68 COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Cognitive psychology (KP) (from the Latin. Cognition - "knowledge, knowledge") - a section of psychology that is turned against behaviorism. Cognitive psychology advocated the inclusion of the role of mental processes in the analysis of behavioral responses. One of the founders of cognitive psychology was A. Newell. But the most significant works on cognitive psychology belong to W. Neisser, D. Broadbentui et al. Cognitive psychology was taken as the basis in the works of non-behavioral scientists (E. Tolman, D. Miller, K. Pribramma etc.), which included cognitive and motivational components in the structure of behavior. From this it followed that human behavior directly depends on the level of his cognitive abilities. If we take into account the connection of cognitive psychology with the behavioral direction, then we can see that the formula “stimulus-reaction” includes not only external stimuli, but also internal (ideas, desires, self-consciousness of a person). W. Neisser believed that knowledge is nothing but the process of changing incoming information for the convenience of its storage, accumulation and subsequent use.

In a literal sense, Cognitive psychology is the psychology of the knowledge of the soul and human behavior. Some scholars argue that Cognitive psychology can be viewed as an addition to humanistic psychology, these areas emerged almost at the same time - in the late 1950s - early 1960s. In the early stages of its development, Cognitive psychology studied the process of processing information from its contact with receptors and to receive a response. At these stages, short-term and long-term memory was considered. In the course of further research it was found that knowledge, as well as other cognitive processes, plays one of the first roles in the "theater" of human behavior.

In the works of some scientists, a person was considered as a system for which searching and processing information is most important - something close to a computer is obtained. On the basis of which arose the so-called "first cognitive revolution" - comparing the flow of various processes in humans with similar processes in a computer.

The “second cognitive revolution” arose at the moment when scientists no longer satisfy the results they received. This was the beginning of a qualitatively new direction in Cognitive psychology, which brought to the fore the idea that a person, while performing a specific task, uses symbolic systems, in particular, language.

The disadvantage of Cognitive psychology is the fact that within its framework there is not a single theory that explains the cognitive processes and their flow, there is no reliance on the cultural development of man. Only the mechanisms of the processes are considered.

Cognitive psychology is a fairly promising direction, which attracts many researchers of our time.

Sample Questions and Answers

What is the significance of computer metaphor for psychophysiology?

Cognitive psychology considers a person as a cognitive system and interprets the processes occurring in this system as a phased processing of information in the behavior of the subject, by analogy with the processing of information in a computer. This analogy has received a special name in the literature - computer metaphor.

Computer metaphor, according to N.S. Pryazhnikov - “the analogy between the processes of information processing by man and in a universal computing device” [4, C. 113].

In accordance with the computer metaphor of the hypothesis of not directly observable, internal processes should be such that they can be constructively interpreted in terms of the organization of computing systems. Computer metaphor does not replace psychological theory, it is only intended to help formulate the theory in constructive concepts.

The meaning of metaphor in the study of the psychological and brain mechanisms of information processing goes beyond a good analogy. In fact, it created new initial premises for studying these mechanisms, replacing the idea of ​​energy exchange with the environment with the idea of ​​information exchange. This step was very progressive, since earlier in physiological studies emphasis was placed on the study of energy exchange with the environment.

Bibliography for answers

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.Maryutina, TM Psychophysiology. - M .: Publishing house MGPPU, 350 p.

.Pryazhnikov, N.S. The psychology of labor and human dignity. - M .: Academy, 2004. - 318 p.

.Stolyarenko, LD, Fundamentals of Psychology. - Rostov n / a: Phoenix, 2002 - 672 p.

.Physiology of higher nervous activity / HH Danilova, A.L. Krylov. - Rostov n / a: Phoenix, 2005. - 478 p.