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Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology01:20

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

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Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
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Cognitivism01:17

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Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
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Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

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Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
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Problem-Solving01:29

Problem-Solving

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Effective problem-solving consists of two steps: 1. identifying the problem and 2. selecting the appropriate problem-solving strategy (i.e., a plan of action used to find a solution). Humans use four problem-solving strategies:
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Beck's Cognitive Therapy01:25

Beck's Cognitive Therapy

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Cognitive therapy is a psychological approach designed to address distortions in thinking, which can lead to negative emotions and unrealistic beliefs. These cognitive distortions often influence how individuals interpret and respond to situations, exacerbating emotional distress. Below are some prevalent cognitive distortions, their characteristics, and examples of how they manifest in thought processes.
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
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Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

80
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
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Updated: Jul 27, 2025

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
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On the Problems Solved by Cognitive Processes.

Paul E Smaldino1,2, David Pietraszewski3, Annie E Wertz4

  • 1Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced.

Cognitive Science
|June 12, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive science needs to look beyond data and pattern extraction. Focusing on the problems cognitive processes solve, particularly through instrumental problem-solving, offers a more accurate understanding of the mind.

Keywords:
Cognitive science

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Philosophy of Mind

Background:

  • Current cognitive science research overemphasizes data acquisition and pattern-extraction methods.
  • This narrow focus limits the depth and accuracy of understanding cognitive processes.

Discussion:

  • A broader perspective is needed, incorporating the functional problems that cognitive systems solve.
  • Characterizing cognition through instrumental problem-solving frameworks is crucial for scientific advancement.
  • Evolutionary social science perspectives offer valuable models for understanding cognition as problem-solving.

Key Insights:

  • The science of the mind requires a shift from solely analyzing data to understanding the purpose of cognitive functions.
  • Instrumental problem-solving frameworks provide a more robust methodology for cognitive research.
  • Integrating evolutionary perspectives enhances the explanatory power of cognitive models.

Outlook:

  • Future research should prioritize understanding cognitive processes within their problem-solving contexts.
  • Developing and applying problem-centric frameworks will lead to more accurate scientific descriptions of the mind.
  • This approach promises to bridge gaps between different subfields of cognitive science and related disciplines.