PSYC FPX 4100 assessment 3 How Major Psychological Thought Informs Professional Behavior
FPX-4100
Prof. Name
December, 2024
How Major Psychological Thought Informs Professional Behavior
Major psychological thought profoundly influences professional behavior through frameworks for understanding human behavior and guiding decision-making (Baranidharan & Dhakshayini, 2024). For example, cognitive psychology, which focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving, guides how professionals approach tasks in different fields. A therapist working with teenagers may apply cognitive theories to adaptive thought patterns, fostering healthier coping mechanisms and decision-making skills. Similarly, cognitive principles direct the designing of effective strategies by educators, considering the developmental learning requirements of students. The theories assist professionals in predicting and influencing behaviors by having better outcomes. The understanding of how individuals process information and react to stimuli assists professionals in tailoring interventions, communication, and solutions for clients or audiences. Besides these psychological insights into empathy, band etter interpersonal, and ethical decision-making, more evidence-based approaches are imperative in the real world of application.
Events Affecting the Development of School Thought
The Cognitive Revolution (1950s-1960s)
The Cognitive Revolution that arose in the 1950s and 1960s changed the focus away from behaviorism, which only observed overt behavior, and towards an inner process of mental activities (Corballis, 2020). Other researchers, such as Noam Chomsky, started criticizing the behaviorist approach by advocating for a mind-oriented approach to processing information. This revolution founded the roots of cognitive psychology by establishing how people encode, store, and retrieve information. The emergence of computer science and the development of the “information processing model” have aided psychologists in conceptualizing the mind as a system comparable to a computer. The impact was so profound on professional behavior in education and therapy that understanding cognitive processes became key to improving learning and treatment strategies.
Information Processing Theory (1960s-1970s)
Information Processing Theory, formulated in the 1960s and 1970s, assumed that human cognition works like a computer processing information in stages (Rochat, 2023). The theory was about the extent to which people focus attention on and encode, store, and retrieve information. The theory was helpful to educationalists, therapists, and marketers in planning interventions and strategies that would fit in with how people process and react to information naturally. For instance, teachers started using methods such as chunking and rehearsal to improve memory consolidation, and therapists started applying cognitive-behavioral strategies to assist clients in identifying and changing maladaptive thought processes. Such a shift towards understanding mental processes transformed professional practices across disciplines.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (1960s-present)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy was first introduced in the 1960s when it synthesized both cognitive psychology and behaviorism. CBT involves helping the patient become aware of the maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaviors, which in turn will change them. CBT has significantly changed professional behavior in therapy. It is primarily used for anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders. Evidence-based structured techniques like cognitive restructuring and behavioral interventions help the client overcome the problem. The development of CBT was reflective of an increasing awareness of the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and had a profound influence on professional approaches in clinical settings, contributing to the widespread adoption of psychotherapy techniques grounded in cognitive psychology.
Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology (1990s-present)
Neuroscience with cognitive psychology in the 1990s further helped in understanding brain support for cognitive functions. The advancements in brain imaging technologies, including fMRI, enabled the observation of the activity of the brain during cognitive tasks, and deeper insights into memory, decision-making, and emotion regulation. This has transformed both therapy and education through the interaction of neuroscience and cognitive psychology into professional practices. Professionals now have a much more nuanced understanding of how brain activity influences cognitive processes, thus targeted intervention in mental health care and more effective teaching strategies. It also led to the development of therapies using mindfulness and brain-based learning techniques.
Impact of Other Schools of Thought
Behaviorism
The work of behaviorism influenced cognitive psychology much more so in its focus on observable behavior and the environmental factors that condition it. Cognitive psychology emphasizes the internal mental processes; however, it initially had roots in behaviorist theory through its recognition of reinforcement and conditioning in learning. B.F. Skinner and John Watson, among other behaviorists, emphasized how behaviors can be conditioned with rewards and punishments. Incorporating this knowledge into their models, cognitive psychologists combine both inner processes and external behavior. Moreover, an empirical orientation in behaviorism paved the way for the creation of CBT, which uses techniques for cognitive modification with that of behavior modification. So, behaviorism greatly impacted cognitive psychology in terms of developing treatment approaches and research methodologies in therapy.
Gestalt Psychology
Gestalt psychology, which developed in the early 20th century, focused on how the individual perceives and organizes sensory information into whole patterns rather than as isolated stimuli. This approach influenced cognitive psychology, with an emphasis on the importance of holistic perception and the active role of the mind in organizing experience. The Gestalt principles- figure-ground relationships and proximity-were useful in allowing cognitive psychologists to understand how individuals make sense of complex visual and cognitive information. The emphasis on perception and problem-solving in Gestalt psychology also helped give rise to cognitive theories in mental representation and pattern recognition. In professional behavior, Gestalt psychology has affected education and therapy, where knowledge of how people organize information improves teaching methods and therapeutic interventions.
Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology, which was popularized by people such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, stressed the need for self-actualization, growth, and human potential (Brown, 2023). The approach brought forth a more optimistic and person-centered way of psychology, contrasting with the determinism of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Cognitive psychology includes humanistic ideas by identifying the influence of personal meaning, motivation, and self-concept in cognitive processes. This approach has shaped the conduct of professionals, particularly within the therapeutic context where establishing a positive self-concept and helping empower clients are significant goals. The techniques of person-centered therapy and motivational interviewing owe much of their basis to humanistic principles, with those practices shaping how professionals will engage clients toward personal growth and increasing awareness of themselves.
