Evolution of Cognitive Psychology

Evolution of Cognitive Psychology

Jamie Tyler

University of Phoenix

Cognitive Psychology

Psych/560

Prof. C. Mark Wessinger

May 14, 2012

Evolution of Cognitive Psychology

There are various disciplines in the field of psychology. One discipline within the field of psychology is cognitive psychology. "Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of mental processes" (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). Cognition includes attaining knowledge and understanding, thinking remembering, assuming, perceiving, judging, and problem solving. . In part as a response to behaviorism, cognitive psychology emerged during the 1950s. This paper will explain the evolution of cognitive psychology, define cognition, and explain the interdisciplinary perspective as it relates to cognitive psychology. This paper will also describe the emergence of cognitive psychology, and assess the effects of the decline of behaviorism on the discipline of cognitive psychology.

Cognition is the mental process of knowing. Cognition includes aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. Cognition is central to everything pertaining to the everyday lives of individuals. Cognition is also key to psychology's pursuit of understanding the way individuals think and behave. Cognition is a phrase that refers to mental processes that are concerned with gaining comprehension and understanding of knowledge. Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary effort to understand the mind. There are six disciplines within cognitive science, lying at the core is cognitive psychology.

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of the psyche and intellect. Cognitive science includes various fields such as philosophy, artificial intelligence, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology. All of the disciplines included in cognitive science have had a great influence on cognitive psychology, just as cognitive psychology had had a great influence on the disciplines of cognitive science. With the several disciplines involved in the concept of cognitive science each of the disciplines involved with the mind create an effort to understanding. Cognitive psychology only exists because of interdisciplinary development.

The emergence of cognitive psychology came after the history of psychology. Psychology had branched out into many subdivisions, with cognitive psychology being one of the subdivisions. There have been remarkable shifts in the field of psychology; these shifts are significant and vital fields of study into how and why individuals behave the way that they do.

Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1950s. Due to WWII focus on research involving human performance and attention, computer science development, artificial intelligence, and renewed interest in the field of linguistics, modern cognitive psychology was developed. It was during WWII that there was a series of discoveries and studies in the field cognitive psychology.

In 1966 George Miller researched and discovered a law regarding short term memory. Miller dedicated research on the ability humans have when dealing with short term memory. Miller's research is the reason that there are seven digits to a phone number. During his research he discovered that individuals could remember between five and nine numbers when they are faced with them at once. Miller's work with short term memory was important to the emergence of cognitive psychology because his research showed the existence of a law for short term storage of information and mental processes.

During the first half of the 20th century, behaviorism was the leading discipline in the field of psychology. However during the first two decades between 1950 and 1970 cognitive psychology re-emerged as psychologists and researchers