Cognella Academic Publishing Cognition: A Psychophysiological Approach

Cognition: A Psychophysiological Approach introduces students to foundational concepts in cognitive psychology using a modern approach that emphasizes the role of physiological processes in cognition. The text presents clinical psychology examples to help students understand the interdisciplinary role cognitive science plays in the delineation and solving of complex issues by researchers who study human behavior. The text begins by presenting the reader with a brief overview of the history of cognitive psychology, then addressing contemporary study of cognition. Later chapters cover the foundational processes of perception and attention which underlie the workings of cognition. Students learn about the operations of memory and how thought can be stored, retrieved, and altered in conscious and non-conscious ways. Additional chapters explore how stored content can take various forms including knowledge, language, and mental imagery. The book concludes by addressing higher mental functions such as reasoning and decision making. The text is written with an emphasis on accessibility guiding the reader throughout with brief real-world vignettes and index points where important terms and concepts are set apart in text boxes. Chapters conclude with a summary and study questions to emphasize critical evaluation and mastery of the material. Cognition is ideal for undergraduate courses that focus on cognitive psychology, cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, clinical cognitive neuroscience, or clinical neuropsychology. Geoffrey O’Shea earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Colorado State University, M.A. in human neuropsychology from University of Northern Colorado, and B.A. in psychology from Hiram College. He is an associate professor in psychology at the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. He specializes in cognitive psychology, human neuropsychology, and the history of psychology.