Cognitive Perspective in Psychology: From Wundt to Neisser - Essay Sample

Introduction

The cognitive perspective is the approach to explaining how the effects of mental processes such as problem-solving, thinking, perception, and memory instigate behavior. Wilhelm Wundt is credited for being the founder of cognitive approach and experimental psychology (Neisser 2014). The development of cognitive perspective was inspired by psychologists' dissatisfaction with earlier approaches of explaining behavior such as behaviorist and psychoanalytic approaches, which merely emphasized observable behavior instead of internal mental processes (McLeod 2018). Cognitive perspective is more scientific because it allows psychologists to use rigorous experimental methods rather than psychoanalytic notions or conditioned actions behind behavior to establish the motivation behind human behavior.

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Besides, cognitive perspective is founded on the cognitive personality theories which explain how behaviors of individuals differ, based on how they process information and think. Cognitive perspective shares the same underlying assumption as other psychological perspectives that stimulus and response involve mediational processes (Cowley 2017). However, unlike behaviorists, it emphasizes is based on the belief that mental processes can be objectively observed and measured. Thus, it views humans as information processors capable of transforming, storing and retrieving information just like computers (McLeod, 2018). The cognitive approach further assumes that the information processing functions such as analysis of the stimuli, manipulation, and coding of stimuli, as well as preparing a response to stimuli to follow a definite sequence.

Cognitive approach is applied to many areas of psychology. First, it is used in Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to diagnose and treat diverse mental health issues (Beck, Emery & Greenberg 2005). CBT uses the assumption that cognition, emotion, and behavior interact together. Secondly, it is applied in education to explain mental development in children. According to Lent (2017), this application is mainly based on Piaget's (1936) cognitive development which regards cognitive development as a process that involves both interactions with the environment and biological maturation (Kozulin, Gindis, Ageyev & Miller 2003). Thirdly, the cognitive approach is used in explaining moral development. Kohlberg, a cognitive psychologist, proposed three stages of moral development as pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional morality (Clark, Crozier & Alden 2005). The scholar used dilemma experiments involving children and adults to establish the stages based on theories Piaget's theory of development. According to Eysenck (2013), the approach is also important in verifying eyewitness testimonies in courts, as well as explaining phenomena such as depression, attention, perception, memory, and forgetting.

Introspection is one of the most foundational aspects of psychology. Cognitive psychologists hold that mental processes can be studied through introspection. Introspection is a rigorous self-examination process by reflecting on past experiences (Zimmerman 2000). Introspection tests are done under carefully controlled environments. It is through this method that Wundt proved psychology as an empirical science (Byrne 2005). Based on this approach other psychologists such as behaviorists adopted the use of similar experiments to validate their assumptions scientifically. Introspection focuses on the perceptual process which involves feelings, images, and thoughts.

The cognitive perspective has several strengths as a method of explaining behavior. First cognitive perspective can combine logically with other approaches. For instance, it combines with behaviorism to bring about social learning theory (Yilmaz 2011). When the cognitive perspective is combined with biology, the outcome is evolutionary theory. Therefore it has led to the emergence of several psychological theories. Cognitive psychology uses rigorous and highly controlled scientific methods of research to help scientist explain the processes that influence behavior. Over time, it has evolved to include the use of laboratory experiments to produce objective and reliable data (Rieber 2013). Thirdly, the cognitive perspective has grown to become the most dominant model in psychology, and it is applied to explain a wide range of theoretical as well as practical contexts.

However, the cognitive perspective also has weaknesses. One of its weaknesses is that it focuses narrowly on mental processes. For instance, cognitive researchers tend to focus on logical aspects of cognition only, ignoring the role of emotion creativity, and social behavior (Fishbach & Ferguson 2007). Secondly, the cognitive perspective mostly compares cognitive processing with a computer system. This gives a misleading representation of how the brain works because the human brain is by far more flexible and Powerful than the best computer ever made.

Many scholars have criticized the cognitive perspective because of the methods it uses to explain human behavior. One of them is B. F. Skinner who dismissed that internal mental processes can be measured scientifically (Ebbinghaus 2013). He argued that migration processes do not exist because they can neither be measured or seen. Besides, he criticizes the use of introspection has cognitive research method due to its hand scientific and subjective nature. Similarly, Carl Rogers, humanist psychologist believes that cognitive experiments allow control over variables and that creates artificial environments, lowering ecological validity (Boring 2008). He instead proposes that the methods used to understand human behavior should be more holistic in approach.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cognitive perspective focuses on the mental processes and how they influence behavior. It uses introspection to examine and explain the internal processes involved in coding, storage, and retrieval of information. The Cognitive perspective is based on the assumption that the functioning of the human mind is to a computer, and psychology is pure science that can be proved through lab experiments. However, these assumptions are also the main weaknesses of the cognitive perspective.

References

Beck, A.T., Emery, G. and Greenberg, R.L., 2005. Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. Basic Books.

Boring, E.G., 2008. History of experimental psychology. Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd.

Byrne, A., 2005. Introspection. Philosophical Topics, 33(1), pp.79-104.

Clark, D.M., Crozier, W.R. and Alden, L.E., 2005. A cognitive perspective on social phobia. The essential handbook of social anxiety for clinicians, pp.193-218.

Cowley, M. B 2017, "The Cognitive Perspective - Introduction to Psychology": Theory and Practice (Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Developmental Notes), SSRN Electronic Journal, doi:10.2139/ssrn.2987750.

Ebbinghaus, H., 2013. Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. Annals of neurosciences, 20(4), p.155.

Eysenck, M.W., 2013. Anxiety: The cognitive perspective. Psychology Press.

Fishbach, A. and Ferguson, M.J., 2007. The goal construct in social psychology.

Kozulin, A., Gindis, B., Ageyev, V.S. and Miller, S.M. eds., 2003. Vygotsky's educational theory in cultural context. Cambridge University Press.

Lent, R.W., 2017. Integration of theory, research, and practice: A social cognitive perspective. Society for Vocational Psychology: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice.

McLeod, S 2018, Jean Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, accessed 13 April 2019, <https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html>

Neisser, U., 2014. Cognitive psychology: Classic edition. Psychology Press.

Rieber, R. ed., 2013. Wilhelm Wundt and the making of a scientific psychology. Springer Science & Business Media.

Yilmaz, K., 2011. The cognitive perspective on learning: Its theoretical underpinnings and implications for classroom practices. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84(5), pp.204-212.

Zimmerman, B.J., 2000. Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13-39). Academic Press.