...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper PSY/340 Cognitive Psychology Dr. 07/14/2014 The cognition process study is an integral part of getting familiar with the human nature. Considering the topic of human nature, the most interesting thing to discover is the way people behave themselves, what is ascribed to the study of behavioral psychology. Nevertheless, the way people behave is fully dependent upon what people learn, what do they read, which information they process, and how does it take place. A human's behavior in different situations is just as set of theoretical and practical knowledge received in the process of cognition. All the questions regarding this topic are put under deep scrutiny by the branch of psychology, which is called the cognitive psychology. This kind of psychological studies is one of the most important, as it examines and researches not only what and who we are, but how do we acquire the features we possess. The 18th century was a harsh time for the development of psychology in the role of a scientific discipline. Towards the end of the 19th century psychology was dominated by an approach known as introspectionism. The basis of introspectionism was to study mental processes via a method of subjective self-examination. (Parkin, 2000, p. 1) In the middle of the 20th century, three general movements arose to inspire and shape a cognitive psychology. First of all, after the introduction...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper | Kyle GrossoPSY/360December 21, 2014 | Cognitive Psychology is a branch of psychology that is concerned with our mental processes, such as perception, thinking, learning, and memory. It is also specifically concerned with the relationship between sensory stimulation and the overt expression of behavior (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, n.d.). There are many disciplines in psychology that helped in the development of cognitive psychology, such as Structuralism, Functionalism, Behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology (Galotti, 2014). Structuralism is a discipline of psychology developed by Wilhelm Wundt that established a “science of mind” to determine the laws and principles that explain our conscious experiences. Wundt wanted to identify the different parts of the brain and study how all these parts work together to make up the human brain as a whole (Galotti, 2014). Functionalism was another discipline of psychology that aided in the development of cognitive psychology. Functionalism was developed by William James who, like Wundt, was also concerned with our conscious experiences. But contrary to Wundt, James was more concerned about why the mind works the way that it does (Galotti, 2014). Both functionalism and structuralism had a major impact in the development of many different disciplines of psychology. Structuralism was considered the first school of thought in psychology and influenced experimental psychology. Functionalism...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Alesandra Leiman PSY/360 February 3, 2014 Dr. Dione Johnson-Williams Definition The dominant aspects of cognitive theory involve the interaction between mental components and the information that is processed through this complex network (Neisser, 1967). As individuals learn, they activity create cognitive structures which determine their concepts of self and the environment (McEntire, 1992). Interestingly, the specific process of learning is not the primary area of concern in cognitive research; instead, learning is viewed as only one of the many processes comprised by the human mind (Anderson, 1980). Some approaches deal with detailed analyses of information-processing skills, while others focus on mental models or cognitive growth and development (Mayer, 1981). Milestones in the Development of Cognitive Science Much of the history of this formulation has been told by Gardner (1985), though his chapter on psychology contains comparatively little on the recent contributions of psychology to cognitive science, focusing mainly on historical theories of perception and cognition, such as those of Wundt and the Gestaltists. The theoretical center piece of traditional cognitive science is the computer analogy, or, more accurately, the assertion that animal and human psychology occurs through computational processes in organisms involving physical symbol systems (Fodor, 1975; Newell, 1980). According to Anderson (1980), cognitive psychology...
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...Cognitive Psychology Known as one of the fastest growing and most interesting subfields of psychology today, cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the mental processes of learning, memory, perception, as well as problem solving. The study includes analyzing the step by step process in the manner in which a person moves, talks, thinks, and remembers, or how the brain acquires, processes, and stores information. It is crucial to understand what cognitive psychology is and how it pertains to the field of psychology as a whole. There are four key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline which will be discussed further in this paper. Of the various milestones present in the development of cognitive psychology, the process of introspection; the method of study in which people have attempted to follow their own thought processes, usually as they performed a simple task (Willingham, 2007). For example, while brushing his/her teeth, an individual may be reminded of being taught how to brush their teeth. This simple task may bring joy to someone as they outwardly smile as their memory brings them back to a simpler time. Functionalism is another milestone worth mentioning as this process is where there is a purpose; they must be for something (Willingham, 2007). For example, an individual may be inspired to obtain a higher education in an effort to obtain knowledge which leads to career opportunities and financial opportunities...
