Cognitive psychology is one of the important disciplines to human cognitive understanding. It is actually a science that focuses on investigating human mental abilities. These mental abilities include understanding, thinking, reasoning, perceiving, remembering, as well as learning. In most cases, cognitive psychology is compared to aspects of behaviorism. As a matter of fact, cognitive psychology focuses on them nature of human psyche that cannot be observed and uses the abstracts constructs in producing the observable behaviors. In defining cognitive psychology it is worth noting that the discipline is related to linguistics, neuroscience, and philosophy. The contemporary study of cognitive psychology rests on the essence that a human brain is a system that can be understood as one of the complex computing system.
Certainly, as a discipline there are key milestones in the development of cognitive psychology. As a matter of fact, there are various personalities that have helped in the key milestone in developing cognitive psychology. They include Dr. Albert Ellis, Alfred Adler, as well as Dr. Aaron Beck. Each of these personalities in one way or another played a tremendous role in the development of cognitive psychology (Solso, 2004). One of the milestone that is worth noting is neuroscience. Neuroscientist became equipped to carry out the cognitive study through abstract constructs. Adler together with Freud helped in treatment creation pertaining neuroses psychology in the year 1902. The advancement in the field of neuroscience became one of the strongest milestones in developing cognitive psychology. Neuroscientists asserted that brain associated damage among individuals are part of the various observable cognitive problems that help in the definition of functions (Brown, 2007). The observation made by neuroscientists provides an assumption between the structure of the brain and its functions.
Another milestone in the development of cognitive psychology is the process of abstract constructs on artificial intelligence. The development of technology made various issues of logic sophisticated and supported the issue of abstract constructs. For example, machines were made to operate like human beings and programmed to solve problems (Braisby & Gellatly, 2012). This marked a development in the understanding and development of cognitive psychology. The artificial intelligence helped in the development of cognitive psychology since it offered an indication of unobservable behaviors that are based on behavior.
The crumbling of behaviorism is also another tremendous milestone in the development of cognitive psychology. Various issues were raised on the behaviorism perspectives, especially on issues of memory and language. The behaviors focused on animal behaviors in order to comprehend the human ability and language. Basically, this demonstrated a tremendous development in understanding the human mind and cognitive development (Braisby & Gellatly, 2012). Despite the fact that behaviorism could not give facts on internal mental process, as well as intrinsic drives a addressed by Sigmund Freud. Behaviorism did not accommodate the aspect of explaining the cognitive process but it paved way and provided a roadmap for the development of cognitive psychology. Dr. Albert Eliss is also a milestone in the development of cognitive development. He advocated for rational emotive therapy, which became influential in cognitive psychology.
Perhaps, the fourth milestone is focused on the first prototype for cognitive psychology. The modern version of cognitive psychology is attributed Wilhelm Wundt. The aspect of modern cognitive psychology studies human brain through observation (Brown, 2007). This view began to become popular and later became to be known as cognitive psychology. Many other psychologists who helped in the development of cognitive psychology include Greeks, and Europeans.
Undeniably, there are various importance of behavioral observation in cognitive psychology. Behavioral observation is crucial because it enables the cognitive psychologists to evaluate inferences and theories, as well as testing predictions on various behaviors. The observation of behaviors helps psychologists just like observations and researches in other subjects such as chemistry and biology. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to observe what goes on in the human brain; hence, the only way to analyze human mind is by using behavioral observation (Solso, 2004). Cognitive psychology depends greatly on behavioral observations. The behavioral observation help cognitive psychologists in evaluating what are predictions and inferences. In addition, the behavioral research is crucial on cognitive psychology, which include experimental, descriptive and relational. Observation is believed to be one the basis of science. Behavior of human beings has the strength to inform on the minds of human beings. Hence, the behavioral observations is a way, whereby the cognitive psychologists can collect information on the human mental system (Brown, 2007). Cognitive psychologists assert that the behaviors that people have and act can inform on the thoughts and reasoning of human beings. Behavioral observation is the key component during cognitive psychology and the study of cognitive functions.
In conclusion, it is evident that cognitive psychology continues to be one of the major disciplines that focus on the human brain. It influences various aspects of human life such as behaviorism, as well as psychoanalysis. The cognitive psychology is still popular in comprehending human mental process, especially on learning methods, and linguistics. The mental abilities of human beings such as understanding, thinking, reasoning, perceiving, remembering, as well as learning can only be achieved through cognitive psychology.
References
Braisby, N & Gellatly, A. (2012). Cognitive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Brown, C. (2007). Cognitive psychology. London: SAGE Publications.
Solso, L. (2004). Cognitive psychology. London: Ally and Bacon
