Introduction
If you’re about to take the AP® Psychology test you’re going to wonder what the cognitive perspective is. It is a popular theory and will be on your test. In order to get the score you want on your test you will need to understand how the cognitive perspective relates to the actions of an individual. You will also need to understand the way in which it was founded and why it is considered different from other perspectives in psychology. It is very commonly used to understand how and why someone will react to any given situation based on their upbringing.
Defining the Cognitive Perspective
The cognitive perspective, operates on the belief that the brain is the most important aspect in relation to the way that an individual behaves or thinks. This perspective states that to understand someone, you must first be able to understand what is happening in their mind. Once you are able to do this, you will be able to understand how they will act in other situations as well.
The basis for this foundation is on the way that information that is heard or learned by the individual is processed by the brain. It is important to understand that, though a number of people may hear the same information, they will not all process it in the same way. As a result, in order to determine the way in which a specific individual will process information and respond to it, it is important to understand the way in which they process other information.
This theory is also interested in the memory, perception (both of the self and of others), and problem solving. It then considers the way in which each of these areas relates to the behavior of the individual in any given situation.
By considering the way that an individual has gathered information throughout their life and the way that they process that information it is possible to understand them better. This requires knowing the type of memories the person has as well. Even the same memories from different people will be processed differently. Two individuals who went through the same events will also have different memories of those events. As a result, every individual will have a different method of action through the cognitive perspective.
Who Invented the Cognitive Perspective?
So here’s a little AP® Psychology review. This perspective came to light in the 1950’s-1960’s. It is believed to be primarily the brainchild of Ulric Neisser. Neisser believed that behaviorism was an incorrect and outdated theory and, therefore, a different understanding was necessary to better understand the ways in which an individual cultivated information and reacted to it.
At the same time Neisser did not want to truly discredit the theory, which focused only on outward behavior of an individual rather than the inward behaviors and beliefs of the individual. He determined it was better to offer a different way of thinking. His goal, in touting the cognitive perspective, was to create an alternative to the popular theory of behaviorism.
Other scientists who were interested in this theory and studied it as well were Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner. These scientists continued to study the theory throughout the next hundred years and continued to expand upon it. The cognitive perspective has continued to be used, though updated, until more recent times.
Neisser was not the only person to tout the idea of the cognitive perspective at the time, but he did write a book on the topic which caused him to be named as the founder. His book helped others to better understand the new perspective and the way that it could be used to understand the way that any individual would make a decision and execute an action.
Examples of Cognitive Perspective
Example 1:
Emily started college last summer and has not been able to improve her grades as much as her friends think she could. What they don’t know is that Emily herself is not studying. Emily has never been good at school and, as a result, believes that she can’t do well. Because of this, she does not have high self-esteem and refuses to put in the work necessary to succeed.
The way that Emily feels about herself is related to an event that has happened in her past. This event or memory has influenced the way that she continues to behave even in the present. Because she has a feeling about herself that is negative she has trouble overcoming this feeling to accomplish more in the future.
Example 2:
Tom wants to impress his boss with his next presentation but every time he thinks about practicing the presentation he gets anxious. He decides not to practice because he doesn’t like the feeling. In the past Tom completed a presentation for his boss and the boss did not like it. Tom feels anxious that the boss will not like his next presentation either and does not practice.
Because Tom has had a bad experience with his boss in the past his subconscious mind has tied this in with his present experience. He is convinced that the next experience will be the same as the past experience because his mind continues to make the connection between a presentation with the boss and the last presentation that he made. Until he can overcome this connection he will not be able to create a positive presentation that the boss will like.
Example 3:
Jennifer always quits her job just before she’s going to get a promotion. She tells herself that she doesn’t like the job but the truth is that she feels too much pressure. In high school Jennifer was voted president of her class but she didn’t do well. Now she is afraid to take on any additional responsibilities because she feels she can’t succeed.
When Jennifer was in high school she had an experience that was very negative. As a result, she continues to associate that experience with any position of power. She feels that this is a statement about her ability to be in charge and does not believe that she can grow or continue to get better with anything that she does. She will not be able to succeed at a position of influence until she is able to convince herself that she should try.
What to Know About Cognitive Perspective
What you need to know for your AP® Psychology exam is that this perspective can be used to better understand learning style, attention, and language acquisition as well as the way people forget things. With this perspective it’s possible to look at the best ways to teach different people as well as considering how to gain the attention of a group of individuals. Through the cognitive perspective it is possible to develop new teaching styles.
The modern study of cognitive perspective states that the mind is similar to a computer system. With this understanding, it is better possible for psychologists to understand the way that the human mind works in general in relation to the mind of another being. By understanding the processes of decision making as they relate to a general foundation, it is possible to realize what should be done in regards to treating the conditions that may arise in the psyche of a healthy individual or an unhealthy one.
This perspective is often closely tied in with the field of neuroscience as it relates so closely to an understanding of the brain and the way in which the brain functions both on a scientific and psychological level.
The Cognitive Perspective and the AP® Psychology Exam
The cognitive perspective has been represented on the AP® Psychology exam a number of times. Free response questions with this perspective include discussing the theory of anxiety, and explaining how this perspective would affect the way that a child tells a story. This perspective has been used as part of a free response question in six of the last 13 years. In the prior 10 years it was used several times as well because this is a very common perspective. In general, questions on this perspective consider how any individual will react to a situation based on it.
Wrapping Up the Cognitive Perspective and AP® Psychology
The AP® Psychology exam is intended to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive perspective as well as other perspectives in psychology. The cognitive perspective is a way of understanding the actions of an individual. The actions are believed to be based upon the memory as well as the feelings that an individual has gone through in their past. The most important factors are:
1. Cognitive perspective relates to the way the past dictates the present of an individual.
2. Created by Ulric Neisser.
3. It replaced the Behaviorism Perspective.
4. Relates to the way an individual feels and understands on the inside as important to the way that they act externally.
In order to fully develop a free response answer you will need to understand the full cognitive perspective, which we’ve gone over in this AP® Psychology crash course. A basic understanding will give you what you need for multiple choice sections of your test. Understanding more will allow you to expound on the principles and get a better score on the essay portion of the test.
Let’s put everything into practice. Try this AP® Psychology practice question:
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