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...Introduction Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with a person’s internal states and their cognitive functions such as, their problem solving abilities, their motivation, their thinking, and even their attention. The development of cognitive psychology is marked by several milestones in the field of psychology. With the need for change in theories and methods on how things are researched, certain developments ultimately lead to the development of cognitive psychology. This paper will cover four of the milestones that lead to the development of cognitive psychology. This paper will also cover why observable behavior is important in cognitive psychology. Development of Cognitive Psychology The development of cognitive psychology came about marked by different milestones that all paved the way for the cognitive perspective. One of the four major milestones that helped the development of cognitive psychology was behaviorism. Behaviorism as a perspective of psychology had its shortfalls such as not being able to account for all the experimental data that was being introduced (Willingham, 2007). The experimental data included studies in language and memory. Another drawback to behaviorism was that it was founded on the basic principle that psychology should only focus on that which was observable. Everything that was not observable, such as a person’s thoughts, was considered not important to behavior. The second milestone that this paper will cover is that...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Gregory Finch PSY/360 Axia College/University of Phoenix Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Because of a prominent contrast, behaviorism and cognitive psychology are often compared. Cognitive psychology focuses on determining understandable explanations of the human mental processes, whereas behaviorism does not address the concerns of mental processes. The main objective of cognitive psychology is to explain the human transformation of thoughts into manifistations by a cognitive process. As behaviorism was being questioned and at the end of popular opinion, cognitive psychology, with the assistance of the application of abstract concepts, neuroscience, and new technology sprung into existence. With a scientific approach of the psyche, cognitive psychology has allowed new applications in the treatment of human dysfunction and disease. It is the intension of this paper to discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology while identifying a minimum of four prominent milestones in the development of the discipline of cognitive psychology. Cognitive Psychology Defined According to Merriam-Webster, by definition, cognitive psychology is “a branch of psychology concerned with mental processes (as...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper PSY/360 July 21, 20xx xxxx Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Defining Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology focuses on the way human’s process information, looking at how we treat information that comes in to the person, better known as stimuli, and how this treatment leads to responses (McLeod, 2007). Cognitive psychologists study internal processes including perception, attention, language, memory and thinking. In ancient Greece, cognitive psychology created the need to understand how the mind works and what processes are involved in learning. Philosophers and early psychologists studied the mind, however the ancient Greeks knew little about the human mind and the mental process. Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology that emphasizes the study of mental processes (Galotti, 2014). These processes include thinking, language, problem solving, knowing, reasoning, judging and decision making. Cognitive psychology concluded that humans were not pushed or pulled by environmental factors. Cognitive psychology also studied how people view and understand the world. Subjects wanted to describe the patterns and irregularities during the operation of his or her mind. There were several key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology. Key Milestones in the Development of Cognitive Psychology Developmental milestones began in ancient Greek times have set a precedent in today’s views of cognitive psychology...