Evolutionary Psychology
Evolutionary psychology, which says that many cognitive processes and behaviors have evolved to solve adaptive problems, has influenced the field of cognitive psychology by giving a framework for understanding the origins of human cognition (Cristofaro et al., 2024). Cognitive psychologists have introduced evolutionary concepts to explain mental processes such as perception, memory, and decision-making as adaptations, which have evolved to favor survival and reproduction. This perspective has shaped professional conduct in fields such as education and therapy, emphasizing natural cognitive abilities that influence human development and learning. For instance, the fact that humans have cognitive biases with which they are biologically predisposed can help teachers and therapists come up with strategies within those tendencies. Evolutionary psychology has also focused much on the role that social and environmental contexts play in shaping cognition, and that determines how professionals handle human behavior in different places.
Impact of Other Cultures
Western Culture
The individualism, autonomy, and rationality embedded in Western culture have influenced cognitive psychology deeply. Logic, scientific inquiry, and personal achievement are central to Western society, which influenced the way theories have come to focus on objective empirical methods. Cognitive psychology has been highly individualistic and internal, reflecting these values of American and European culture. This cultural backdrop has led to the development of therapies and educational practices that embrace personal responsibility, self-efficacy, and cognitive restructuring.
Eastern Culture
The individualism, autonomy, and rationality deeply ingrained within Western culture have influenced cognitive psychology very profoundly. In Western society, logic, scientific inquiry, and personal achievement played a huge role in what has caused the theories to hone in on objective empirical methods. Cognitive psychology has therefore been highly individualistic and internal in reflection of these American and European values. That cultural context has led to the formation of therapies and educational practices that are pro-personal responsibility, pro-self-efficacy, and pro-cognitive restructuring.
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism, with its focus on diversity and cultural sensitivity, has indeed played a significant role in cognitive psychology because it introduced the need for culturally relevant psychological theories and practices (Huey et al., 2023). The fact that the cognitive processes may differ from one culture to another led to the developing of more inclusive models that respect a variety of thinking patterns, learning, and perceiving this world. Multiculturalism in professional behavior has led to more culturally competent therapies, educational approaches, and interventions respecting and including cultural differences. This has been the ground on which to mold ethics in intervention and practice among diverse cultures and knowing the cultural nuances helps a lot in providing adequate care and support.
Knowledge of Cognitive Psychology and Professional Behavior
Understanding Cognitive Processes
Knowledge of cognitive processes such as attention, memory, perception, and decision-making informs professional behavior in many domains directly (Berthet, 2022). Given the applications in education and therapy, such knowledge helps a professional design effective strategies for learning and behavior change. For example, teachers use cognitive theories to improve memory retention and problem-solving skills, and therapists use the understanding of cognitive biases and mental processes to help clients recognize and change unhelpful thinking patterns. This knowledge helps to promote more effective and evidence-based practices in supporting individuals’ cognitive development and well-being.
Cognitive Behavioral Interventions
CBI draws the thought that cognitive processes interrelate thoughts, feelings, and actions (Lunov & Rozhkova, 2024). As the foundation for such cognitive behavioral interventions, CBI derives from cognitive psychology by making the person learn his wrong thoughts, hence evoking the appropriate feelings, as well as behavioral reaction, and these cognitive behavior interventions have been popularized within the therapeutic community of work in professional practices dealing with depression and anxiety conditions. These professionals guide clients toward healthier thinking and coping strategies using techniques such as cognitive restructuring and modification in behavior. Applying cognitive principles, these interventions foster lasting behavioral changes and promote mental health improvement.
Integrating Cultural Factors
Integration of the cultural factors in cognitive psychology becomes necessary for giving proper, respectful professional care (Krishnamurthy et al., 2021). Thus, knowing the way these cognitive factors are affected by beliefs, values, and culture, professionals could make tailored interventions and education strategies appropriate to the cultures. This would mean, for example, that a therapist should amend the CBT according to cultural perspectives regarding mental illness, or adapt the teaching according to cultural values on the nature of learning. It recognizes the influence of culture on cognition, thereby making interventions more effective and more inclusive and equitable in diverse settings.
Applying Cognitive Psychology in Health Education
Applying cognitive psychology in health education is to apply the comprehension of cognitive processes for designing instructional programs that may enhance learning and change behaviors. Health education professionals will then be able to apply cognitive principles to improve how people process and retain health information. For instance, an individual may be able to understand and apply health-related information through techniques such as active learning, repetition, or self-regulation. To develop educational materials and interventions that promote informed decision-making among various populations and ensure their good health behaviors, by understanding how people learn and make decisions, cognitive psychology informs.
PSYC FPX 4100 assessment 3 Conclusion
In conclusion, cognitive psychology, therefore, plays a very important role in professional behavior by different entities because it gives insights into how people perceive and process given information and subsequently respond to it (Zhang et al., 2023). Its influence manifests in the development of effective cognitive-behavioral intervention, the integration of cultural elements in therapeutic and educational practices, and the application of the principles of cognition in health education. Understanding cognitive processes will both make interventions more effective and individualize them since different individuals have specific needs. Knowledge of cognitive psychology therefore informs evidence-based practice in such a way that promotes the effectiveness, inclusivity, and cultural competence of practices both clinically and educationally.
PSYC FPX 4100 assessment 3 References
Baranidharan, S., & Dhakshayini, K. N. (2024). Exploring the Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Decision-Making Across Diverse Domains: A Systematic Literature Review. Www.igi-Global.com; IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/exploring-the-influence-of-emotional-intelligence-on-decision-making-across-diverse-domains/345191
