Introduction of Cognitive Psychology

Introduction of Cognitive psychology

Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology. Moreover, it studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. However, as part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy and linguistics.

Although, its core focus is on how people acquire, process and store information. It is concerned with internal mental states. And it uses scientific research methods to study mental processes.

Hence, it utilizes the scientific study of the human Brain/mind and information processing.

• Scientific study:  Based on the experimental method, empirical, scientific.
• Information processing: Information comes from the environment, is stored briefly, some is selected for additional processing, something is done to it, it may result in some additional behavior.

Meaning of Cognition

• What is cognition ?
• Cognition = “knowing”.
• The word ‘cognition’ comes from the Latin word cognoscere, meaning “to know” or “to come to know”
• Cognition means acquisition , storage ,transform, and use  of knowledge.
• Conscious mental activity like understanding , learning ,etc .(Merrium –Webster dictionary )
• Cognition  involves all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used (Neisser).

Definitions of Cognitive Psychology

“Cognitive psychology is  branch of psychology concerned with how people acquire, store, transform, use, and communicate information’’ (Neisser, 1967).

Sternberg (1999) defined it as that which deals with how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about information.”

According to Solso (2005), it is the study of processes underlying mental events.

In general, it is that branch of psychology that is concerned with how people acquire, store, transform, use and communicate language.

Also, learn about Research Methods to study Cognitive Psychology, click here.