The Cognitive Perspective

Written By Colēgia

There are many different ways of viewing our mind along with how we use it. One of these viewpoints is known as the cognitive perspective. Today we want to do a deep dive and understand what this is and how it is helpful.

The Cognitive Perspective Explained

Psychology was developed as early as 1879 by Willhelm Wundt and cognitive psychology had origins from ancient Greece. With its emphasis on testing memory along with other processes, this approach gives us many practical means of addressing common areas in our minds. One way to define the cognitive perspective is that it refers to the process of how people “ process, store, and retrieve information and how this information is used to solve problems.” This type of viewpoint relies on the idea that the human brain is similar to computers in how we access our ideas. Three of the most common components to this can be broken down into a three-step process. The first of which is encoding information which is where it is received. The second step is storage which focuses on where this information is located. The last step is known as retrieval which is where we recollect said information.

“With its emphasis on testing memory along with other processes, this approach gives us many practical means of addressing common areas in our minds.”

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Practical Uses in Our Lives

The cognitive perspective can be seen in many different areas within our lives and school specifically is one of the most common. Given the importance of being able to learn, tests are one of the best examples of using this perspective in action. Tests give us the chance to use our knowledge in a safe environment while also giving us tangible results with how well we have applied it. Homework is another means of this perspective as it accounts for a large part of retaining the material we have learned. Homework lets us apply this in a manner that still impacts our grades albeit in a more forgiving manner. Having these different means of retrieving information is good as it can test both our short and long-term memory respectively.

“The cognitive perspective can be seen in many different areas within our lives and school specifically is one of the most common.”

Why it Matters

The cognitive perspective goes beyond the classroom as it can be used as an effective means of managing things such as our attention and more. It’s good to recognize that time is a limited resource and this also holds true to our attention. Educators need to find meaningful ways to engage with students in an era where we have become conditioned to instant gratification and faster results. This is good to keep in mind because if we apply this perspective, we can use it to gauge interest along with improving things such as our ability to make snap decisions. This matters because expectations also shift with what students are required to learn, and being able to adapt new methods is one such way to make these cognitive processes more streamlined. Our memory is extremely important and establishing healthy choices in our lives while also being mindful of where our education plays a role, can ultimately make your mind work for you.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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