...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...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 823 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 1065 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1625 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 874 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 999 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 993 - Pages: 4
...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Lakeshia Jackson May 2, 2011 PSY 360 Bonnie Johnson Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper 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...
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...Organizational Psychology Alisa M. Davis Psych 570/Organizational Psychology March 28, 2012 University of Phoenix Organizational Psychology The field of organizational psychology focuses more on group type settings and situations, usually in offices and workplace environments. This field of psychology takes research and theories to intervene and communicate numerous strategies and applies them in group situations in both workplace and non-workplace settings. Psychologists in this field are usually focused on helping individuals better understand his or her interactions with others, so that each individual can better work together to accomplish goals at hand. This paper will define organizational psychology and explain the evolution of the field of organizational psychology. This paper will also compare and contrast organizational psychology with related disciplines and analyze the role of research and statistics in the field of organizational psychology. Definition of Organizational Psychology According to Rutgers On-line Dictionary (2007) the definition of organizational psychology has an in-depth meaning. The definition consists of intervening in a situation that deals with individuals in order to achieve one or numerous objectives. These objectives usually involve raising or improving performance, improving relationships and systems, enhancing equity and fairness and increasing subjective well being (Jex...
Words: 1222 - Pages: 5
...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Gina S Washington Psychology 360 May 28, 2014 Keisha Pou Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive Psychology According to psychologist, cognitive psychology is associated with behaviorism due to the shrill differences of the perspectives (Willingham, 2007). While behaviorism neglects to deal with mental processes, cognitive psychology target to create a logical description of these processes typical to humanity. Opposed to other perspectives in psychology, cognitive psychology has a reputation founded in the scientific and experimentation technique (Willlingham, 2007). The key goal is clarify how humans convert ideas into actions and thoughts by the composite and frequent peculiar process of cognition (Eyesnck, 2004, Willingham, 2007). The human psyche nature is addressed through nature and observation through cognitive psychology while using abstracts to produce observable behavior and nature causing a further understanding of these processes (Willingham, 2007). Through the fall of behaviorism and by the help of technology, neuroscience and the application of concept abstract is when psychology essentially came to life (Willingham, 2007). The cognitive methodology has infused contemporary psychology by way of scientific interpretation of the convoluted human psyche, also the opportunity to infuse this knowledge in treatments of dysfunction and human disease (Eyseneck, 2004). Cognitive Psychology Defined Cognitive...
Words: 1213 - Pages: 5
...Abnormal psychology is the “study of behavior that is deemed not normal” (Jay, 2005, P. 104). Individuals who demonstrate abnormal behavior may be diagnosed with a particular mental disorder. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition (DSM-IV) the American Psychiatric Association diagnostic manual, mental disorders fall into 16 categories. The mental disorders that make up these categories include: disorders often diagnosed in childhood/adolescence, Delirium, Dementia, and other cognitive disorders, mental disorders due to a general medical condition, substance-related disorders, Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorder, factitious disorder, dissociative disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, eating disorders, sleep disorders, impulse control disorders, adjustment disorders, and finally personality disorders (Jay, 2005). This paper will analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). For each disorder, this paper will provide a definition and the DSM-IV symptom criteria, various/possible etiologies, and various/possible treatments. Phobias and OCD are both forms of anxiety disorders. One component that nearly all anxiety disorders share is the panic attack; such an attack lasts only for a discrete period of time, often 10 minutes. During a panic attack, an individual experiences overwhelming feelings of...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Jennifer Flynn PSY/360 October 27, 2014 Terry Blackmon Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive psychology is the study among psychology that discovers the internal mental processes by encompassing learning, memory, problem solving, perception, thought or language (Galotti, 2014). While still relatively new comparatively as a formal branch of psychology, its roots extend back to Descartes who sought a way to explain how the mind worked, proposing the analogy of a “hydraulic system of nerve function” (Willingham, 2007, p. 26) after he observed animated statues in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. It has been the relentless pursuit of not only how did the mind work but also what exactly constituted the mind that eventually led the foundations of cognitive theory. As psychologists examined how mental processes produced behavior, it was evident a different approach would be needed. The school of thought that arises from tactic is called Cognitivism and is also interested in how people mentally represent information processing (Galotti, 2014). According to ScienceDaily (2014), Wilhelm Wundt, the Gestalt psychology of Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka, and Jean Piaget was the foundations in this work. However, they presented the theory or segments that articulate children’s cognitive development and the two styles that cognitive psychologist use to realize, detect, and solve problems. These two approaches are psychophysical...
Words: 1038 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...Week One Psychology Theories Comparison and Contrast SSCI206-1205B-32: Aspects of Psychology Brittany Shalice Herrig Abstract The purpose of this paper is to define, compare and contrast three perspectives of psychology. In detail this paper will define and examine the theories of; behaviorism, psychodynamic, and cognitive. This paper will include a description of each perspective and provide an example for each. Included in this paper will be a comparison of the three perspectives. This paper will conclude with an example of how each perspective influences psychology today. Psychology Theories Psychology is the word that is used to define the science of mind and behavior. The word psychology is derived from the Greek word psyche, which means “breathe, spirit, soul” and the Greek word logia, which means the study of something (Nordqvist, 2009). By derivative definition psychology is the study of every aspect of human function and behavior. The human being is extremely complex, evolutionary individual, and new discoveries regarding human development are discovered often. Because of constant stream of new discoveries regarding human psyche, there are many different perspectives that when combined in an eclectic manner provide a unique insight into what makes us, as human beings, so special. The behaviorist perspective is an approach in psychology that proposes that learning comes from either rewards or punishment in association with specific behaviors (Editorial...
Words: 999 - Pages: 4
...Cognitive Psychology PSY/360 April 7, 2011 Cognitive Psychology Psychology possesses several branches. One of these branches is cognitive psychology. Like biological psychology, this branch also seeks knowledge that potentially unlocks wonders of the mind. However, cognitive psychology focuses on the mental processes from an internal source not physically apparent. Whereas technology provides efficient methods for which to scan a brain and the activity therein, studying the mind is still yet to uncover mysteries behind thought. Studying the mind involves observation of behavior and of the environment but determining reason for thought in general is still out of reach. Inabilities to determine unobtainable conclusions do not slow the pursuit of knowledge, for the study of conscious thought continues. This paper includes an understanding of what cognitive psychology, as well as information regarding four essential milestones contributing to the development of cognitive psychology. In addition, this paper also focuses on the importance of behavioral observation. Comprehending Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology currently focuses on three main human characteristics. The first characteristic is the ability to perceive. Perception is important because this is the process in which an individual interprets the immediate environment as well as changes, situations, and interactions within it. The second characteristic...
Words: 1131 - Pages: 5
