Cognitive Psychology

Psychology Degree Guide:  Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is a broad branch of psychology incorporating many fields of study. It concerns the use of scientific research methods to study the internal mental states and processes of the human mind. Specifically, cognitive psychologists study the acquisition, processing, and storage of information inside the brain. Issues such as perception, attention, intelligence, problem-solving, decision-making, language, and memory are of great interest to those studying cognitive psychology. Besides psychologists, that group principally includes linguists, teachers and education specialists, engineers, and philosophers. However, as the field deals with the way people perceive, remember, and learn information, it interests an exceptionally wide variety of professionals.

The cognitive branch of psychology differs significantly from other sub-fields like behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Behaviorism is focused on directly observable behavior: the actions people take. In contrast, psychoanalysts aim to investigate the internal processes in the mind, but they do so by relying heavily on the subjective perceptions of the investigator. Cognitive psychologists differ from the researchers in both of these fields since they study internal processes with scientific methods of research.

The history of cognitive psychology is relatively brief, since the field emerged following post-WWII developments in computer science and artificial intelligence. Combined with a renewed interest in linguistics, the artificial intelligence models allowed psychologists to model human thought processes in new ways.

The two decades following WWII are known as the birthing years of cognitive psychology. Researchers such as Noam Chomsky, David Rumelhart, James McClelland, George Miller, and Allen Newell contributed significantly to early research. For today’s researchers, myriad resources are available online to help you study cognitive psychology.

Resources for Cognitive Research/p>

General Resources

Visit the Center for Psychology Resources virtual library for useful resources in all fields of psychology. Another good catch-all resource is CogPrints, an online archive for papers on virtually all subjects related to the study of cognitive processes.

When it comes to hitting the books, a dictionary of cognitive terms, maintained by Dr. Michael Dawson at the University of Alberta, can clarify tough definitions. Likewise, a brief history of cognitive psychology can help you understand the context of this branch in respect to psychological studies of the past. If you’re ready to do independent research, COGENT provides “a graphic environment for cognitive modeling.”

Perception and Memory

The Brain, Cognition, and Action Laboratory is a good place to start if you’re studying perception. The Memory Arena publishes new research and keeps you up to date on news in the field. For a fascinating look at the surprisingly fluid nature of memory, visit Exploratorium: The Memory Exhibition.

The idea of repressed memory is very controversial in the world of psychology. To explore the debate on repressed memory, visit The British False Memory Page. A skeptical take is presented in Recovered Memory Therapy and False Memory Syndromes. Elizabeth Loftus of the University of Washington also wrote about The Repressed Memory Controversy.

Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence

If you are interested in creating intelligent machines, start with the Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, which concerns the creation of machines capable of mimicking human thought. Soar is a program you can use to model intelligent systems. The Journal of Artificial Intelligence publishes the latest research, as does  Intelligent Systems magazine, published by IEEE.

Education

Educational psychology is a dominant sub-field in the world of cognitive psychology. Visit the Educational Psychology Interactive website for hundred of useful links on research, history, and new developments. Students may also find the online educational psychology videos useful learning tools.

Linguistics

Rice University maintains an index of information on Neurocognitive Linguistics, which addresses the relationship between language and the brain. Linguists will also find useful resources at the International Cognitive Linguistics Association or at Linguist List, an online community of linguists.

Cognitive Groups and Institutions

Cognitive-specific Groups

The Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) is a group committed to performing mind and brain research meant to investigate the “psychological, computational, and neuroscientific bases” of cognition. Additionally, the Cognitive Science Society and the British Psychological Society: Cognitive Psychology Section are gold mines of information.

For general information on psychology, students and psychological researchers can find more information by visiting professional psychological organizations like the American Psychological Association, American Academy of Clinical Psychology, Association for Psychological Science, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, or the International Association of Applied Psychology.

Where to Follow Recent Developments in Cognitive Psychology

The Social Psychology Network lists dozens of worldwide psychology conferences where the most cutting-edge research will be presented. For a list of links to journals and publications useful in the study of Cognitive Psychology, see PsychWatch. Another good place to browse is Indiana University’s Center for Research on Concepts and Cognition.

Research Blogging is a comprehensive site that posts discussions, news, and information related to virtually every field of science, including a substantial section for psychology where you can interact with other students and professionals. Similarly, Science Daily bills itself as “your source for the latest research news”. PsychPort is another professional psychology news feed run by the American Psychological Association. You can also check out PsychCentral News and Alltop, a news website that posts psychological headlines from around the world

Additional Resources

For more information on the people, studies and subjects that influence cognitive psychology, check out the following links: