Cognitive Psychology Essay Paper
This course has been a very accelerated journey over the field of Cognitive Psychology. What have been your more important gains from the course? Do you understand better the processes that occur in our brains that define us as humans and determine our probable evolution?
Do you think cognitive complexity is a valid individual differences variable, independent of general intelligence? Why or why not? Name one famous person you think might be cognitively complex and one famous person you believe might be cognitively simple. Defend your choices by telling what it is about that person\’s actions and/or words that make you categorize the person as you do. Remember, this is just speculation, not certainty!
Cognitive psychology
Attending the cognitive psychology course has not only been an eye opener but also an opportunity to apply experimental approaches in exploring the minds internal workings. In fact, my most important gain has been acquiring a better understanding of the internal mental processes as exhibited through mental imagery, thinking and reasoning and explored through experiments. Cognitive Psychology Essay Paper Through attending the course, I have learned how to explore cognitive psychology as an experimental science that considers the processes associated with visual thinking, imagination and reasoning. In addition, I have learned how to run experiments, collect data, and use experiments to understand the data behind behavior and memory. Besides that, I have learned to explore the effectiveness of experiments in studies concerning the mind. The thought processes developed during the course work have allowed me to understand that humans specialize in knowing and thinking, and that the extraordinary cognitive capabilities that human’s exhibit have turned them into complex artistic, scientific, economic and political creatures. This has allowed humans to live in a wide range of habitats, some of which have been specifically adapted thus placing them above other animals and explaining the evolutionary process. Having gone through the course work, I believe that I have gained a better understanding of the processes that occur in the brain and define humans while determining probable evolution.
The course work has led me to develop a more informed understanding of cognitive complexity as a valid individual differences variable that is independent of general independence and describes cognition along complexity-simplicity axis. Cognitive complexity is the psychological variable or characteristic that indicates the simplicity or complexity of an individual’s perceptual skills or frame as it related to thought process many constructs and their interrelationships. It is the ability of an individual to perceive and respond to input based on prior developed personal constructs and experiences to calculate probability and determine relevance (Reisberg, 2013). The implication is that individuals are either cognitively complex or simple. Cognitively complex persons apply more abstract and philosophical ways of thinking, preferring intricate thinking patterns and stimuli. Examples of persons who apply cognitively complex thought are Chris Rock and Eddy Griffin, two famous comedians who typically present engaging humor, jokes and comedy. The process of coming up with new, relevant and entertaining jokes is challenging and requires them to apply a complex thought process that looks at their environment from a different perspective. These are individuals who are able to translate tragic stories into humorous stories that engage and entertain audiences. For instance, translating an earthquake scene that killed people into a humorous scene where a glutton refused to leave his home since his meal was still cooking. On the other hand, cognitively simple persons apply straight forward thought processes that result in predictable outcomes. Examples of persons who apply cognitively simple thought processes are Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone, two famous actors who are required to follow predetermined scripts and plots in their acting careers. They have film directors who tell them what to do and how to do it thus leaving them to only follow the given instructions. For instance, being told of a facial expression to present in different scenes. Overall, the cognitive psychology course was informative.
Reference
Reisberg, D. (ed) (2013). The Oxford handbook of cognitive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Cognitive Psychology Essay Paper