Cognitive Theories

Definition:

Cognitive theory is a learning theory of psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by
understanding the thought processes. The assumption is that humans are logical beings that make the
choices that make the most sense to them. “Information processing” is a commonly used description
of the mental process, comparing the human mind to a computer.

Pure cognitive theory largely rejects behaviorism on the basis that behaviorism reduces complex
human behavior to simple cause and effect. However, the trend in past decades has been towards
merging the two into a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral theory. This allows therapists to use
techniques from both schools of thought to help clients achieve their goals.

Social cognitive theory is a subset of cognitive theory. Primarily focused on the ways in which we learn
to model the behavior of others, social cognitive theory can be seen in advertising campaigns and peer
pressure situations. It is also useful in the treatment of psychological disorders including phobias.

The cognitive school is probably best defined by exclusion: if it ain't biological, behaviourist
or humanist, it's cognitive (I'm including information-processing models here).
 It all starts with Gestalt theories [Wertheimer,
Köhler and Koffka, and with only the vaguest
connection with Gestalt therapy (Perls)]:
originally theories of perception, interested in the
way the brain imposes pattern on the perceived
world, Gestalt moved into problem-solving
learning.

 It is also much influenced by the developmental

psychology of Piaget (but also read Donaldson
(1984) if reading Piaget), focusing on the
maturational factors affecting understanding. The
accommodation/assimilation dialectic is the part
most useful for understanding grown learners.

Broadly, cognitive theory is interested in how people understand material, and thus in;
 aptitude and capacity to learn (thus fringing onto
psychometrics and testing),

 and learning styles (the reference is to one of the

few apparently valid styles: see here for a
corrective view! and here for a slightly more
balanced one).

 It is also the basis of the educational approach

known as constructivism, which emphasises the
role of the learner in constructing his own view
or model of the material, and what helps with
that.