US High School Psychology Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The central idea associated with the cognitive approach in psychology is that mental processes influence behavior. This perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding how individuals process information, solve problems, and make decisions. It suggests that thoughts, perceptions, and cognitive functions play a crucial role in determining how people behave in various situations.

By focusing on mental processes such as memory, attention, and language, the cognitive approach seeks to explain behavior in terms of internal thought processes rather than solely external stimuli. This view contrasts with behaviorism, which emphasizes observable behaviors and the role of conditioning without consideration of mental activities.

This understanding underscores the crucial link between cognition and behavior, and supports various applications of cognitive psychology in areas such as education, therapy, and comprehension of mental health issues.