Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of the mind and its mental processes. It explores how people acquire, process, and store information, investigating functions like attention, memory, perception, and language. The field also delves into higher-level abilities, including problem-solving, reasoning, and decision-making, to understand how these internal operations shape our interactions with the world.
The Shift to Studying the Mind
In the early 20th century, psychology was dominated by behaviorism, which focused only on observable behaviors. Proponents viewed the mind as an unknowable “black box,” arguing that internal mental events were outside the realm of scientific inquiry. This perspective held that all behaviors were learned through interaction with the environment, largely ignoring the influence of thought or emotion.
A shift occurred in the mid-20th century with the “cognitive revolution.” Researchers grew interested in the internal processes that influence behavior, moving beyond a strict focus on external actions. This movement was an interdisciplinary effort involving psychology, linguistics, computer science, and neuroscience, all aiming to apply the scientific method to human cognition.
The rise of computer science provided a new metaphor for the mind as an information-processing system. This perspective was bolstered by critiques of behaviorism’s limitations. Linguist Noam Chomsky’s 1959 review of B.F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior was influential, arguing that a purely behaviorist framework could not account for the complexity of human language.
Core Subjects of Cognitive Psychology
Perception is the process of interpreting sensory information from our environment. The brain actively organizes and makes sense of what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. Researchers investigate how these interpretations guide actions, focusing on the active construction of our reality based on sensory input.
Attention allows us to selectively focus on specific stimuli while filtering out others. Cognitive psychologists explore how this mechanism affects information processing and task performance. Research distinguishes between voluntary focus and attention captured by unexpected events, and also examines the limits of concentrating on multiple things at once.
Memory involves the processes of encoding, storing, and retrieving information. Psychologists differentiate between types of memory, such as short-term memory for temporary use and long-term memory for extended storage. Research explores the factors that influence learning and remembering, as well as the reasons we forget.
Language is another central topic, focusing on how humans acquire, comprehend, and produce speech and writing. Researchers investigate the mental processes involved in understanding sentences and generating thoughts into words. This subfield examines everything from the basic sounds of language to the complex rules of grammar and syntax.
Problem-solving and decision-making are also major areas of focus. This area investigates how people approach challenges and make choices. Researchers analyze the strategies people use to solve problems and study the mental shortcuts and biases that can influence our judgments.
Key Models of Mental Processing
To explain how the mind manages complex tasks, cognitive psychologists developed theoretical frameworks. The information-processing model, which gained prominence with computer science, conceptualizes the mind as a system similar to a computer. It posits that mental operations occur in sequential stages: input, processing, storage, and output.
This approach provides a structured way to study topics like memory and attention. For instance, memory models often describe information flowing from a sensory register to short-term memory, and then to long-term memory. The core idea of the mind as an active information processor remains a foundational concept in the field.
Another important concept is the schema, a mental framework built from past experiences that creates expectations about people, events, and objects. For example, a schema for a “library” helps you navigate that setting without analyzing every detail. These mental models help us efficiently process the vast amount of information we encounter daily.
Schemas influence what we pay attention to and how we interpret new information. They can guide our memory by helping fill in gaps with plausible details based on existing knowledge. While useful, schemas can also lead to biases and stereotypes by causing us to overlook information that contradicts our pre-existing beliefs.
Real-World Impact of Cognitive Research
Findings from cognitive psychology have practical applications across numerous domains, influencing technology, education, and health.
- In human-computer interaction (HCI), principles of perception and attention are used to create intuitive, user-friendly technology that minimizes cognitive load.
- In education, research on memory has led to effective teaching strategies like spaced repetition, which helps educators design curricula that align with natural learning mechanisms.
- In mental health, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was developed from cognitive research. It helps individuals treat conditions like depression and anxiety by identifying and challenging negative thought patterns.
- In the legal system, research on memory has shown that eyewitness testimony is a reconstructive process prone to error. This has led to changes in police procedures and how such evidence is evaluated in court.