Evolution of Cognitive Psychology

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olution of Cognitive Psychology Evolution of Cognitive Psychology PSYCH/560 Isabelle B. Ragsdale, Ph.D. May 20, 2013 Evolution of Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology is a broad subdivision of psychology that relates to the study of mental processes. These mental processes involve the different ways that individuals acquire, obtain, use, and apply information. Cognitive psychology is the focus of an individual daily life and provides an understanding for the way individuals think and behave. Although cognitive psychologists examine behavior to some extent; the main focus is on how behaviors are related to an individual’s mental processes. Although researchers always have been interested in how the mind works, over time cognitive psychology has evolved to become a branch of psychology. Cognition Cognition relates to the way individuals process information. Cognition involves different processes that are built, such as understanding, remembering, attention, classifying, identifying, and decision making (Robinson-Riegler, & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). Mental processes are used in the daily lives of individuals; however, the process is not given much thought. An individual’s response to their environment can appear as though it is an impulse act. This occurs because information is transmitted to the mind, is processed immediately, and the behavior is the result of completion. Cognition involves discovering, recognizing, studying, investigating, learning, or making decisions (Ruisel, 2010). It is composed of the ways that the mind functions, thinks, and uses information that results in an individual’s behavior. Interdisciplinary Perspective Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology;
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