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive psychology can be defined as basically the study of the mind. These mental processes include thinking, believing, problem solving, remembering, speaking, decision making, learning, perceiving, and reasoning. Cognitive psychology uses scientific research methods in studying the mental process. It focuses on how someone acquires, processes, and stores information, and it studies how someone views and understands the world around them. Using this method also utilizes other methods to identify behavior through characteristics other than its obvious properties. This discipline of psychology was not just created overnight, it took some milestones in psychology to help create. Neuroscience Neuroscience is used to see how the brain and nervous system determine behaviors, cognitive psychologists use this to identify brain areas that enable functioning. Neuroscientists can account for intelligent behavior through the use of abstract constructs, hypothetical representation, and processes. They have also established definitive links between structures of the brain and functioning. The research of neuroscientists enables the understanding of states of consciousness, sensory experiences, emotion, motivation, development through life spans, and psychological health. Behaviorism Behaviorism helped create cognitive psychology because when behaviorism was criticized, it was not able to answer many of the questions or account for different...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper PSY 360 Cognitive Psychology Definition The cognitive approach to human and comparative psychology supports two major projections: 1) there are cognitive representations and processes that act on those representations (Willingham, 2007). 2) we can discover these representations and processes, albeit indirectly (Willingham, 2007). This approach proposes a consensus amongst B.F. Skinner’s cut-and-dry input²output relations and C.L. Hull’s hypothetical constructs and intervening variables. In the first case, there is limited access for intermediary cognitive processes among stimulus and response, independent from the domain of effortless associative learning. In the second case, there is lacking a definite scientific means by which to impartially observe the theoretical cognitive mechanisms at hand. Nonetheless, E. C. Tolman was one of the first psychologists to insinuate that intermediary cognitive processes could be determined through the results of scientifically meticulous experimentation. It is on this extremely complex proposal, that theoretical cognitive processes can be inferred by observing behavior, which most informs the developmental milestones in the formation of the cognitive perspective as a branch of psychology. Cognitive Psychology relates to developments, both past and present, in the investigation of the memory process, verbal communication, discernment, the ability to...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Judith Reitz University of Phoenix PSY360 Abstract Since one major branch in psychology cannot contribute strongly enough to the greater understanding of human kind, there came many others that were developed and had to follow. However, each of these specific disciplines has had their own purpose and area that uses its tools and knowledge that can properly explain their many different actions. In taking into consideration all these aspects and views from each individual discipline can help one to grasp many different behaviors better including the causes of an action. Take for instance, an action say as a thought grants to seeing something as a whole instead of only from one perspective. Being able to perform this way leads to an overall better comprehension of one’s world, which is significant to the quality of life. While understanding requires thinking, the occurrence of cognitive psychology was never one of a doubt but more one of a timely fashion. Cognitive Psychology Definition Foundation of Cognitive Psychology As simple cognitive psychology might appear for many these days, the same cannot be applied to its...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper PSY/360 December 10, 2013 In psychology there are several important factors and milestones in the development of cognitive psychology; each approach is important to the foundation of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology’s purpose is to study the mental process to give a better understanding of how individuals think, what they remember, and how they perceive and process information. If we were to consider psychology as a discipline; the question then becomes what key elements are important and why. The ancient researchers of ancient Greece approximately 2, 400 years ago, made notes of how individuals reacted to different situations; “We can see that the answers that Greek philosophers came up with were not accurate; but were their questions at least good ones?” (Willingham, 2007, p. 7) “ Many books will tell you that the Greeks’ lasting contribution lies in the questions they raised, which set the agenda for future philosophers and eventually for cognitive psychology” (Willingham, 2007, p. 7). During a period noted as the Dark Ages, “few contributions were added to the philosophy of mind between the time of Aristotle, who died in 322 B.C., and the birth of Descartes at the end of the 16th century” (Willingham, 2007, p. 8). During the Renaissance period, the platform of cognitive psychology began to take on a more personal form and its findings not only appealed to researchers but to individuals. “The Renaissance brought...
