Cognitive approach Flashcards
What is the cognitive approach?
Explains human behavior through internal mental processes
What are the 4 assumptions of the cognitive approach?
-look at internal mental processes to understand behavior
-Thought processes should be studied in a lab
-Mental processes should be studied indirectly by making inferences as they cannot be observed
-we should focus on the flow of information
What does cognition mean?
mental processes
How is the cognitive approach different from SLT and behaviorism?
Behaviorism and SLT considers external environmental influences
What is an internal mental process?
Operations that occur in the mind, but can be studied scientifically.
What are 4 examples of internal mental processes?
Attention
Memory
Perception
Thinking
What is an inference?
reaching a logical conclusion about what process is occurring based on evidence
What is in between the SR unit?
Internal mental processes
Why do we have to make inferences in the cognitive approach?
Because mental processes are private as we cant see thoughts however we can see the inputs and outputs and can guess what happens
What are theoretical models?
Give an example
Simplified representations of the mind’s internal mental processes based on current evidence
Computer models
How are computer models used to make inferences
Computers and the mind process information in a similar way.
Input —–> processing —–> output
Why might there be different (processing) stages?
eg) You wave at a friend and she doesnt wave back
Because people could think of different things, she could be ignoring you or didn’t see you
What is a schema?
a mental package of beliefs and expectations on a topic that comes from experience
What do schemas help us do?
-make shortcuts in thinking
-organize and interpret info
What are we born with?
(schema)
Were born with a motor schema for innate behavior then they develop from experience
What can schemas lead to?
Faulty conclusions
What are the 2 processes of how we build our schema?
(Piaget’s theory)
Assimilation and accommodation
What is Assimilation?
Adding more info to our schemas that we didn’t have
What is accommodation?
Changing info in our schemas that contradicts previous info
What 2 ways can schemas be useful?
-Help us predict what will happen in the world based on our experience
(know how to behave in a restaurant)
-Prevents us being overwhelmed by our environmental stimuli
(airports, where to put bag)
How can a schema lead to stereotypes and prejudice?
If we have a pre-conceived idea about something, it may cloud our judgment
(eg if you had a bad experience with colored people we automatically think they’re all bad)
How can schemas lead to inaccurate eyewitnesses?
They can distort unfamiliar information to ‘fit in’ with our existing knowledge
(eg. if we can’t remember a criminal we automatically think it is a man)
What is cognitive neuroscience?
Scientific study of how the brain influences mental processes
How did the cognitive approach originate through Paul Broca?
-A man was transferred to Broca hospital with an infection, and could only mutter the word tan
-Found a lesion in his left frontal lobe
-Named it Brocas area which is responsible for speech production
