Which of the following is a main focus of cognitive psychology?

Cognitive psychology centers on understanding how people process information, which includes aspects such as perception, memory, reasoning, and decision-making. Perception specifically refers to the way individuals interpret sensory information and make sense of the world around them. This entails how we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch, as well as how we understand and make judgments based on that information.

By investigating perception, cognitive psychologists seek to uncover the mental processes involved in interpreting stimuli and how those interpretations affect behavior and cognitive functioning. This exploration not only deepens our understanding of sensory experiences but also informs related fields, such as education, therapy, and artificial intelligence, by revealing how we learn and respond to our environment.

The other areas mentioned—physical development, social behavior, and genetic influences—are more aligned with different fields of psychology, such as developmental psychology, social psychology, and behavioral genetics, respectively, rather than focusing on the core cognitive processes that cognitive psychology emphasizes.