cognitive psychology: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Academic, scientific
Quick answer
What does “cognitive psychology” mean?
The scientific study of internal mental processes, including perception, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, and language.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The scientific study of internal mental processes, including perception, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, and language.
A branch of psychology focusing on how people acquire, process, and store information, often employing the metaphor of the mind as an information-processing system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; the term is identical and standard in both variants.
Connotations
Scientifically neutral in both contexts.
Frequency
Equally frequent in academic and educated professional contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “cognitive psychology” in a Sentence
N + of + N (e.g., 'a professor of cognitive psychology')Adj + N (e.g., 'experimental cognitive psychology')V + N (e.g., 'to study cognitive psychology')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cognitive psychology” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Her work cognitively reframes the problem.
- The model aims to simulate how we cognise.
American English
- Her work cognitively reframes the problem.
- The model aims to simulate cognition.
adverb
British English
- She analysed the data cognitively.
American English
- She analyzed the data from a cognitive psychology perspective.
adjective
British English
- A cognitive-psychology approach is needed.
- The cognitive psychologist presented her findings.
American English
- A cognitive psychology approach is needed.
- The cognitive psychologist presented her findings.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in contexts like UX design, marketing (e.g., 'We applied cognitive psychology to improve the website's usability').
Academic
Core subject in psychology and neuroscience departments (e.g., 'Her PhD is in cognitive psychology').
Everyday
Rare; might be used in simplified discussions about learning or memory (e.g., 'I read a pop-science article on cognitive psychology').
Technical
Precise usage in scientific papers, clinical assessments, and AI research on cognition.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cognitive psychology”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cognitive psychology”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cognitive psychology”
- Misspelling as 'cognative psychology'.
- Using it interchangeably with 'neuroscience' (which focuses more on the biological substrate).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Cognitive psychology is a sub-discipline within psychology. Cognitive science is a broader, interdisciplinary field that includes psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, and artificial intelligence.
Key figures include Ulric Neisser, who coined the term in his 1967 book, and researchers like George Miller, Jerome Bruner, and Allen Newell, who helped establish the information-processing approach.
It is applied in designing educational curricula, improving human-computer interaction (HCI/UX), developing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), enhancing eyewitness testimony procedures, and creating more effective marketing strategies.
Methods include controlled laboratory experiments, reaction time studies, neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG), computational modelling, and carefully designed observational studies of cognitive tasks.
The scientific study of internal mental processes, including perception, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, and language.
Cognitive psychology is usually academic, scientific in register.
Cognitive psychology: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv saɪˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːɡ.nə.t̬ɪv saɪˈkɑː.lə.dʒi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not generally idiomatic; a technical term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
'COG'nitivE psychology studies the COGs (gears) inside your mental machine.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A COMPUTER (processing information, storing memories).
Practice
Quiz
Cognitive psychology is primarily concerned with: