Cognitivism

Cognitivism is a theoretical framework for understanding the mind that gained credence in the mid-20th century. The movement was a response to behaviorism, which cognitivists said neglected to take into account that people's minds could be viewed as complex systems processing information.

Overview

Cognitivism has its roots in the late 1950s and early 1960s, following the cognitive revolution initiated by Noam Chomsky and others. It focuses on the inner mental activities – opening the “black box" of the human mind is a topic that is central to cognitive psychology. Processes such as thinking, memory, knowing, and problem-solving need to be explored. Knowledge is seen as schema or symbolic mental constructions. Learning is defined as change in a learner’s schemata.

Key Concepts

Cognitivism uses the metaphor of the mind as computer: information comes in, is processed, and leads to certain outcomes. Key concepts of cognitivism include:

• Schema: A mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts.

• Information processing: The idea that the human mind’s transformation of sensory input is akin to the way a computer processes information.

• Cognitive load: The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

Applications

Cognitivism has been applied in numerous fields including psychology, education, and computer science. In education, for example, understanding how students process information can help educators develop teaching methods that improve comprehension and retention.

Criticisms

Despite its widespread influence, cognitivism has been criticized for overemphasizing the processes of the individual mind and for its reliance on the computer metaphor.

See also

• Cognitive psychology
• Cognitive science
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Cognitive linguistics