Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What was the cognitive approach

Answer 1

The cognitive parochial mainly focuses on the internal mental processes and how these directly affect our behaviour. They also believed this could be studied scientifically, but cognitive psychologists recognised that our internal mental processes are ‘private’ and cant be observed

Question 2

What are the 4 parts to this approach

Answer 2

Internal mental processes
Schemas
Theoretical and computer models
Cognitive neuroscience

Question 3

What was the internal mental processes

Answer 3

This visits of 5 processes.

Perception- this is the process of taking in and interpreting information from our senses.
Attention- the process of which we focus on a particular source of information rather the others
Memory- the process of which retaining and recalling information
Language- the study of communication and thinking
Thinking- the process of manipulating information in the mind

These are seen as interconnected processing systems that allow us to make sense of and respond appropriately to the world

Question 4

What are schemas

Answer 4

These are packets if infomation that are stored in our LTM, which are developed from our environment and allow us to make short cuts about the world.

A study was done (in 1947) where the aim was to investigate schemes affecting on recall and it invloved black and white participants. Whit participants were shown a picture of an argument between a well-dressed black man and a white man with a razor, the participants then talked about the picture. Results showed that white participant’s remembered the black man to be the aggressor with the razor, while the black participants were accurate

Question 5

What is the theoretical and computer models

Answer 5

These processed cant be direct ally observed. Cognitive psychologists used models to help them explain and understand.
Theoretical models are diagrammatic representations of these processes, for example the multi-store model of memory (draw).
Computer models are developed in collaboration with computer scientists, aiming to stimulate human mental processing such as decision making.

Question 6

What is cognitive neuroscience

Answer 6

This employs brian-scanning techniques such as PET scans and fMRI scans, to map specific cognitive functions to particular areas of the brain. Over the past 25 years these have enhanced which allowed for psychologists to systematically observe the brain. For example, language processing areas like the Broca’s area, which is located in the left frontal lobe.

Question 7

Strength evaluation

Answer 7

P- objective, sceintific methods
E- research into regions of the brain were observed through PET scans and fMRI scans in a lab environment , to pin point the exact biological mechanisms invloved in our cognitive processes.
E- adds validity due to it being scientific

P- practical applications as it has been applied to a range of practical contexts
E- mental health processes such as CBT challenge irrational thoughts such as depression to convert them in to rational thoughts to reduce the mental illness,
E- benefits indivual as of a wider society

Question 8

Limitation evaluation

Answer 8

P- based on machine reductionism as it portrays humans to functioning like machines
E- a memory study showed that many emotional factors impacted our memory, such as hormones. Adrenaline may enhance the performance, which is a situation that wouldn’t occur to a machine
E- we are more complex then this approach suggests

P- artificial
E- for example, in lots of memory studies, participants are asked to learn lists of words and nonsense syllables which doesn’t reflect how we use our memory in day to day life as these lists don’t have any meaning to us.
E- lacking external validity and perhaps only tells us little about cognitive processes