Cognitive Approach AO3

Question 1

✅ Why is the cognitive approach considered scientific?

Answer 1

The cognitive approach uses highly controlled lab experiments, ensuring objectivity and reliability. For example, research like Peterson and Peterson’s study on memory duration used precise experimental procedures, allowing clear cause-and-effect relationships to be established. This strengthens psychology’s status as a science.

Question 2

✅ How has the cognitive approach been practically applied?

Answer 2

The cognitive approach has led to the development of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), an effective treatment for disorders like depression. By explaining how faulty thinking patterns cause psychological issues, it has helped millions improve their mental health, showcasing its practical value.

Question 3

❌ Why might the cognitive approach lack external validity?

Answer 3

Research in the cognitive approach often relies on artificial stimuli, like word lists used in memory experiments, which do not reflect how memory works in real-world situations. The reliance on inferences about mental processes also means that findings can be somewhat subjective, limiting their real-world applicability.

Question 4

❌ How is the cognitive approach criticized for being reductionist?

Answer 4

The cognitive approach is accused of machine reductionism because it compares the human mind to a computer, ignoring the influence of emotions and individual differences on cognition. For example, it cannot fully explain how anxiety affects eyewitness testimony (EWT), highlighting that human cognition is more complex than any machine.