L6 - The Cognitive Approach - The Use Of Theoretical Computer Models & The Emergence Of Cogntitve Neuroscience

Question 1

Similarities between human mind & computer

Answer 1

• both have input e.g. data entry or senses
• both have memory
• both have output (printout vs behaviour)
• both are very high tech
• both could malfunction

Question 2

Differences between human mind and a computer

Answer 2

• computer made of metal & plastic, brain is organic
• computer needs plugging in, mind doesn’t
• computers have limited memory mind doesn’t
• computer doesn’t have feelings/emotions but mind does
• Wi-Fi vs food/water to operate

Question 3

Information processing model

Answer 3

• info received by senses and processed by brain in a series of steps (input, processing & output)
• steps can be described as how computers process information
• input: our senses encode info from the environment
• processing: the info is processed via schema
• output: behavioural response occurs

Question 4

Emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 4

• neuroscience emerged in 1971
• Miller (1991) first used “cognitive neuroscience” in order to bridge the gap between cognitive science and neuroscience - looks at biological basis of thought processes
  E.g. how the influence of neurons that can be involved in developing thought processes
• This combines the cognitive approach with some elements of the biological approach
• The mind is like a computer, and cognitive neuroscience tends to include computer generated models which can read the brain and help develop mind mapping and brain finger printing. Could the future involve psychologists analysing brain wave patterns of EWT to see if people are lying?
• Cognitive neuroscience evolved as technology has advanced when studying the brain.
• Cognitive neuroscientists use many different methods to study the
• We can now study the living brain and get detailed information about mental processing in action

Question 5

Cognitive neuroscience definition

Answer 5

The scientific study of the influence of the brain structure on mental processes. Area of the brain can be mapped to locate specific cognitive functions

Question 6

Brain scans examples

Answer 6

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Question 7

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)

Answer 7

• pinpoints location of brain activity with high accuracy
• non-invasive
• uses magnets
• takes multiple scans when carrying out activity to see what areas of brain are active through the task

Question 8

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Answer 8

• can’t use on kids/pre-menopausal women
• 90% accurate
• can test for cancer
• uses radioactive material, goes to part of brain most active, releases positrons

Question 9

Evaluation of the use of theoretical computer models & emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 9

strengths
- Dominant today
- soft determinism
- scientific methods
weaknesses
- reductionist
- free will
- different

Question 10

Dominant today

Answer 10

A strength of the cognitive approach is that it is very dominant today in Psychology. The Cognitive approach can be applied to practical and theoretical contexts and has helped develop cognitive neuroscience. For example Cognitive Psychology has helped contribute to the development of artificial intelligence and, “thinking” machines such as robots.

Question 11

Soft determinism

Answer 11

The Cognitive approach has been praised because it has been founded on the idea of, “soft determinism.” This means that humans recognise that their cognitive thinking system operates within the limits of what they know and humans are free to think before they respond to stimuli. The cognitive approach is more interactionist than other approaches and is not as deterministic as the behavioural approach

Question 12

Scientific methods

Answer 12

A strength of the cognitive approach and its focus on theoretical computer models, is that it emphasises scientific methods such as laboratory experiments when collecting data. This means that high levels of control can be exercised in these settings and cause and effect relationships can be identified between the independent and dependent variables.

Question 13

Reductionist

Answer 13

The cognitive approach can be criticised for its use of theoretical computer models. This is because such models over simplify the behaviour being examined and reduce it down to simple steps/processes that could be regarded as reductionist or mechanistic. The role of emotion is also lacking and overlooked when using theoretical models

Question 14

Free will

Answer 14

The cognitive approach can be criticised because it is not accurate to compare humans to computers. Computers are objects that are mechanistic and have no free will, whereas humans have free will and are alive! To compare humans to computers seems inaccurate as there are so many differences that exist between them, and we must be aware of this when applying cognitive neuroscience to human thinking

Question 15

Not accurate

Answer 15

The cognitive approach can be criticised as it uses computer models to explain human behaviour e.g. input, processing and output. The human mind is very different to the workings of a computer, for example, computers do not forget things, they do not make mistakes and they do not get tired, unlike the human mind! Therefore it is inaccurate to compare the human mind to a computer

Question 16

Key study

Answer 16

Maguire (2000) - study of taxi drivers brains

Question 17

Maguire (2000)

Answer 17

• Maguire wanted to investigate if brain anatomy was predetermined, or whether the brain is susceptible to plastic changes, in response to environmental stimulation - in this case driving a taxi
• undergo extensive training - ‘The Knowledge’ - are an ideal group for the study of spatial navigation
• aimed to examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brain of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation.
• 32 healthy males (average age of 44) were investigated and split into two groups
• One group were 16 licensed male London taxi drivers (worked in the job for at least 18 months) and the second group were 16 males in a control group who had never driven taxis.
• MRI scans of their brain were taken and analysed & found the right posterior hippocampus in the brain of the taxi drivers’ was larger than the control group - related to the length of time the taxi driver had been in the job.
• The longer they had been a taxi driver, the larger the right posterior hippocampus. This part of the brain is responsible for storing visual representations of the environment and this links to the fact that taxi drivers have to navigate around the streets of London.

Question 18

Right posterior hippocampus

Answer 18

• Responsible for emotional behaviours
• hidden deep in temporal lobe
• encodes spatial memory
• preforms cognitive functions

Question 19

Maguire (2000) evaluation

Answer 19

strengths
- supports key aspects
- research evidence
weaknesses
- individual differences
- hard to replicate
- cultural replication

Question 20

Supports key aspects

Answer 20

An advantage of the study by Maguire is that is supports the key aspects of cognitive neuroscience which combines both cognitive and biological factors to help explain internal thought processes. The study uses MRI brain scanning to investigate the hippocampus area of the brain. The study also emphasises how the brain is “like a muscle” and the more an area of the brain is used or exercised, the larger it becomes

Question 21

Individual differences

Answer 21

A disadvantage of the research study is that it only investigated males which means the study lacks ecological validity and the results cannot be generalised to females. Individual differences is an important factor to consider when examining the brain and cognitive functions, and every brain is different.

Question 22

Research evidence

Answer 22

There is research evidence to support the idea that the right posterior hippocampus is involved in spatial awareness. Previous rodent and monkey studies have found the (posterior) hippocampus to be involved in spatial navigation. Such an involvement may also be true for the posterior part of the hippocampus in birds and rats. Therefore it seems that the right posterior hippocampus is responsible for spatial awareness in humans and animals, and the functionality of the brain is similar across many species

Question 23

Cultural replications

Answer 23

• the study was carried out in London, it’s possible that the results can’t be generalised to elsewhere/other cultures as they may work differently, achieve different results

Question 24

May be hard to replicate

Answer 24

• in the study MRI scans were used, these can be seen as expensive and time consuming, also trained specialists are needed to read them, therefore it may be harder to replicate decreasing the reliability of the study