Which area of psychology studies human perception, thinking, and memory?

Cognitive psychology is the area of psychology that focuses specifically on the intricate mechanisms of human perception, thinking, and memory. This branch of psychology examines how people process information, how they perceive the world around them, and the cognitive processes involved in memory formation and recall. Researchers in cognitive psychology explore concepts such as attention, problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, and language, all of which are vital for understanding how humans interpret and interact with their environment.

In contrast, developmental psychology tends to focus on the changes in behavior and mental processes over the lifespan, often looking at how people develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally from infancy through old age. Behavioral psychology, on the other hand, emphasizes observable behaviors and the ways in which they are learned through interactions with the environment, often disregarding internal processes like thought and memory. Neuroscience studies the biological basis of behavior, which includes examining brain structure and function but does not solely focus on perception or cognition in the way cognitive psychology does.