cognitive approach

Question 1

cognitive approach definition

Answer 1

A perspective in Psychology which focuses on how mental processes, such as thoughts, perceptions, memories, reasoning and attention, affect behaviour

Question 2

internal mental processes

Answer 2

• Operations of the mind (e.g. perception, attention) that mediate between the stimulus and response
• conscious and unconscious
• They are private and cannot be observed directly
• they should be studied scientifically and objectively

Question 3

schema

Answer 3

• A cognitive (mental) framework of beliefs and expectations that help us to organise and interpret information in the brain
• They are developed from experience and help us to make sense of new information
• They are used as a ‘reference point’ to help us to respond appropriately

Question 4

inference

Answer 4

Going beyond the immediate evidence to make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed i.e. conclusions are indirectly drawn about the way internal mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour.

Question 5

cognitive neuroscience definition

Answer 5

The scientific study of the brain/neurological structures that are responsible for cognitive/mental/thinking processes

Question 6

models

Answer 6

• used to illustrate internal mental processes as they cant be seen
• allow us to create testable theories about IMPs which can be studied scientifically
• they are a theoretical, simplified representation of a particular IMP

Question 7

what is a computer model

Answer 7

• when computer analogies are used as a representation of human cognition, suggesting that there is a similarity in the way information is processed

Question 8

how are schemas useful

Answer 8

they help us to process lots of information quickly which is useful as a sort of mental short-cut that stops us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli

Question 9

how are schemas detrimental

Answer 9

• they exclude anything that doesn’t fir out established ideas of the world. Therefore, we may develop stereotypes that are difficult to disform, even with new and conflicting information
• they can distort our interpretations of sensory information leading to perceptual errors

Question 10

what scans have helped psychologists cognitive activities

Answer 10

• non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as PET and fMRI
• enabled psychologists to systematically observe and understand how the brain supports different cognitive activities/emotions by showing which parts of the brain become active in specific circumstances
• Tulving et al. showed different types of LTM (semantic and episodic) are located on opposite sides of pre-frontal cortex

Question 11

real world applications of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 11

• Brain scanning techniques help locate memory types and treat memory problems.
• Scanning is used to study mental processes in conditions like depression, OCD, autism, and dyslexia.
• Imaging and angiography help examine brain changes due to ageing or stroke.
• Computer simulations test theories about attention, memory, and problem-solving.
• Computer modelling aids in developing voice recognition systems.
• Eye- and motion-tracking are used to study reading and visual word processing.

Question 12

evaluation points for cognitive neuroscience

Answer 12

-It’s a more scientific/objective way of studying people’s mental processes
- Real-world applications for treatments.
- It supports that the brain’s plasticity (that it changes throughout our lives), which supports the role of experience in shaping our brains and therefore supports that our biology is not our destiny i.e. It supports the nurture side of the nature-nurture debate.

Question 13

assumptions of the cognitive approach

Answer 13

• Behaviour is shaped by both conscious and unconscious internal mental processes
• These mediate between stimulus and response and can be studied scientifically.
• include processes like perception, attention, memory, language, and problem-solving.
• Models help form testable, scientific theories about mental processing.
• Humans are viewed as information processors, similar to computers.
• Mental processes are private, so they are studied indirectly through inferences from behaviour.
• Cognitive neuroscience combines cognitive and biological approaches to better understand behaviour.