Cognitive Psychology
The term cognitive psychology came into use with the publication of the book Cognitive
Psychology by Ulric Neisser in 1967. Cognitive Psychology revolves around the notion that if we
want to know what makes people tick then we need to understand the internal processes of their
mind. Cognition literally means “knowing”. In other words, psychologists from this approach study
cognition which is ‘the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired.’
Cognitive psychology focuses on the way humans process information, looking at how we treat
information that comes in to the person, and how this treatment leads to responses. In other
words, they are interested in the variables that mediate between stimulus/input and
response/output. Cognitive psychologists study internal processes including perception, attention,
language, memory and thinking.
Typically cognitive psychologists use the laboratory experiment to study behavior. This is
because the cognitive approach is a scientific one. For example, participants will take part in
memory tests in strictly controlled conditions. However, the widely used lab experiment can be
criticized for lacking ecological validity (a major criticism of cognitive psychology).
Cognitive psychology became of great importance in the mid 1950s. Several factors were
important in this:
1. Dissatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external behavior rather
than internal processes.
2. The development of better experimental methods.
3. Comparison between human and computer processing of information.
Cognitive Approach Summary
Key Features
• Information Processing
• Computer Analogy
• Schema (Organized thought or behavior)
• How/why a person thinks or learns the way that they
do.
Basic Assumptions
• Cognitive psychology is a pure science, based mainly
on laboratory experiments.
• Behavior can be largely explained in terms of how the
mind operates, i.e. the information processing
approach.
• The mind works in a way similar to a computer:
inputting, storing and retrieving data.
• Mediational processes occur between stimulus and
response.
Strengths
Methodology
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Lab Experiments
Memory Psychology
Case Studies (KF, HM )
Computer Modeling
Areas of Application
• Eyewitness Testimony
• Memory and Forgetting
• Selective Attention
• Perception
• Child Development (Piaget)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Learning Styles (Kolb)
• Information Processing
• Cognitive Interview
• Education (Vygotsky, Bruner)
• Face Recognition (Bruce and Young)
Limitations
• Scientific
• Highly applicable (e.g. therapy, EWT)
• Combines easily with approaches: behaviorism + Cog
= Social Learning Biology + Cog = Evolutionary
Psy
• Many empirical studies to support theories
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Ignores biology (e.g. testosterone)
Experiments - low ecological validity
Humanism - rejects scientific method
Behaviorism - can’t objectively study
unobservable behavior
• Introspection is subjective
• Machine reductionism