The cognitive revolution in psychology was a period during the 1950’s and 1960’s which involved radical changes to two major concepts in psychology which are consciousness and causality. It was also a period that saw to the abolishment of traditional science values of dichotomy and the worship of atomisation in science, replacing reductive micro deterministic views of personhood with holistic top-down view (Overskeid, 2008)
The aim of this essay is to give an account of what constitutes the cognitive revolution, and also assess the contributions that the cognitive revolution has made to the scientific study of psychology.
The cognitive revolution represents a diametric turn around in the century’s old treatment of mind and consciousness in science, such as the contents of conscious experience, whose subjective qualities were being discarded as mere causal epiphenomena (Sperry 1993). This paradigm shift brought with it alternative beliefs about the ultimate nature of things thereby bringing forth new answers to some of humanities deepest questions. The key assumption of cognitivism is that people have different mental states each of which can lead to a different response. The manipulation of these different states can be described in terms of algorithms all of which has become the defining paradigm of psychology (Sperry 1993)
One major contribution that cognitivism had on the study of psychology as a science came in the form of psychological theories. It returned the conditioning theory as well as comparative psychology back to a position where they recognized the there were a number of qualitative differences between the psychological processing of humans and animal (Greenwood, 1999). This is as a result of the empirical prob...
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It seems as new minds enter the field so does new ways of thinking, as with anything the science evolves depending on the perspective of the person who views it. Similar to the main character in “The Noticer”. The main character helps people by expanding their perspective. Cognitive psychology is similar in the way it studies the various intricacies of a person’s behaviors and way of thinking. Cognitive psychology is relative because when one considers a person’s perception it usually has a basis in a person’s experience. In other words perception is a series of layers and cognitive psychology has a basis in the various layers of processing information that one acquires and stores.
In life, humanity is on a journey much like walking through a forest full of trees that requires consistent observation while navigating the path traveled. Remaining on course is a very important part of arriving at the destination of achievement and success. There is no way to have complete certainty of always arriving on time, as all the variables come into the picture of that journey which psychology also does in relation to the mind. The psychodynamic theory in comparison to the cognitive behavior theory is somewhat well viewed in focus of examining the mental process of what one does based upon what one has thought of doing. To consider the contrast of both, potentially has a foundation in approaching each from different angles of perspective in order to understand and alter the potential results therein. In a comparison and contrast of these practiced theories, it would help to understand some important key perspectives within them.
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Rationalism and empiricism were two philosophical schools in the 17th and 18th centuries, that were expressing opposite views on some subjects, including knowledge. While the debate between the rationalist and empiricist schools did not have any relationship to the study of psychology at the time, it has contributed greatly to facilitating the possibility of establishing the discipline of Psychology. This essay will describe the empiricist and rationalist debate, and will relate this debate to the history of psychology.
The study of psychology began as a theoretical subject a branch of ancient philosophy, and later as a part of biological sciences and physiology. However, over the years, it has grown into a rigorous science and a separate discipline, with its own sets of guidance and experimental techniques. This paper aims to study the various stages that the science of psychology passed through to reach its contemporary status, and their effects on its development. It begins with an overview of the historical and philosophical basis of psychology, discusses the development of the various schools of thought, and highlights their effects on contemporary personal and professional decision-making.
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Whilst evaluating the cognitive approach to psychology there are many strengths such as that the cognitive approach takes an understanding of the influence from mental processes on one’s behaviour, focusing on an individual’s thinking patterns and their perception. This approach also relates to many known functions and operations that the human body performs such as memory and problem solving.
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Cognitive Psychology is focused on learning based on how people perceive, remember, think, speak and problem-solve. The cognitive perspective differs in...
Balota, D. A. and Marsh, E.J. Cognitive psychology. Key Readings. (2004) Hove: East Sussex: Psychology Press.
Cognitive development is defined as a field of study in Psychology focusing on a child’s brain development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were major contributors to the cognitive development in Psychology. Both have contributed to the field by offering explanations for children’s learning styles and abilities; both offer suggestion on how to teach children in an appropriate manner.
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