Cognitive Psychology

E. Kent Rogers

Definition:• Marriam-Webster: a branch of psychology

concerned with mental processes (as perception, thinking, learning, and memory) especially with respect to the internal events occurring between sensory stimulation and the overt expression of behavior.

• APA: The study of higher mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, and thinking.

History of Cognitive Psychology

• The role of mind and mental processes in human beings has been a topic of philosophy since long, long ago.

• One idea of cognitive psychology is that mental processes are internal behaviors

• “If you lust, you already committed adultery” “If you are angry at your brother for no reason, you are subject to judgment [of murder]” (Matthew 5:21-28)

History cont.

• William James (US) and Carl Lang (Den) simultaneously and independently theor-ized that physiological reaction to perception precedes emotional ident-ification (body trembles, then mind feels fear).

• 1940’s: Research and philosophy in the field of information processing and technology concerning how information is received and then encoded through processes influenced thought

• American psychologists latched onto these ideas and rejected behaviorism

History cont.

• 1950’s:Naom Chomsky proposes that humans are capable of language not through learning alone, but because there are genetic programs and Brain structures that process and organize lang-age. He wanted to undermine behaviorism.

History of Cognitive Psychology

• 1958: Donald Broadbent states sensory input filtered by attention. Lack of attention = lack of awareness and memory of stimuli.

• 1960: George Miller’s book “Plans and the Structure of Behavior” describes brain as parallel to computer, receiving and encoding data through a series of processes and then decoding them for output. Still a very influential idea.

History cont.

• 1967: US psychologist, Ulric Neisser uses term “Cognitive Psychology” for the first time and describes it as involved in everything we do and in general, all the mental processes from sensory input, processing, recall through to behavior.

• The field exploded after this investigating how the brain perceives, processes, encodes, stores, retrieves, understands and communicates information as well as the relationship between emotions and thought.

Applications

• One major application is understanding how the brain works and segues with neuroscience. The value is helping us understand what goes wrong in those with abnormal thoughts, behaviors and psychology.

• It also helps us to know how to learn more effectively and so teach more effectively

Applications

• Cognitive Therapy is another important application. In the 1950’s (and further developed until the 1970’s) Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis simultaneously and independently realized that the way we think alters the way we feel and by rejecting depressed or anxious thoughts we will grow less depressed and anxious.

Cognitive Therapy cont.

• This therapy has been proven about as effective as anti-depressant drugs and the two together have even greater results.

• Cognitive therapy is the most common form of psychotherapy practiced today.

Albert Ellis

Aaron T. Beck

A Deep Thought

• It has been shown that pessimists have a “more accurate” perception of reality as measured by objective measuring devices. However, ultimately, reality comes down to subjective perceptions. If I think there is more water than what a measuring device reveals, I will feel more refreshed and satisfied than the pessimist. So why do we insist on basing our determination of what reality is on what is congruent with pessimism, i.e. science, rather than choosing that which makes us happy.

A Deep Thought cont.

• Those who have faith in God have been shown to be happier and healthier on average than those without faith. The science-alone basis for understanding reality therefore leads to diminished health and happiness. So why is this more accurate and “better.”

• In other words what we believe determines what is true for us and even what we perceive.

Closing Thought

To a significant degree, you choose what is

real for you, so choose well.