Outline of the Cognitive Psychology

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the internal mental processes, including thinking, perception, memory, and language.
It focuses on how people obtain, process, and store information.
Major theories within this branch of psychology include information processing theory and cognitive neuroscience.

Perception is the process of recognising and interpreting sensory stimuli. It includes bottom-up processing (perception driven by the physical features of the stimulus) and top-down processing (perception driven by cognition).
Attention, conversely, refers to how we actively process specific information present in our environment. Selective attention, divided attention, and sustained attention are the various types of attention.

Memory can be classified into sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model.
Processes of memory including encoding, storage, and retrieval are also important to understand.
Psychologists study phenomena such as forgetting, memory distortion, and improving memory as well.

Language is a complex cognitive function that involves understanding and producing spoken and written communication.
Thought processes include problem solving, decision making, and constructing mental images.
Theories in this area range from linguistic relativism (language influences thought) to conceptual metaphor theory (abstract thought is largely metaphorical).

Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study that links the brain to mental activities. It blends psychology and neuroscience to explain cognition.
It uses tools like brain imaging to study the neural basis of cognition and explains concepts like lateralisation of function (different mental processes being mainly managed by one side of the brain).
Disorders such as dyslexia and aphasia can also be explained using cognitive neuroscience.

Cognitive psychology is a highly useful perspective for understanding how the mind works.
Its principles have been applied in various fields, including artificial intelligence, education, and human development.