US High School Psychology Practice Exam

What does cognitive psychology primarily focus on?

1. Emotional responses to trauma

2. Social interactions and relationships

3. How behaviors affect our lives

4. Biological factors influencing behavior

The correct answer is: How behaviors affect our lives

Cognitive psychology primarily focuses on mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. It investigates how people acquire, process, and store information, aiming to understand how these cognitive processes influence behavior. Therefore, while the choice regarding how behaviors affect our lives touches on a broader aspect of psychology, it is not the primary focus of cognitive psychology. The distinction lies in the fact that cognitive psychology is less concerned with external behaviors themselves and more with the internal thought processes that guide those behaviors. This focus differentiates it from other areas of psychology, such as clinical psychology, which might explore emotional responses to trauma, making it more applicable to the first choice. Social psychology, with its emphasis on social interactions and relationships, looks at the influence of societal factors on behavior, contrasting sharply with the individual cognitive processes studied in cognitive psychology. Additionally, while biological psychology examines how biological factors influence behavior, cognitive psychology is more aligned with understanding the mental structures and functions that underlie how we think and behave. Thus, the focus on the internal cognitive processes is what substantiates the acceptance of the selected answer.