Cognitive Psychology Concentration

Cognitive psychology deals with broad, exciting questions that have puzzled people for centuries - things like why have consciousness, why we believe some things to be true and others false, and how we can improve the way we think, act, and decide. The primary topic areas in cognitive psychology are paying attention, perceiving, recognizing objects, acquiring knowledge, memory, language as a tool for thinking and communicating, solving problems, drawing conclusions, and evaluating claims. In short, cognitive psychology is about how the human mind works. The mind is a product of the brain, so there are many interconnections between cognitive psychology and biological psychology. In fact, professionals in neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and psychology are all investigating aspects of cognitive science from the perspective of their disciplines. Students completing this concentration learn information relevant to occupations in rehabilitation, work with the elderly, and educational settings. The cognitive concentration is an especially good choice for students preparing for a career in teaching at the elementary or secondary school level.

Please get in touch with the Cognitive Psychology coordinator, Dr. Tamra Bireta(609-771-3069), tbireta@tcnj.edu for more information.