In cognitive psychology, what does the cognitive perspective primarily emphasize?

• A. How people perceive, think, remember, and solve problems by focusing on internal mental processes
• B. How observable behavior is learned through reinforcement and punishment without reference to mental processes
• C. How unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences shape personality and behavior
• D. How behavior is determined mainly by genetic inheritance and evolutionary adaptations

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the main focus of the cognitive perspective in psychology, which centers on internal mental processes.
2. Understand that the cognitive perspective emphasizes how people perceive, think, remember, and solve problems.
3. Recognize that this perspective contrasts with behaviorism, which focuses on observable behavior and external reinforcement.
4. Note that the cognitive perspective differs from psychoanalytic theory, which emphasizes unconscious conflicts and early experiences.
5. Also distinguish it from biological perspectives that focus on genetics and evolutionary factors influencing behavior.