Cognitive Theory and Psychological Effect - Essay Example

In the text ’60 second shrink,’ the writer uses psychopaths as methods of research. Relationship to the Text 60-second is shrinking, the cognitive theory relates to the strategy used in counseling. To begin with, cognitive theory helps to study and manage problems affecting us by how we think and how we behave.

Strategies involved in cognitive theory involve a series of physical therapies where a therapist analysis one's problems and issues looking into areas that are unhelpful and unrealistic to help determine the effect the issues have on you and the effects they are causing. After several therapist sessions as related to the text, one is then given a chance by the therapist to practice the changes you have undertaken. The cognitive theory takes two perspectives of psychology that are cognitive approach and behavioral cognitive.
To start with, the cognitive approach focuses on one's thoughts, beliefs, and certain feelings.

This approach tends to understand how one's beliefs, thoughts, and feelings would influence one behavior. Psychologists explain that if clear research is carried out on specific individuals and the behaviors they have, there is a relationship with his or her past behaviors or beliefs. Second is the behavioral therapy. According to the cognitive theory, the behaviors of an individual are likely to be learned and acquired either from the surrounding that is natural or through inborn traits that matter. The cognitive theory tries to understand the two perspectives, and this is done mainly through practical research.

Through cognitive theory psychologists, the main idea is to understand the cause of some behaviors in some people and mainly is influenced by the nature of the issue one is facing, in many cases the following are critical situations where this can be applicable is;
 On a person suffering from depression or anxiety. Serious research is carried out on the main issue affecting him and methods of controlling or putting the situation under control may be put in place.

 In case, one has an eating disorder that may lead to obesity. This is not a normal thing, at times this may be viewed as an issue affecting the individual mentally and, therefore, leading to the disorder.
 An individual suffering from a post-stressful event, mainly this is from a shock or an issue that one went through, and the thoughts still run fresh in their mind. An instance of this is after one has been raped, one undergoes psychological trauma which may lead to other mental-related disorders.

 For an individual having an addiction, in many cases, addictions not out of their concern but out of psychological pressure. The main additions are from drug abuse.
 When one is suffering from a phobia, this refers to the fear of something or a situation. In many cases, phobias are not common issues but things acquired through life experiences.

 Lastly is when an individual suffers obsession over something or a situation. Similarly, obsession is not naturally acquired but is gained out of life experiences.
The cognitive theory aims at simplifying issues into simpler and small parts and looks into each detail at a time to explain its cause. Any individual can easily use this strategy in case one is approached for help, for instance, if an individual phobic approaches you, the first step is to ask him or her to list the situations that make him or her phobic. Then ask him or her for suggestions on ways that he can avoid the situations or confront them in a different manner (Arnold, 1999).

This method of cognitive theory has some strengths and weaknesses. Some of the weaknesses are;
 The strategy does not have evidence of how behaviors are inherited from parents to offspring bearing in mind that only physical traits can be inherited.
 The second weakness is the strategy does not explain the cure for the physical effects a psychological disorder may have. For instance, an eating disorder is a psychological disorder that leads to obesity. Obesity is a physical effect; the strategy only explains ways of eliminating the eating disorder but leaves out the effects of obesity.
On the contrary, the strategy also has a strength in that is; every action done by an individual is out of a psychological effect, one has to think to act and therefore, past experiences influence actions