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...Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology is a scientific examination of a person’s cognition. It focuses on how we distinguish, learn, and retain information, think, rationale, and respond. There are sub domains of cognitive psychology which are insight, attention, knowledge, memory, idea formation, way of thinking, judgment, choice making, predicament solving, and language dispensation. Perception is how we understand things around us. Attention is how we decide what is significant to us when offered with numerous things. Learning helps to enhance the response that we have to our surroundings. Memory is the capability at which we obtain things. Concept configuration is the ability to systematize our many diverse perceptions. Conclusion, decisions, reasoning, and predicament solving are how we shape the choices that we create and how we believe about the choices that we create. Language insight is how we understand the things we say and hear (Scholarepedia, 2011). Perception is one of the main landmarks of cognitive psychology. Perception is how people deliberately distinguish objects. From a visual point of view insight would include recognizing the form of an object, dimension, and distance away from the person. Perception is how a person gains access to information about the adjacent environment right away (Willingham, 2007). George Berkeley discussed insight as being a fraction of the empiricist versus nativist dispute. Berkeley happened to be an intense empiricist. He...
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...Cognitive Psychology The field of psychology is made up of different branches and each branch gives a range of different ideas and theories toward the compound field of psychology. Cognitive psychology is one branch that focuses on how cognition directly affects human behavior. Primarily cognitive psychology tries to uncover the underlying mental processes that play a role on particular human behaviors. Cognitive psychology was created in distinction of behavioral psychology. Major human functions can be observed through theories from the cognitive branch of psychology. These things can range from language, problem solving skills, memory functioning, and perception. Cognitive psychologists have developed many theories over the years that have made major contributions to the general field of psychology. The Foundation of Cognitive Psychology Prior to cognitive psychology becoming a significant branch of the psychology field, behavioral psychology was the main branch within psychology. Cognitive psychology came about when psychologists began to have questions about the behavioral method to psychology. Several psychologists felt that the behavioral approach to psychology had many gaps when it came to basic human functions such as memory, language, and learning. Psychologists attempted to fill these gaps by comparing the human mind to a computer (Willingham, 2007). Psychologists and scientists who studied artificial intelligence considered that the human mind functioned similar...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition ZabrynSamar Data 360 September 24, 2012 Terry Hancock Cognitive Psychology Definition What is cognitive psychology? Why is it important? Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the mind and how a person perceives things (Willingham, 2007). It also deals with how a person acquires, utilizes, organizes, and retrieves information (Halpern, n.d.) and studies recollection, decision making, problem identification and solving, critical thinking, and logic. It is important as it aids in knowing how a person perceives things and allows one to make changes in one's behavior. It is interesting to know that cognitive psychology was not the first scientific approach to studying the mind, but that is came about in response to defects in other systems (Willingham, 2007). This paper will describe the milestones that were important in the development of cognitive psychology and.. Key Milestones in Cognitive Psychology Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary of embracing philosophy, psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence (Thagard, 2012). These are key milestones in the field that would be cognitive science. Its intellectual origins are in the mid 1950's when researchers in several fields began to develop theories of mind based on complex representations and computational procedures (Thagard, 2012). In the beginning, it was the Greek philosophers like Plato who created the foundation of cognitive psychology...
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...Cognitive Psychology Definition Psy 360 June 6, 2011 Dr. Felix Montes Cognitive Psychology Definition Cognitive psychology has a different approach than that of previous psychologies. Cognitive psychology accepts the scientific method and introspection as a method of investigations. Introspection is the self-observation reports of the conscious inner thoughts, desires, and sensations. It is the oneself (Wikipedia, 2011). The other way cognitive psychology is different is in the way it acknowledges the existence of internal mental states like beliefs, desires, ideas, and motivation (Wikipedia, 2011). The definition of cognitive psychology is described as the study of mental processes and how a person thinks, perceives information, remembers the information, and learns from the experience. In the larger field of cognitivism, neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics play a role. Although this science stems from behaviorism it is its own science. The core of cognitive psychology is how to acquire, process, and store information (Willingham, 2007). Most of the famous psychologists and philosophers somehow relate back to Wilhelm Wundt. Wundt is credited with the founding of the first lab back in 1879. There was a lab at Harvard University before this in 1875 but because William James used this lab as a source of teaching and for experiments, he is not credited for the first lab. Wundt did the necessary steps to have cognitive psychology sighted as a science...
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