Cognitive Approach

Question 1

Cognitive approach

Answer 1

• focuses on how our mental processes affect our behavior. - It argues that internal mental processes (operations of the mind e.g. perception of memory that mediate between stimulus and response) should be studied scientifically.
• Cognitive psychology has been influenced by developments in computer science and analogies are often made between how a computer works and how we process information.
• Based on this computer analogy, cognitive psychology is interested in how the brain inputs, stores and retrieves information.
• This has lead to models which shows information flowing through the cognitive system such as the multi-store model of memory.

Question 2

Assumptions

Answer 2

• The main assumption of the cognitive approach is that information received from our senses is processed by the brain and that this processing directs how we behave.
• These internal mental processes cannot be observed directly but we can infer what a person is thinking based on how they act.

Question 3

Role of schemas

Answer 3

• A schema is a “packet of information” or cognitive framework that helps us organise and interpret information. Based on our previous experience.
• Schemas help to interpret incoming information quickly and effectively, this prevents us from being overwhelmed by the vast amount of information we perceive in our environment.
• However it can also lead to distortion of this information as we select and interpret environmental stimuli using schemas which might not be relevant.
• This could be the cause of inaccuracies in areas such as eyewitness testimony. It can also explain some errors we make when perceiving optical illusions.