Cognitive and Behavioral Theories

Introduction Psychology is the science of the nature the function, and phenomena of behavior and mental experience. (Colman, 1999, p.4).The word is derived from the Greek words â€Å"psyche† and â€Å"logia† to mean â€Å"breath or soul or spirit† and the study of something respectively. Cognitive psychology refers to the branch of psychology that examines internal processes of the mind.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Cognitive and Behavioral Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theory started in the 1970’s. Behaviorism was popularized in 1913 by John Watson, the father of behaviorism. It is based on the concept that behavior is acquired by training or learning to respond to stimuli. Behavioral theorists and cognitive theorists have always been in conflict. For instance, behavioral theorists understood depression because of a high rate of punishers and a low rate of reinforces in the client’s environment while cognitive theorists understood depression as the influence of negative, illogical, or self-destructive beliefs (Coady Lehman, 2008, p.25). Recently there has been a move towards a merger of the two theories in what is known as the cognitive-behavioral theory. From the study of both theories, psychologists discovered two types of behavior, Observable actions (overt behavior) and internal mental behavior (Covert behavior).This paper seeks to discuss and intensively analyze both the cognitive and behavioral theories and expound on their application and expansion. Cognitive Theory The cognitive theory is a psychological theory that studies the internal state of the mind and explains human behavior by studying the thinking process. It is based on the idea that we are like a computer when processing information and have an input, storage and retrieval functions (Brown, 2007, p. 6). Its core focus is therefore acquisition, processing, and storage of information. The key figures of the cognitive theory are memory, perception, attention, language, intelligence, and problem solving. It deals with the processes in absence of response to external stimuli and even explores abstract aspects such as dreams and hallucinations. Whereas behaviorism concentrates on external behaviors, the cognitive theory concentrates on the internal working of the mind. There has been a variety of works and experiments concerning the cognitive theory. The theory has been applied to experiment and determine the extent of normal cognition in studies related to neuropsychology to investigate whether cognition is normal or abnormal. In addition, it has been used to indicate the time or location at which a particular brain activity occurred in the study of neuro-images.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The cognitive theory has been expanded from time to time. The schema therapy has expanded it to reflect the origin of disoriented thinking in childhood and a combination of emotional and experimental methods to correct flaws in personality. The dialectical mechanism has expanded it to explain emotional irregularities and self-destroying tendencies among people suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. Various tests have resulted from the cognitive theory. These include personality tests, tests to determine intelligence levels, lie-detecting tests, and tests to determine the nature and extent of risk-taking in entrepreneurial ventures. Behavioral Theory The behavioral theory on the other hand is founded on the concept that acquisition of behavior is through constant training or conditioning which is brought about by interaction with external factors of the environment. According to John Watson, the primary subject matter of behaviorism was the element of behavior, which is the body’s muscular movements and gl andular secretions (Schultz. Schultz, E. 2010, p. 222). The major concepts of the behavioral theory are classical conditioning and operational conditioning. Classical conditioning is attributed to Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist who conducted experiments using dogs. He studied the reflex response to external stimuli in the environment. After becoming conditioned to a certain stimulus, the organism responds automatically to it. Additionally, operant conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner. It is based on the principle of punishment and reinforcement. According to him, use of punishment discourages prohibited behavior while use of rewards promotes and increases the acceptable behavior. Positive reinforces such as rewards, promote response to a behavior while negative reinforces such as sanctions, prevent occurrence of unwanted behavior. Focus of work related to the behavioral theory is to be found in application of behaviorism in therapy to heal both physical and psychological wounds. It is also applied in psychoanalysis and in the study of phobias. The behavioral theory has undergone rapid expansion. In education, it is used to observe learning trends by observing the behavior of the child, the parent, and the teacher as well as its impact on the child’s performance. In economics, it has been used to study market expansion by studying the behavior of firms and in ecology to study response of organisms to stimuli.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Cognitive and Behavioral Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They are many tests formulated and developed based on the behavioral theory. It is applied in measuring the anxiety level by studying The Behavioral inhibition system. Together with the cognitive theory, it is used in personality tests and is the thinking behind addiction and drug-abuse tests. There is move towards combining both theories since they work togeth er and none works in isolation of the other. They have also been expanded along the same lines and are used together in therapy to heal depression. Reference List Brown, C. (2007). Cognitive psychology. London: SAGE Publications. Coady, N., Lehmann, P. (2008). Theoretical perspectives for direct social work  practice: A generalist-eclectic approach. New York: Springer. Colman, A. (1999). What is Psychology, 3rd Ed.London: Routledge Schultz, P., Schultz, S. (2012). A history of modern psychology. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth. This research paper on Cognitive and Behavioral Theories was written and submitted by user Ayaan Bruce to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.