petrachor

I've just come across a reference to this form of psychology in a book I am reading, but it is rather light in describing it. COuld any enlighten me as to what the modern cognitive view actually is?

Synaesthesia

It seems to me that the multiplicity of perspectives on the mind/brain has created a situation in which one cannot (and should not) be cleanly demarcated from the other. However, my understanding is that the "cognitive" approach might be broadly characterized as the attempt to construct a ideas about the functional and representational stucture of the brain.

Philosoft

Well, cognition is another word for thinking. Cognitive psych is the study of all aspects of normal, or hyper-normal thought. Hence, there is no "modern cognitive view" per se. As a psych undergrad, I worked in a lab that focused on memory, specifically expert performance of memory tasks. Other labs focused on problem solving, attention, implicit/explicit memory tasks. Can you make your question more specific?

[ May 02, 2002: Message edited by: Philosoft ]</p>

Vorkosigan

Yes, are you referring to the structure of the brain? The organization of the tasks it performs? The various points of view on those issues? The methodologies used to examine them? The points of views of major figures?

Vorkosigan

Bill

<a href="http://user.aol.com/avpsyrich/txtypes.htm" target="_blank">THIS PAGE</a> describes numerous approaches to psychological "problems," among which is listed <a href="http://user.aol.com/avpsyrich/txtypes.htm#Cognitive" target="_blank">Cotnitive-Behavioral Therapy</a>. One of the better known branches of this field was developed by renowned atheist psychologist Albert Ellis, who developed what is now called Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). There are pure cognitive therapys known, but I've never heard much about their success rate as compared with REBT. My wife learned about REBT for her BA in Psychology, and she virtually idolizes Ellis and his successors.

== Bill

lpetrich

On this subject, whatever happened to behaviorism?

To me, it's a purely black-box view of mind, a view that tries to avoid deducing internal states of other minds. Is that a fair assessment?

Grizzly

lpetrich - your assessment is right on. Behaviorism in its purest form regarded internal mental operations as "unknowable" and only studied observable behaviors.

In the 60's, behaviorism fell out of favor when cognitive psychology became popular. Cognitive psychology proposes that we can study "internal mental structures" and infer how they operate throough observable behaviors.

Most cognitive psychologists study memory and/or attention. One famous cogntive pyschologist (Elizabeth Loftus) was instrumental in debunking the "recovered memories" therapies that became popular in the 80's - 90's.

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Grizzly ]</p>

Bob K

Cognitive Psychology basically deals with thoughts and thinking, and, in particular, with disorders of thinking which can cause the individual to experience mental problems.

For a new theory of psychology which is a cognitive psychology, Operational Psychology [OpPsych], check out the following:

An index for Operational Psychology: <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/#Psychology" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/#Psychology</a>

A Basic Summary of OpPsych: <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsychbasicsummary.html" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsychbasicsummary.html</a>

The Five Principles of OpPsych: <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsychfiveprinciples.html" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsychfiveprinciples.html</a>

A General Expposition of OpPsych: <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsych1.html" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsych1.html</a>

An Exposition of OpPsych for Psychologists and Practitioners: <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsych2.html" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/oppsych2.html</a>

Bob K

One of the earliest cognitive psychologies was pure Buddhism, circa 600 B.C., created by the Buddha, Siddartha Guatama of the Sakya tribe [India].

The Essence of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths:
I. Dukkha: Man suffers.
II. Tanha: Man suffers because of greed, defined as excessive desire.
III. Nirvana: Man’s suffering can be alleviated.
IV. Marga: Man’s suffering can be alleviated by means of The Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path:
1. Right View or Knowledge.
2. Right Thought.
3. Right Speech.
4. Right Conduct.
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort.
7. Right Mind Control.
8. Right Meditation.

PURE Buddhism is the above essence without the following Eastern religious metaphysics:

A. Samsara: The Wheel of Birth and Rebirth, typically translated by Westerners as reincarnation.
B. Karma: The works done in a previous life have influence on one's station in a reincarnation.
C. Nirvana: Release from Samsara.

PURE Buddhism is cognitive psychology, and cognitive psychology works for many forms of mental disorders based upon errors of thought/thinking. [Check out the works of Dr. Albert Ellis/Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Dr. Aaron T. Beck/Cognitive Psychology. See also Operational Psychology on <a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com" target="_blank">www.bobkwebsite.com</a> ]

PURE Buddhism is not a religion; it is a psychology.

<a href="http://www.bobkwebsite.com/buddhismascogpsych.html" target="_blank">http://www.bobkwebsite.com/buddhismascogpsych.html</a>

[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bob K ]

[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bob K ]

[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: Bob K ]</p>