ABSTRACT
Extensive research has broadened greatly the knowledge of the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and psychotherapy, including the understanding of thinking. As psychologists have struggled to understand where thinking ends and emotions begin, they have used a construct of linear processes to frame the question in terms of which comes first. Cognitive-behavioral theory posits that thinking comes first and shapes the perception, emotion and behavior. The study of perception focuses on the interface between the external sources of stimuli and the areas of the brain where they are processed to create motor activity and meaning. The brain is inundated with sensory data in the form of electrical activity. In fact, the amount of sensory data coming into the brain is far more than can be processed completely. Persons with some psychiatric disorders avoid eye contact, thereby limiting facial cues that contribute to more effective interpersonal skills.
