The field of neuro-cognitive psychology - Admission/Application Essay Example

The paper “Academic and Career Objectives in Neuro-Cognitive Psychology" is a fascinating example of an application essay on psychology. The field of neuro-cognitive psychology is a specialized scientific endeavor that intrigues an exclusive group of individuals. Due to the interrelatedness of psychology to cognitive neurosciences, the thrust of delving more into research-oriented activities within the field of endeavor becomes paramount. I actually want to ultimately focus on doing more extensive research for the reason that experimentally based studies have always fascinated me after high school.

A one year of work experience with severely mentally disordered people provided the impetus for the interest in neurocognitive disorders and cognition in general. One’s initial decision to pursue a degree in BA Cognitive Science, deemed to be a highly interdisciplinary field that encompasses cognitive psychology, philosophy, computer science, and artificial intelligence, to name a few, was to figure out which part of these various disciplines interested me the most. From the immersion, one realized that Cognitive Psychology, with its underlying neural processes, fascinated me by far the most.

The fact was validated by my grades in this field as well as the number of courses I took in from this module. It was therefore justifiable that during the first two semesters in the program, my grades did not merit rates of academic excellence due to the nature of pursuit in identifying and determining the particular discipline that interests me most – and one which I would be sure to be committed and determined to become a lifelong profession. In conjunction with the search, there was a need to adapt and adjust to a new environment and cope with an incredible workload of about 40 to 50 ECTS.

Remarkably, the dedication and persistence enabled me to successfully complete the required academic requirements and finally determine my ultimate academic and career objectives.I decided that I would be more particularly interested in delving into the subject initiated in my BA thesis which is Unconscious Effects on Cognition. My research was about the influence of power motivation on visual attention; so, the ability to focus and switch attention is one of the cognitive abilities I really find amazing and proves to be an expansive subject to dwell.

My previous experience of work related to the field of neuro-cognitive psychology included the one year stint working with mentally deranged individuals which were later augmented by theoretical frameworks in the course modules. A research paper entitled, “How Motivational Approach and Withdrawal Affect Creation of False Memories in High and Low Aroused Emotional States“ enabled me to peruse and absorb more information on the subject, including applications to diverse situations.To prepare for the NCP study program, the BA thesis is one of the most appropriate experiences that provided using extensive theoretical background and linking it to contemporary application.

Besides the theoretical knowledge, I have to face experimental design (theoretical and with E-prime) and statistical analysis with SPSS. I also get into serious reading of authoritative and academic materials on the subject, particularly from Cognitive Psychology: A Students Handbook written by Eysenck and Keane. Even in my spare time, I often read books and articles related to psychology, applied statistics or neuro-sciences. I am determined to potentially pursue continuous education within this interdisciplinary sphere to attain a more holistic development of both personal and professional goals and become an instrumental contributor to one’s community within this particular field of expertise.