cognitive psychology

American  

noun

1. the branch of psychology studying the mental processes involved in perception, learning, memory, and reasoning.

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cognitive psychology British  

noun

1. the psychological study of higher mental processes, including thinking and perception

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Etymology

Origin of cognitive psychology

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

This is sometimes called the “desirable difficulty” principle, and it’s one of the most robust findings in cognitive psychology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

We employ models from social and cognitive psychology to understand how attitudes are formed and the role emotions play.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2024

The Psychology of Memory uses research based on cognitive psychology to increase understanding of all types of memory and their impact.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

Noncommitment, in fact, plays a role in a dispute known as the “imagery debate” that raged in philosophy and cognitive psychology for decades.

From Scientific American • Jul. 20, 2023

Working with him was Broadbent, who at seventeen had observed pilot error in the RAF, and who was on his way to becoming a godfather of cognitive psychology.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel