Approaches - 03 Cognitive approach

Question 1

Up until the 1950s/60s what was the dominant paradigm in psychology?

Answer 1

Behaviourism

Question 2

How did cognitive psychologists suggest that the human mind should be investigated?

Answer 2

scientifically under strict and controlled conditions

Question 3

What do cognitive psychologists focus on?
(4 things)

Answer 3

How people perceive, store, manipulate and interpret behaviour

Question 4

What kind of processes do cognitive psychologists study?
(4 things)

Answer 4

perception, memory, thinking and problem solving

Question 5

What do cognitive psychologists compare the human mind to?

Answer 5

Computers with inputs, processes, and outputs

Question 6

What are the 4 main subsections of cognitive psychology?

Answer 6

1-role of schemas
2-theoretical models of cognitive processes
3-computer models of cognitive processes
4-the emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Question 7

What are schemas?

Answer 7

-internal mental representations of our world
-a cognitive framework that helps us organise and interpret behaviour
-used as a reference point to tell us how to behave and sometimes what to think

Question 8

How are schemas developed?

Answer 8

Through our experiences

Question 9

How can schemas be useful?

Answer 9

-allow us to take cognitive short-cuts when interpreting large amount of information on a daily basis

Question 10

What is a consequence of using schemas in everyday life?

Answer 10

stereotypes are developed about people and these can be very difficult to disconfirm, even when faced with new and conflicting information.

Question 11

Evaluation of schemas (practical application)

Answer 11

-can explain why two witnesses of the same event might report different things
-As they have different schemas they might select different aspects for attention and their interpretations might be different

Question 12

Evaluation of schemas (supporting evidence)

Answer 12

-“The war of the ghosts” study by Bartlett
-p’s recall of story got shorter and shorter
-after 6 presentations it had been reduced from 330 to 180 words
-p’s often added in their own interpretations
-story gradually became more westernised e.g. the ghosts were often forgotten because they are not important in western culture

Question 13

Why are models often used in cognitive psychology?

Answer 13

to explain unobservable processes in a concrete, testable way

Question 14

What are inferences?

Answer 14

Reasoned conclusions about mental processes based on observed behaviour

Question 15

What is the human-computer analogy?

Answer 15

-states that the human mind works in a similar way to the way in which computers process information
-states that both have inputs, both encode and store information, and both have outputs

Question 16

How have computer analogies proved useful in the development of thinking machines or artificial intelligence?

Answer 16

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