Cognitive Approach

Question 1

Assumptions?

Answer 1

All behaviour is driven by internal mental processes

Question 2

Example of IMP’s?

Answer 2

Memory
Thinking
Attention
Perception

Question 3

Is cognition observable?

Answer 3

No it is unobservable- can’t be directly observed- have to make inferences

Question 4

1st step of the computer model?

Answer 4

Information is transferred (sensory information)- sensory register

Question 5

2nd step of computer model?

Answer 5

2) information that has been paid attention to is transferred to short-term memory

Question 6

3rd step of the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 6

If information is rehearsed, it will transfer to long-term memory

Question 7

What is the 4th step of the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 7

Any information which is not rehearsed will be displaced

Question 8

What is a schema?

Answer 8

An internal package of ideas which is developed through experience

Question 9

What do schemas act as?

Answer 9

A mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information received by the cognitive system

Question 10

What do schemas stop the mind from becoming?

Answer 10

Schemas facilitate the speedy processing of information to stop the mind from becoming overstimulated by environmental stimulation

Question 11

What may schemas distort?

Answer 11

Out interpretations of sensory information- leading to errors

Question 12

What affects schemas?

Answer 12

Culture as it shapes experience

Question 13

What does cognitive neuroscience investigate?

Answer 13

The relationship between cognition and neural mechanisms, brain chemistry and brain structure

Question 14

What is Broca’s area?

Answer 14

Paul Broca had identified how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production

Question 15

What are fMRI’s and PET scans useful for?

Answer 15

Scientists can systematically observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes

Question 16

What research was used to show the use of episodic and semantic memory?

Answer 16

Tulving et al was able to show how episodic and semantic memory (the different types of long-term memory) may be located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex

Question 17

What is the central executive of the brain used for?

Answer 17

In charge of working memory

Question 18

What are scanning techniques useful to identify?

Answer 18

Establishing the neurological basis of some mental disorders

Question 19

What part of the brain is linked to OCD?

Answer 19

The parahippocampal gyrus and OCDD

Question 20

What is brain fingerprinting?

Answer 20

A computer generated model which is designed to read the brain

Question 21

What could be a future application of brain fingerprinting?

Answer 21

Analyse the brain wave patterns of eyewitness to determine whether they are lying in court

Question 22

What functions is the frontal lobe responsible for?

Answer 22

Cognitive functions

Question 23

What is the temporal lobes function?

Answer 23

Speech comprehension

Question 24

What is the coding of the computer analogy?

Answer 24

The mind interprets the environmental stimuli

Question 25

What is the storage of the computer analogy?

Answer 25

The minds equivalent of a hard drive is a long-term memory

Question 26

What is the output of the computer analogy?

Answer 26

The minds output includes speech, behavioural responses, thoughts

Question 27

Strength of the cognitive approach: science?

Answer 27

Uses objective, scientific methods High reliability- strong control of extraneous variables The emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together to enhance the scientific basis of study Therefore The study of the mind has a credible scientific basis

Question 28

What is a limitation of the approach being so scientific?

Answer 28

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 Research studies of mental processes are carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday experience- lacking external validity

Question 29

Practical application?

Answer 29

Has contributed to the development of AI

Question 30

Soft determinism?

Answer 30

Soft determinism means that behaviour is constrained to the environment but only by a certain event compared to hard determinism of the behaviourist approach- acknowledges free will

Question 31

Machine reductionism?

Answer 31

Overly contrived- attempts to make direct comparisons between a computer and the human mind- seems artificial Human cognition has emotions- feelings are unpredictable- a computer is not Computer analogy has limited application to cognition Dehumanising

Question 32

Limitations of schema?

Answer 32

If there is no clear consensus as to what a schema is, then the theory lacks usefulness. Difficult to define exactly what a schema is Schema will differ from person to person

Question 33

Brain imaging?

Answer 33

Techniques are not infallible Some fMRI machines may be affected by errors in calibration External factors (noise and light) can affect the accuracy