Careers in Psychology

Cognitive psychologists deal with the mind's role in memory, thinking, and perceptions. Some are involved with research related to computer programming and artificial intelligence. Cognitive psychologists attempt to understand the mental processes underlying how we reason and remember. In particular, cognitive psychologists make inferences about how people think by observing how they perform on various tasks. Thus, a cognitive psychologist might study perception, memory, reasoning, problem solving, decision making, language, or creativity. Some cognitive psychologists make the analogy between the brain and a computer and, consequently, are interested in developments in the field of artificial intelligence.

Cognitive psychologists are employed in academic and nonacademic settings. For instance, some cognitive psychologists teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others are employed by public or private agencies, where they apply cognitive psychology findings to such areas as advertising, law, and education. In addition, some who are interested in the human-machine interface are employed by the Department of Defense as "human factors" specialists.