Cognitive

Question 1

assumption of cognitive approach

Answer 1

internal and mental processes should be studied scientifically - they study areas neglected by behaviourists
they study the processes indirectly by making inferences

Question 2

what is cognitive processing affected by

Answer 2

schemas

Question 3

what is a schema

Answer 3

internal package of ideas and information developed from experience
they act as a mental framework for incoming information

Question 4

what do schemas allow us to do

Answer 4

allow us to process lots of information without getting overwhelmed as they act as mental shortcuts

Question 5

negative aspect of schemas

Answer 5

may lead to perceptual errors

Question 6

what is inference

Answer 6

when we make an educated guess or assumption based on the available evidence as thinking is unobservable
however - these can be wrong

Question 7

two types of models cognitive psychologists use

Answer 7

theoretical
computer

Question 8

theortical models

Answer 8

information processing approach
multi store model of memory - input, retrieval, storage

Question 9

computer models

Answer 9

human computer analogy - stimulus triggers mediator which results in a response

Question 10

methods used in cognitive neuroscience

Answer 10

brain scans:
fMRI
PET scans

Question 11

what does cognitive neuroscience study

Answer 11

maping different processes to areas of the brain:
e.g.
Hippocampus (memory)
Frontal Lobe (critical thinking)

Question 12

real world applications of cognitive approach

Answer 12

most dominant approach in todays psychology and has been applied to a range of practical and theoretical contexts
made contributions to things such as: CBT, AI, reliability of EWT
this increases value of approach

Question 13

how does cognitive approach lack external validity

Answer 13

it relies on the inference of mental processes rather than a direct observation of behaviour and therefore can be seen as too abstract and theoretical
studies for mental processes are often carried out using artifical settings and tasks which dont represent everyday life -> lacks ecological validity

Question 14

machine reductionism (weakness of approach)

Answer 14

this is what the approach is based on, and although there are some similarities between human minds and operations of a computer, the computer analogy has been criticised by many
it ignores the influence of human emotions and how this may affect our ability to interpret information
makes approach lack validity