What is the primary concern of cognitive psychology?

Cognitive psychology primarily focuses on understanding the internal mental processes that underlie behaviors, such as perception, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. This approach emphasizes how people think, learn, remember, and perceive the world around them, which is essential for developing effective solutions to various cognitive challenges and improving educational practices, therapy methods, and more.

Studying mental processes allows cognitive psychologists to analyze how individuals process information and how that affects their behavior and experiences. This line of inquiry differs significantly from the other options, which do not center on the exploration of mental processes. For instance, observing and changing behaviors relates more closely to behavioral psychology, while identifying genetic influences pertains to biological psychology. Social interactions and their impacts fall under social psychology, focusing on external influences rather than internal cognitive functions. Therefore, understanding mental processes is the central theme that characterizes cognitive psychology.