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Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on studying mental processes, including how people think, perceive, remember, and learn. It's concerned with understanding internal mental structures and processes that influence behavior. This field examines various aspects of cognition, such as problem-solving, decision-making, language, attention, memory, and reasoning, aiming to uncover how humans process information, solve problems, and interact with the world around them. Cognitive psychologists often use experimental methods to explore mental processes and develop theories to explain human cognition.

What Does a Cognitive Psychologist Do?​

Cognitive psychologists do clinical research, training, education, and clinical practice. They use the insights gained from studying how people think and process information to help people develop new ways of dealing with problem behaviors and live better lives. Cognitive psychologists have special knowledge of applied behavior analysis, behavior therapy, learning theories, and emotional processing theories.  They know how to apply this knowledge to the human condition and use it in the treatment of: 

The History of Cognitive Psychology​

Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1950s to 1970s, marking a significant shift in how psychologists approached studying the mind's influence on behavior. Before this period, psychology mainly focused on observing external behaviors, following the behaviorist perspective, which disregarded the study of thoughts due to their unmeasurable nature.

The cognitive revolution challenged this view by suggesting that internal mental processes could be explored through experiments, contrary to the prior belief that the mind was an impenetrable black box. It introduced the concept of mediational processes—internal mental activities like memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving—that occur between encountering a stimulus and reacting to it.

Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding behavior necessitates comprehending these mediational processes. This approach revolutionized psychology by highlighting the importance of studying internal mental activities in explaining behavior, departing from the earlier behaviorist focus solely on observable actions.

Cognitive Psychology Examples​

Here are a few examples of cognitive psychology studies that might interest those unfamiliar with psychology:

  1. Memory Improvement Techniques: Research explores various methods to enhance memory, like chunking information or using mnemonic devices, aiding students in learning and retaining information more effectively.

  2. Decision-Making Processes: Studies investigate how individuals make choices, examining factors like biases, heuristics (mental shortcuts), and the impact of emotions on decision-making.

  3. Attention and Multitasking: Research looks at how attention works and the challenges of multitasking, shedding light on why focusing on multiple tasks at once might not be as efficient as previously thought.

  4. Problem-Solving Strategies: Cognitive psychologists study problem-solving methods and their efficiency, providing insights into how people approach and solve complex problems.

  5. Language Processing: Investigations into language acquisition, comprehension, and production help understand how the brain processes language, impacting education and communication strategies.

  6. Perception and Optical Illusions: Studies explore visual perception, including why certain optical illusions deceive our senses, unraveling how the brain interprets visual information.

These studies, although grounded in cognitive psychology, offer practical insights into everyday mental processes, impacting learning, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving.

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