Essay --

Cognitive Psychology and its influence on Everyday Behaviour Throughout the ages, humans have had an inherent interest in studying the complex area of human behaviour, even before psychology was established as a science. Because the study of behaviour is so broad and multifaceted, its scientific study poses particular challenges. Therefore, it can be beneficial to approach the scientific study of human behaviour from the perspective of cognitive psychology. This is the study of cognition, the mental processes that underlie human behaviour (Ling & Cattling, 2012). This paper will explore the extent to which cognitive psychology can explain and predict everyday behaviour by critically examining a number of cognitive theories, and demonstrating their application in real world settings. For the purposes of this essay, I have decided to pick three everyday behaviours which tend to be common in the lives of university students, and approach the analysis from this angle. The essay begins by exploring the area of multitasking behaviours, and cognitive theories surrounding the area of divided attention and its effects on daily life. From here, the phenomenon of binge drinking among college students is discussed, in particular the effect it has upon remembering in an everyday context. Finally, the tendency of college students to spend large amounts of time listening to music is evaluated, with a particular focus on why it is that music can make individuals feel a particular way, tapping into the area of cognition and emotion. This essay will discuss in detail the contribution of cognitive psychology to our understanding of these behaviours. College students in the 21st century are a part of the so-called digital generation. Technology has... ...tion regulation is a crucial motivator for listening to music (Lonsdale & North, 2011). As such, cognitive theories are able to predict that listening to music has the ability to evoke an emotional response in student listeners. This essay explores the ability of cognitive psychology to explain and predict everyday behaviours. It explores three entirely different behaviours common in the everyday life of a student, multitasking, binge drinking and listening to music. For each of these behaviours, a general background is given to explain the behaviour. This is followed in each case by an analysis of some of the key cognitive theories which explain these behaviours. Finally, examples of the behaviour being carried out in the daily life of the college student are discussed, thus displaying the ability of cognitive psychology to successfully predict everyday behaviour.