Cognitive Psychology: Development
A Brief Overview
Cognitive Psychology: Development
Reiterating the ideas of Hergenhahn and Henley (2014), cognitive psychology saw its roots starting with J.S. Mill setting the stage for cognitive psychology to become an experimental science of the mind. Later, Fechner developed methods for measuring cognitive happens through his work with psychophysics. Then Ebbinghaus, whom was a student of Fechner, began to study learning and memory experimentally (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014). Finally, Sir Frederic Charles Bartlett wrote a text Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology (1932), from which cognitive psychology spawned. Bartlett popularized the ideas of schema in relation to memory and other cognitive processes. One step further, Jean Piaget conceived the idea of cognitive behavior therapy (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014).
Article Assessment and Contemporary Application
Consider an article examining the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy on individuals whom are lonely. The article describes loneliness as a situation in which an individual feels not understood or experiences unpleasant moods as a result of perceiving him or herself as undesirable socially (Tatlilioglu, 2013). The study concluded, “…focused therapy gave quite beneficial results in increasing of life qualities of the young individuals and in dealing with though of suicide, drug addiction and stress and especially in protecting the mental health of the young people and there was a decrease in loneliness and depression levels of the experimental group…” (Tatlilioglu, 2013). Indicating that cognitive behavioral therapy may be effective for the treatment of loneliness among young individuals.
Contemporarily, concepts within cognitive behavioral therapy could be applied aptly. Although the article examined only examined loneliness within young people. Loneliness may not be exclusive to the young. More specifically, loneliness may be present within a workplace application. For example, improper workplace social practices may perpetuate feelings of loneliness in employees. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, such as those described in the article examined, may prove useful in preventing or treating loneliness. This generalized concept could span many aspects of human lifestyle: workplace loneliness, school environment loneliness, family loneliness, etc. Loneliness may not be a specific issue associated with one defining event, rather a generalized concept that could be treated similarly; in a generalized fashion.
Hergenhahn, B. R., & Henley, T. B. (2014). An introduction to the history of psychology (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth-Cengage.
Tatlilioglu, K. (2013). The effect of cognitive behavioral oriented psycho education program on dealing with loneliness: an online psychological counseling approach. Education, 134(1), 101+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA346808451&v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=51a55c0a646caad574dc8696a876827b