

Obviously, I advocate reading the research papers, but most are behind a paywall. If you don’t work or study at a university, it can be tough to access them. Science magazines like Psychology Today are an excellent alternative for the general reader.

Check out their latest article on misinformation here

Conclusion

I was reading the comments on a Facebook post this morning on a pandemic topic. The commenter made an outrageous claim with no reference. And my first thought was: ‘right, what’s your source?’ If you want reliable, helpful information, that must be your first thought.

What is the source of this information? And if you ever see me making claims in a blog post and I don’t add a link, tell me.

So, there you have it, five online resources to start your journey into psychology. While these will be helpful to the general reader, students will find the most valuable. Those of you beginning college in this year might consider getting ahead start.

Let me know in the comments what you thought of this post.

Or if you have your own psych sites you like, leave them below.