Approaches In Psychology : The Cognitive Approach Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is the cognitive approach
Argues that internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
This approach is focused on how our mental processes affect behaviour
Assumption of cognitive approach
Has investigated those areas of human behaviour that were neglected by behaviourists such as memory perception and thinking
These processes are private and cannot be observed so cognitive physiologists study them INDIRECTLY by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of behaviour
What is schema
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
They are developed from experience
What is an example of schema
A chair - something you sit on and has 4 legs
What’s babies schema
Babies are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours such as sucking and grasping
The grasping schema consists of moving a hand outwards to an object and shaping the hand around the object in co-ordination with visual input
What happens to our schema as we get older
Our schema become more detailed and sophisticated
Adults have developed mental representations for everything from the concept of psychology to a schema for what happens in a restaurant or what a typical zombie looks like
Why is schema important
Schema enables us to process lots of information quickly and this is useful as a sort of mental shortcut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
Schema may also distort our interpretations of sensory information, leading to perceptual errors
What do cognitive and theoretical psychologists use
Theoretical and computer models to help them understand internal mental processes
In reality there are overlaps between these two models but basically theoretical models are abstract whereas computer models are concrete things
What is one important theoretical model
Information processing approach
What does the information processing model approach suggest
That information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence of stages
These stages include : INPUT/STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL as in the multi - store model
What is the information processing approach based on and how is this different to a computer model
The way that computers function but a computer models would involve actually programming a computer to see if the instructions produce a similar output to humans
What happens if the instructions from a computer models have the same output as humans
We can suggest that similar processes are going on in the human mind
What have computational models of the mind proved
Useful in the development of ‘thinking machines’ or artificial intelligence
What is cognitive neuroscience
The scientific study of those biological structures that underpin cognitive processes
The scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes
What did Paul Broca identify in the 1860’s
Identified how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production
In the last twenty five years what advances in brain imaging have been used
Brain imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET scans
Scientists have been able to systematically observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes.
For example, in research involving tasks that required the use of episodic and semantic memory - Buckner and Peterson were able to show how these different types of long-term memory may be located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex
As well as this, the system in overall change of working memory - the central executive is thought to reside in a similar area
What have scanning techniques also done
Proved useful in establishing the neurological basis of some mental disorders
There is a link between the parahippocampal gyrus and OCD
It appears to play a role in processing unpleasant emotions
The focus of cognitive neuroscience has expanded recently to include the use of computer generated models that are designed to read the brain, what effect has this had
This has led to the development of mind mapping techniques known as brain fingerprinting
One possible practical future application of this could be to analyse the brain wave patterns of eye witnesses to determine whether they are lying or not
What is one STRENGTH of the cognitive approach
Cognitive psychologists employ highly controlled and rigorous methods of study so researchers are often able to INFER cognitive processes at work
This has involved the use of lab studies to produce reliable objective data
In addition, the emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together to enhance the scientific basis of the study
This means that the study of the mind has a credible scientific basis
What is a counterpoint to the strength that the cognitive approach is that it uses objective scientific methods
As cognitive psychology relies on the inference of mental processes rather than direct observation of behaviour, it can occasionally suffer from being too abstract and theoretical in nature.
Similarly, research studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday experience
Therefore, research on cognitive processes may lack external validity
One STRENGTH of the cognitive approach
Practical application
The dominant approach in psychology today and has been applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts
For example, cognitive psychology has made an important contribution in the field of artificial intelligence and the development of thinking machines
These are exciting advances that may revolutionise how we live in the future
Cognitive principles have also been applied to the treatment of depression and improved the reliability of eyewitness testimony
What is a LIMITATION of the cognitive approach
Based on machine reductionism
There are similarities between the human mind and the operations of a thinking machine such as a computer (inputs and outputs, storage systems and the use of a central processor)
However the computer analogy has been criticised
Such machine reductionism ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how this may affect our ability to process information
For instance, research has found that human memory may be affected by emotional factors such as the influence of anxiety on eyewitnesses
This suggests machine reductionism may weaken the validity of the cognitive approach
Extra evaluation for cognitive approach
The cognitive approach is founded on soft determinism
For example, the view that human behaviour may be determined by internal and external factors but we also can exert free will at times
The hard determinism view says all our behaviour os determined by factors other than our will such as conditioning and genes
