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

Herbert A. Simon was a pioneer of artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The pollster is a multidisciplinary profession that demands an understanding of statistics, political science, sociology, survey methodology, and cognitive psychology among other disciplines.

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