Assignment Task:
Respond to Gabriella and Niki while being respectful of and sensitive to their viewpoints. Consider advancing the discussion in the following ways:
Post an article, video, or visual to reinforce a peer's idea or challenge them to see their point from a different perspective.
Engage in conversation with your peers around cognitive processes. Consider asking a question or sharing your personal experience. Need Assignment Help?
Gabriella Post:
Hi everyone, my name is Gabriella and I am a Psychology major. I am a stay-at-home Mom with a young daughter who is working towards completing my degree so I may pursue a career in a Helping Professional. I am particularly interested in Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling as a means of helping people improve their lives by understanding how they think, feel and behave.
Studying Psychology has given me insight to my own mental processes and the way others interact with their environment. While Watson and Skinner (Behaviorists) believed that Psychology should only focus on Observable Behavior (as internal mental processes can't be directly observed), Cognitive Psychology focuses on how individuals mentally process information, including Memory, Perception, Attention and Problem Solving. I believe there can be significant insight to be gained from the study of our mind, although we can't always observe it directly. Researchers can conduct Experiments, use Brain Imaging and Cognitive Testing in order to infer how the mind operates. While we may never completely understand Everything about the Human thought process, Cognitive Psychology allows for the development of Models and Theories to explain the ways in which we process information and make decisions.
I believe one of the greatest Strengths I have cognitively is my ability to recognize when something has changed (Something Is Out-of-place). This means I am highly Aware of detail in my surroundings, and therefore have the ability to identify when there is a difference in something/ somewhere, quickly. I also believe I am relatively capable of Multi-Tasking since being a parent generally requires the responsibility for many things at the same time.
One Cognitive Skill I would like to develop/improve upon is Sustained Attention since having an inability to focus consistently due to Distractions impedes my ability to successfully complete the Task I am attempting to perform (i.e. Studying or Completing Assignments). If I were able to improve my ability to focus for longer periods of time, I believe I could become not only more Productive in school, but in my everyday Life (Work, Family, etc.).
Additionally, I also believe that very few people are able to accurately identify how they think; we often have Biases, Emotional Influences, and Other Factors that can cloud our Judgement (Perceptions of How We Think).
The Understanding of our Cognitive Strengths/Weaknesses (and areas for improvement) directly correlate to our Ability to Care for Ourselves and Our Emotional Intelligence. Understanding how we Think and Process Information can assist us with Emotion Regulation, Stress Management and Decision Making. In a Professional Environment, Self-Awareness improves our ability to Communicate, Empathetic Interactions and Ethical Decisions with Others.
NIKI POST:
Hello everyone, my name is Niki, and I am majoring in psychology. I have a strong interest in understanding human behavior, leadership, and how people think and make decisions. Much of my professional experience has involved working in environments where observation, communication, and quick decision-making are important. Because of this, learning about cognitive processes is especially interesting to me since it helps explain how people interpret situations and respond to them.
Behaviorists such as Watson and Skinner believed that it was impossible to truly understand what happens inside the mind because thoughts cannot be directly observed. Instead, they focused only on observable behavior. Cognitive psychology takes a different approach by studying mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, and decision-making to better understand how people think (Goldstein, 2020). While we may never fully understand every detail of the human mind, I believe research allows us to gain valuable insight into how people process information and why they behave the way they do.
One of my biggest cognitive strengths is being able to notice when something is out of place. I tend to be very observant and aware of my surroundings, which is especially important in my work environment where recognizing small changes in behavior or situations can make a big difference. However, one cognitive skill I would like to improve is maintaining strong focus for longer periods of time. With many responsibilities and distractions, it can sometimes be difficult to stay fully focused on one task.
Understanding our cognitive strengths and weaknesses is closely connected to emotional intelligence. Developing self-awareness helps us recognize how our thinking patterns affect our decisions and interactions with others. This awareness can improve communication, support better decision-making, and contribute to both personal growth and professional success.