Behaviorism The emphasis of psychology shifted away from the study of conditioned

Behaviorism, the doctrine, is committed in its fullest and most complete sense to the truth of
the following three sets of claims.
1. Psychology is the science of behavior. Psychology is not the science of mind -- as
something other or different from behavior.
2. Behavior can be described and explained without making ultimate reference to mental
events or to internal psychological processes. The sources of behavior are external (in
the environment), not internal (in the mind, in the head).
3. In the course of theory development in psychology, if, somehow, mental terms or
concepts are deployed in describing or explaining behavior, then either (a) these terms
or concepts should be eliminated and replaced by behavioral terms or (b) they can and
should be translated or paraphrased into behavioral concepts
Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the
nature and development of human intelligence. It was first created by the
Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget (18961980). The theory deals with
the nature of knowledge itself and how humans gradually come to acquire, construct,
and use it.[1] Piaget's theory is mainly known as a developmental stage theory.
To Piaget, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental
processes resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience. He
believed that children construct an understanding of the world around them,
experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in
their environment, then adjust their ideas accordingly.[2]Moreover,
behaviour and psychoanalytical notions about the study of the mind, towards the understanding
of human information processing, using strict and rigorous laboratory investigation.
The cognitive approach began to revolutionize psychology in the late 1950s and early 1960s,
to become the dominant approach (i.e. perspective) in psychology by the late 1970s. Interest in
mental processes had been gradually restored through the work of Piaget and Tolman.
But it was the arrival of the computer that gave cognitive psychology the terminology and
metaphor it needed to investigate the human mind. The start of the use of computers allowed
psychologists to try to understand the complexities of human cognition by comparing it with
something simpler and better understood i.e. an artificial system such as a computer.
The use of the computer as a tool for thinking how the human mind handles information is
known as the computer analogy. Essentially, a computer codes (i.e. changes) information,
stores information, uses information, and produces an output (retrieves info). The idea
of information processing was adopted by cognitive psychologists as a model of how human
thought works.
The information processing approach is based on a number of assumptions, including:
1. Information made available from the environment is processed by a series of
processing systems (e.g. attention, perception, short-term memory);
2. These processing systems transform, or alter the information in systematic ways;
3. The aim of research is to specify the processes and structures that underlie cognitive
performance;
4. Information processing in humans resembles that in computers.

Cognitive psychology became of great importance in the mid 1950s. Several factors were
important in this:

Dissatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external

behavior rather than internal processes.

The development of better experimental methods.

Comparison between human and computer processing of information.

 Cognitive psychology became of great importance in the mid 1950s. Several factors were
important in this:

Dissatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external

behavior rather than internal processes.
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Saul McLeod published 2007, updated 2015
The development of better experimental methods.

Comparison between human and computer processing of information.

Cognitive psychology is the scienitific study of the mind as an information processor. The emphasis of psychology shifted away from the study of conditioned
Cognitive psychologists try to build up cognitive models of the information processing that behaviour and psychoanalytical notions about the study of the mind, towards the understanding
goes on inside peoples minds, including perception, attention, language, memory, thinking and of human information processing, using strict and rigorous laboratory investigation.
consciousness

Information Processing

The cognitive approach began to revolutionize psychology in the late 1950s and early 1960s,
to become the dominant approach (i.e. perspective) in psychology by the late 1970s. Interest in
mental processes had been gradually restored through the work of Piaget and Tolman.

But it was the arrival of the computer that gave cognitive psychology the terminology and
metaphor it needed to investigate the human mind. The start of the use of computers allowed
psychologists to try to understand the complexities of human cognition by comparing it with
something simpler and better understood i.e. an artificial system such as a computer.

The use of the computer as a tool for thinking how the human mind handles information is
known as the computer analogy. Essentially, a computer codes (i.e. changes) information,
stores information, uses information, and produces an output (retrieves info). The idea
of information processing was adopted by cognitive psychologists as a model of how human
thought works.

The cognitive perspective applies a nomothetic approach to discover human cognitive

processes, but have also adopted idiographic techniques through using case studies (e.g. KF,
HM). Cognitive psychology is also a reductionist approach. This means that all behaviour, no
matter how complex can be reduced to simple cognitive processes, like memory or perception.

Typically cognitive psychologists use the laboratory experiment to study behavior. This is
because the cognitive approach is a scientific one. For example, participants will take part in
memory tests in strictly controlled conditions. However, the widely used lab experiment can be
criticized for lacking ecological validity (a major criticism of cognitive psychology).
The information processing approach is based on a number of assumptions, including: Therefore, cognitive psychologists say if you want to understand behaviour, you have to
1. Information made available from the environment is processed by a series of understand these mediational processes.
processing systems (e.g. attention, perception, short-term memory);
2. These processing systems transform, or alter the information in systematic ways;
3. The aim of research is to specify the processes and structures that underlie cognitive
performance;
4. Information processing in humans resembles that in computers. The History of Cognitive Psychology

