Understanding of Cognitive Psychology - Essay Example

Understanding Cognitive Psychology Cognitive Psychology is a branch of science that is dedicated to understanding how the mental processes occur and the factors that govern the manifestation of these processes.Thus we find that the study of Cognitive Psychology plays an important role in understanding human functioning from different perspectives. It is closely linked to Neuroscience – a field of study that tries to understand the functioning of the human and animal brains. Given that the brain is the seat of all cognitive functioning; the relationship shared by the study of Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology is very strong.

Understanding of basic cognition is also very important in studying human functioning in the social sphere as studied by Social Psychology and Sociology, mental illness as studied by Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, human ideas and ideals as studied by Philosophy, the process or learning and application as studied by Education Studies, and many more. It would not be possible to truly understand the intricacies of these fields without at least basic knowledge of Cognitive Psychology. On the other hand, all these fields have enriched the understanding of Cognition as well.

Understanding the neural basis for the cognitive processes has helped in understanding the biological correlates that influence the development and inhibition of Cognitive processes, as have the understanding of how external situations and experiences shape the unique structure of our individual thinking and learning styles. Understanding of Philosophy and Education have helped in the development of methods that influence our cognitions and the extent to which we use them; while the understanding of clinical conditions has helped in the establishing of norms of what typical and non – typical cognitions are.

Studies in Cognitive Psychology have been conducted ever since the conception of Psychology as a formal area of study. The first laboratory that studied Psychology was set up by Wilhelm Wundt in the year 1879 in Leipzig; and the research conducted from this laboratory by Wundt and his followers has been considered as part of the seminal work conducted in the formal study of the functioning of human and animal cognitions. The research conducted over the next few decades at Leipzig and elsewhere has laid the foundation for present day understanding of Cognitive functions.

It was not until the year 1967 though that the American psychologist Neisser wrote a book he titled “Cognitive Psychology” that the term ‘Cognitive’ began to be used as an umbrella term that described most mental functions and the factors that affected them. This book among others including  Chomsky's 1959 paper that criticized the behaviorist thought, was responsible for the emergence of a new wave of thought that that has often been called the ‘Cognitive Revolution’. During this time, the prominent school of thought was of the Behaviorist school, and mental processes were not considered as valid areas of study.

According the Behaviorist school of thought, only observably behaviors could be validly studied and inferences could only be drawn from the same. The more strict followers of this thought denied the presence of cognitions and emotions; and deemed them as by-products of the physical behaviors which had no independent existence. During the period when Behaviorism held sway over the Psychology