This article discusses what cognitive psychology isits history, current trends, practical applications, and career paths.
Topics in Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychologists explore a wide variety of topics related to thinking processes.
Cognitive psychology grew into prominence between the 1950s and 1970s.
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Prior to this time, behaviorism was the dominant perspective in psychology.
Then, researchers became more interested in the internal processes that affect behavior instead of just the behavior itself.
This shift is often referred to as the cognitive revolution in psychology.
Cognitive psychology became more prominent after the 1950s as a result of the cognitive revolution.
Current Research in Cognitive Psychology
The field of cognitive psychology is both broad and diverse.
It touches on many aspects of daily life.
Before the 1970s, many mental health treatments were focused more onpsychoanalytic,behavioral, andhumanisticapproaches.
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Careers in Cognitive Psychology
Many cognitive psychologists specialize in research with universities or government agencies.
Others take a clinical focus and work directly with people who are experiencing challenges related to mental processes.
They work in hospitals, mental health clinics, and private practices.
Research psychologists in this area often concentrate on a particular topic, such as memory.
Others work directly on health concerns related to cognition, such as degenerative brain disorders and brain injuries.
Treatments rooted in cognitive research focus on helping people replace negative thought patterns with more positive, realistic ones.
It can also provide insights into cognitive conditions that may affect how people function.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ulric Neisser is considered the founder of cognitive psychology.
He was the first to introduce the term and to define the field of cognitive psychology.
A cognitive map refers to a mental representation of an environment.
Such maps can be formed through observation as well as through trial and error.
These cognitive maps allow people to orient themselves in their environment.
While they share some similarities, there are some important differences between cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology.
Cognitive psychology is a form of experimental psychology.
Cognitive psychologists use experimental methods to study the internal mental processes that play a role in behavior.
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