Mediational Processes
The behaviorists approach only studies external observable (stimulus and response) behaviour
which can be objectively measured. They believe that internal behaviour cannot be studied
because we cannot see what happens in a persons mind (and therefore cannot objectively
measure it).
In comparison, the cognitive approach believes that internal mental behaviour can be
scientifically studied using experiments. Cognitive psychology assumes that a mediational
process occurs between stimulus/input and response/output.
* Norbert Wiener (1948) published Cybernetics: or Control and Communication in the Animal
and the Machine, introducing terms such as input and output.
* Tolman (1948) work on cognitive maps training rats in mazes, showed that animals had
internal representation of behavior.
* Birth of Cognitive Psychology often dated back to George Millers (1956) The Magical
Number 7 Plus or Minus 2.
* Newell and Simons (1972) development of the General Problem Solver.
* In 1960, Miller founded the Center for Cognitive Studies at Harvard with famous cognitive
developmentalist, Jerome Bruner.
* Ulric Neisser (1967) publishes "Cognitive Psychology", which marks the official beginning
of the cognitive approach.
* Process models of memory Atkinson & Shiffrins (1968) Multi Store Model.
* Cognitive approach highly influential in all areas of psychology (e.g. biological, social,
behaviorism, development etc.).

Cognitive Approach Summary

Key Features Methodology

Mediational Processes Lab Experiments

Information Processing Introspection (Wundt)

Computer Analogy Memory Psychology

Introspection (Wundt) Interviews (Kohlberg, Piaget)

Nomothetic (studies the group) Case Studies (KF, HM )

The mediational (i.e. mental) event could be memory, perception, attention or problem solving Schema Observations (Piaget)
etc. These are known as mediational processes because they mediate (i.e. go-between) between
the stimulus and the response. They come after the stimulus and before the response.
Machine Reductionism Computer Modeling
Basic Assumptions
Cognitive psychology is a pure
science, based mainly on laboratory
experiments.
Behavior can be largely explained in
terms of how the mind operates, i.e.
the information processing
approach.
The mind works in a way similar to a
computer: inputting, storing and
retrieving data.
Mediational processes occur
between stimulus and response.
Strengths
Scientific
Highly applicable (e.g. therapy, EWT)
Combines easily with approaches:
behaviorism + Cog = Social Learning
Biology + Cog = Evolutionary Psy
Many empirical studies to support
Areas of Application
Moral Development (Kohlberg, Piaget)
Eyewitness Testimony
Memory
Forgetting
Selective Attention
Perception
Child Development (Piaget)
Language Acquisition
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Learning Styles (Kolb)
Information Processing
Cognitive Interview
Education (Vygotsky, Bruner, Piaget)
Abnormal Behavior (e.g. Depression
Limitations
Ignores biology (e.g. testosterone)
Experiments - low ecological validity
Humanism - rejects scientific method
Behaviorism - cant objectively study
unobservable behavior
Introspection is subjective
theories
Machine reductionism
Critical Evaluation
B.F. Skinner criticizes the cognitive approach as he believes that only external stimulus -
response behavior should be studied as this can be scientifically measured. Therefore,
mediation processes (between stimulus and response) do not exist as they cannot be seen and
measured. Skinner continues to find problems with cognitive research methods, namely
introspection (as used by Wilhelm Wundt) due to its subjective and unscientific nature.
Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers believes that the use of laboratory experiments by
cognitive psychology have low ecological validity and create an artificial environment due to
the control over variables. Rogers emphasizes a more holistic approach to understanding
behavior.
The information processing paradigm of cognitive psychology views that minds in terms of a
computer when processing information. However, there are important difference between
humans and computers. The mind does not process information like a computer as computers
dont have emotions or get tired like humans.
Behaviorism assumes that people are born a blank slate (tabula rasa) and are not born with
cognitive functions like schemas, memory or perception.
The cognitive approach does not always recognize physical (re: biological psychology) and
environmental (re: behaviorism) factors in determining behavior.
Cognitive psychology has influenced and integrated with many other approaches and areas of
study to produce, for example, social learning theory, cognitive neuropsychology and artificial
intelligence (AI).
References
Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Chapter: Human memory: A proposed system and its
control processes. In Spence, K. W., & Spence, J. T. The psychology of learning and
motivation (Volume 2). New York: Academic Press. pp. 89195.
Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: some limits on our
capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63 (2): 8197.
Neisser, U (1967). Cognitive psychology. Appleton-Century-Crofts: New York
Newell, A., & Simon, H. (1972). Human problem solving. Prentice-Hall.
Tolman E. C. (1948). Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychological Review. 55, 189208
Wiener, N. (1948). Cybernetics or control and communication in the animal and the machine.
Paris, (Hermann & Cie) & Camb. Mass. (MIT Press).
How to cite this article:

McLeod, S. A. (2015). Cognitive Psychology. Retrieved from

www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive.html

Further Information

Memory
Theories of Forgetting
Perception Theories
Selective Attention
Information Processing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Language Acquisition
Jean Piaget
Lev Vygotsky
Jerome Bruner
Cognition: How Do You Think?
Case Study: HM - The Man Who Couldn't Remember

Key Studies

Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Duration of Short Term Memory

Piaget and Inhelder (1956) - The Three Mountains Task
Loftus and Palmer (1974) - Car Crash Study