Cognitive psychology is a subfield of psychology that focuses on the study of mental processes such as perception, attention, language, memory, problem-solving, and thinking. This field emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a reaction against the behaviorist approach to psychology that dominated the field at that time.
The behaviorist approach to psychology emphasized observable behaviors and rejected the study of mental processes. However, cognitive psychologists argued that mental processes are essential to understanding behavior and that they can be studied using scientific methods.
The Emergence of Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology emerged as a reaction against behaviorism, which had dominated psychology in the first half of the 20th century. Behaviorism emphasized observable behaviors and rejected the study of mental processes such as thinking, perception, and memory.
One of the key figures in the emergence of cognitive psychology was George Miller. In 1956, he published a paper titled “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information.”
In this paper, Miller argued that people can only hold a limited amount of information in their short-term memory at any given time. This idea challenged the behaviorist view that all learning occurs through reinforcement.
Another key figure was Ulric Neisser who wrote “Cognitive Psychology” in 1967. This book provided an overview of cognitive psychology as a new field and helped establish its legitimacy among psychologists.
The Focus of Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychologists focus on mental processes such as perception, attention, language, memory, problem-solving, and thinking. They use various techniques such as experiments and computer simulations to understand how these mental processes work.
One area of research within cognitive psychology is memory. Cognitive psychologists study how we encode information into our memories and how we retrieve that information. They also study how we forget information and why we sometimes remember things incorrectly.
Another area of research is problem-solving. Cognitive psychologists study how people solve problems and make decisions. They also study how people use heuristics (mental shortcuts) to make decisions.
Cognitive psychology also has practical applications. For example, cognitive psychologists have developed cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which is a type of therapy that helps people change their negative thought patterns and behavior.
The Impact of Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology has had a significant impact on psychology and other fields such as education, computer science, and artificial intelligence. It has helped us understand how the mind works and how we learn and remember information.
Cognitive psychology has also led to the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. These technologies are designed to mimic human thinking processes and are used in fields such as healthcare, finance, and marketing.
In addition, cognitive psychology has had an impact on education. It has led to the development of new teaching methods that focus on how students learn and remember information. For example, teachers now use techniques such as spaced repetition (repeating information at intervals) to help students remember what they have learned.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cognitive psychology emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as a reaction against behaviorism. It focuses on mental processes such as perception, attention, language, memory, problem-solving, and thinking.
Cognitive psychology has had a significant impact on psychology and other fields such as education, computer science, and artificial intelligence.