What is the main focus of the cognitive approach in psychology?

The cognitive approach in psychology primarily concentrates on internal mental processes, including thought, memory, perception, and problem-solving. This perspective emphasizes understanding how individuals process information and how this processing affects their behavior and emotions. The cognitive approach posits that mental processes can be studied scientifically, which paved the way for various research methodologies to investigate how people think and remember.

This focus on the internal workings of the mind distinguishes the cognitive approach from others in psychology. For instance, behavioral perspectives center on observable behaviors and disregard internal mental states, while the psychodynamic approach prioritizes childhood experiences and their impact on adult behavior. Social psychological perspectives concern themselves with group dynamics and collective behavior rather than individual cognitive processes. Thus, the cognitive approach uniquely contributes to psychology by examining how our mental processes influence our interactions with the world and our decision-making.