This essay will begin by discussing the main assumptions of the cognitive, psychodynamic and biological approach to psychology. It will look at a study that supports each approach. In addition it will look at how the studies have been influential in psychology today. Finally it will include some of the different branches of psychology and why these are relevant to different health professionals. Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology which focuses on the brain and how we think, Cognitive psychologists believe that our thought processes explain behaviour and make these assumptions by looking at our perception, language, attention and memory. (Jarvis,M,2005). One of the main assumptions is that cognitive psychologists often use a computer to explain how we think and behave. Based on this computer analogy, cognitive psychology is interested in the way the brain inputs, stores and outputs information and how behaviour can be influenced by the way we deal with information. (Sammons, A, n.d) However an important criticism directed at the cognitive approach is that it often ignores the way in which other factors such as biological and environmental explain how we process information. (cognitive psychology, n.d) Cognitive psychologists apply animal research to humans. For example, discovering whether chimpanzees can learn language helps psychologists develop theories about how humans learn language. Gardner and Gardner (1969) study of teaching ASL to a chimp supports this.
Cognitive Psychology draws the comparison between the human mind and a computer, suggesting that we like the computer process the information we acquire from around us and then react accordingly. Hearnshaw, (1987), claims that Cognitive Psychology is both one of the oldest and also one of the newest parts of Psychology, cited in ?T. Malim?, (1994). Information is collected through our senses i.e. vision, touch, smell etc and then processed through our
Cognitive psychology is a pure science based mainly on laboratory experiments and began to revolutionize psychology in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s and became the dominant approach in psychology by the late 1970’s [ (McLeod, 2007) ] according to Saul McLeod. An example of the cognitive perspective would be when one learns to take blood pressure. First you must learn how to manipulate the blood pressure manometer, learn how to hear blood pressure sounds and understand the meaning of the sounds. As each time you practice these activity, you will gain more confidence and competence in performing the task. The strong point of this perspective is that it mostly uses rigorous scientific methods and the approach has had many practical applications. The weakness of this perspective is that it is to simplistic. It ignores the complexity of the human function, biological influences of the human function and it ignores the emotions, conscious experience and free will.
There are eight theoretical perspectives in contemporary psychology. Any topic in psychology has many approaches that have a variety of perspectives for each that is given. Starting with the biological perspective, it is noted that physiology has played a major role in psychology. The organ systems such as the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and genetics are greatly emphasized in studying physical bases of human and animal behavior. Neuroscience more specifically studies the nervous system, particularly the brain. The next theoretical perspective is the cognitive perspective, which is a relatively modern approach. It focuses on the important role of mental processes in how people process and remember information, develop language,
PSY 360 Week 1 Individual Assignment Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper (12 points): This paper should be posted as a Word attachment in the Assignment Section and should be consistent with APA guidelines. Prepare a 700-1050-word paper in which you define cognitive psychology. Be sure to address the following topics in your paper. Identify at least four key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline. Discuss the importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology. PSY 360 Week 2 Individual Assignment Phineas Gage Paper Phineas Gage Paper (12 points): This paper should be posted as a Word attachment in the Assignment Section and should be consistent with APA guidelines. Prepare a 700-1050-word paper in which you explain the role of the brain in cognitive functions. As part of your explanation,
This essay examines the advantages and disadvantages of using a method primarily for gathering research on human subjects that can be examined for later use. It will give a basic outline of the methods of investigation, their uses and their suitability. I will also look at the scientific method as a whole and examine the criticisms of this method using the writings of Hume and Popper.
Psychology, due to its complexity can be approached in a variety of ways. To help us understand the human mind, behaviourist and psychodynamic approaches have helped us understand the alternative outlooks in the science of mind and behaviour. Both approaches can be examined by the means of theoretical assumptions and methodology.
Dylan’s has been diagnosed with depression. As with all mental health problem, the psychological explanations have contrasting views within different perspectives. The proposed causes involve the biological, psychodynamic, humanistic, behaviourist and cognitive models. All the perspectives have their own methods of treatment, but also come with strengths and weaknesses. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating Dylan’s behaviour from three different approaches which are the cognitive, psychodynamic and biological model.
Cognitive psychology is the study of the brains internal processes that guide behaviour; to study cognition, psychologists examine case studies of patients with damaged brains that can infer areas, and functions involved in particular processes. Patient studies have provided insights into the processes that take place within our minds, and have enabled psychologists to create models, which can be tested and fractionated. Cognitive neuropsychology has developed from cognitive psychology to become a discipline in its own right; it investigates the function and structures of the brain involved in cognitive processes and should not be confused with cognitive neuroscience, which is primarily concerned with neural structures and their
I have always been intrigued by the mental processes of humans and animals. As a young child and into adolescence, as a student and teacher and as a caregiver, I have always been interested in psychology in one form or another. This essay will reflect not only the development of my interest in psychology, but the development of myself as a person.
The psychodynamic approach on the study of human behaviour is based around the work of Sigmund Freud.
As a study, psychology has many branches within itself. Each thought of psychology throughout history has brought about another school of psychology. Psychology or philosophy enthusiasts and scholars alike have taken interests in not only understanding the themes of psychology but have contributed to the creation of another branch. So, of course, somewhere along the line was the dawning of a new era of psychology: biological psychology. In the following composition the reader will learn the meaning of biological psychology and its significance, history of this branch, pioneers of the sect, relationships bio-psy has with other
As we grow and change physically, so do our psychological state permitting how the brain progresses during our youth and moderates as we mature. One of the central arguments in health psychology is that “The mind and body are inextricably intertwined.” (71). The effects of the brain are realized throughout the bodies faculties and vise versa. Consequently, how we feel, what we think, and how we perform are imitations of the brain. No one perspective is superior to the others. Thus, biological systems and psychosocial functioning compliment one another. It helps to understand that events reflected in health and/or illness are parallel to biological makeup.
Cognitive psychology is concerned with the internal processes involved in making sense of the environment and deciding what action may be appropriate. These processes include attention, perception, learning and reasoning, (Eysenck and Keane, 2010).There are a number of approaches which can be used within this field, however for the purposes of the essay only two will be compared; cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. The aims of cognitive neuroscientists are often similar to those of cognitive psychologists; they are both interested in the brain and cognition, (Medin and Ross, 1996). Nevertheless, it could be argued that there are also some fundamental differences between the two approaches, especially in the research methods
In this booklet you will find an overview of all the different approaches to psychology. This will consist of the key assumptions, examples of the relevant psychologists and examples of their work, as well as an exploration into the advantages and disadvantages that some of these approaches possess.
Cognitive and affective psychology is the empirical branch of psychology, which aims to answer all questions regarding human activities, related to knowledge and emotions, such as, how we think, learn, and remember. It is grounded on the theory that thoughts and emotions affect our behavior; furthermore, behavior can be changed through a modification of our thoughts or emotions. Cognitive psychologists examine how our minds obtain, apply, organize, and retrieve information. In addition, the topics of attention, decision-making, critical thinking, reasoning, creativity, memory, perception, problem solving, thinking, and the use of language, all reside under the branch of