The cognitive neuroscience is one of today’s modern approaches that psychologists use to better understand a study of behavior and mental processes. The cognitive neuroscience can be looked at as the information processing approach because it focuses on memory through the thought process and the formations associated with the perception of problem solving and mental imagery. In our day to day dealings we process, use, and store information that influences our basic behaviors that we use to influence our perceptions within society, our belief systems and how we learn or choose to remember the information. Our memory aids in assisting us with planning, distinguishing, or the way we think in general.
The cognitive approach has been proven to be very useful to psychologists in answering many questions that are related to emotions, social behaviors, and other mental skills. One example our book gave on the cognitive approach is “when listening to a conversation, 95% of right-handers use primarily the left sides of their brains and very little of the right sides to process this verbal information…while researchers found that autistic individuals used primarily the right side…” (Kouyoumdjian and Plotnik) with the cognitive approach of information processing, researches may be able to better understand the difficulties associated with autistic individuals.
The cross-cultural approach is another modern approach used by psychologists today. With this approach they examine the various differences of the human behavior by taking into account the ways people are influenced by cultural functions, social functions, and psychological functions. This approach looks in-depth at the dimensions of the different impacts cultures have on the behavioral phenomenon, as in the affects of interpretation in negotiation interactions, how minorities and women are handled differently than average white males. Cultural raising or heredity have an impact on how we act because of the biological dysfunctions or influences from relationships within our culture or society that we live in. This approach is used more for recognizing mistreatments or discriminations among different groups and the behaviors associated with these reactions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, with the growing popularity of the cognitive neuroscience approach and the usefulness associated with it, it would appear to be more accurate in describing the basic human behavior. Helping to understand the different theoretical perspectives will take us closer to helping to understand the complexity of human nature and takes us closer to comprehension of how the development of all the different personality types around us affect our behaviors.
Works Cited
Kouyoumdjian, Haig, and Rod Plotnik. "Discovering Psychology." Introduction to Psychology. 8 ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2007. 5-14. Print.
Oak, Manali. "Theoretical Perspectives of Psychology." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. N.p., 10 July 2008. Web. 16 Jan. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/theoretical-perspectives-of-psychology.html>.
WITTKOWER M.D, E.D., and J. FRIED PH.D. "A CROSS-CULTURAL APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ." The American Journal of Psychiatry 116.November (1959): 423-428. Print.
