Cognitive Assumptions Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the Cognitive Approach?
-The cognitive approach= how mental processes influence our behaviour
-All behaviour = explained in terms of thoughts, beliefs, attitudes + how these direct our behaviour
-Focuses on how we understand or perceive the world around us
-Looks at the internal processes of the mind
What are the 3 Cognitive Assumptions?
- Behaviour can be explained by internal mental processes
- Schemas
- The Computer Analogy
What is the 1st Cognitive Assumption?
-Behaviour can be explained by internal mental processes
Summarise what the 1st Cognitive Assumption focuses on.
-Humans = basically seen as information processors
-how information received from our senses is processed by the brain + how this processing influences how we behave
-It looks at how various cognitive functions work together to help us make sense of the world
What are the names of the cognitive processes?
-Perception, attention, memory, language, cognition
What do cognitive processes do?
-Cognitive processes all work together to enable us to make sense of + respond to the world around us
-These processes work together to help the individual understand their environment
What is Perception?
-Selection of stimuli from environment, organisation of info and interpretation of stimuli.
What is Attention?
-Selection process for an external (sound, image, smell) or internal (thoughts) event.
What is Memory?
-Information is encoded and stored
What is Language?
-Communication system involving using words and systematic rules to transmit information from one individual to another
What is Cognition?
-Thinking about what we are going to do/ have done
-Planning/ Discussing/ Imagining/ Remembering
-Making sense of the world around us
What is the 2nd Cognitive Assumption?
-Schemas
What are ‘schemas’?
-Mental structures that represent an aspect of the world, such as an object or event (expectation)
-Packets of information that are built up through experience + stored in our long term memory
-They help us to make sense of the world
-The ability to produce an image (mental structure) of an object or situation when it is not there
-If incoming information doesn’t fit into any of our existing schemas we may need to create a new one.
What is the 3rd Cognitive Assumption?
-The Computer Analogy
What is the Computer Analogy?
-Cognitive psychologists often compare the human mind to a computer
-It compares how we take information (input) store it or change it (process) and then recall it when necessary (output)
-Hardware = the brain + software would be the cognitive processes
What is an example of the computer analogy?
-Multi-Store Model of Memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968) proposes our memories work in a similar way to computers
What does the Multi-Store Model of Memory show?
-Consists of 3 memory stores: the sensory, short term + long term memory
-Information is constantly entering the sensory memory store for a very brief amount of time + quickly fades if attention is not given to it
-The STM encodes information accoustically, has a capacity of 7+/-2 items and a duration of 15-30s
-The LTM encodes information symantically + has an unlimited capacity and duration of f a few minutes to a lifetime
-If Information is not rehearsed during each stage, it can decay.
What’s the difference between STM and LTM?
-The STM encodes information accoustically, has a capacity of 7+/-2 items and a duration of 15-30s
HOWEVER:
-The LTM encodes information symantically + has an unlimited capacity and duration of f a few minutes to a lifetime
What are the characteristics of STM?
Capacity
-The amount of information that can be stored in memory at one particular time (7+/- 2)
Duration
-The length of time that information can be kept in memory (18-30 seconds)
Encoding
-Changing sensory input into a form or code to be processed in the memory store (acoustically)
How was the Computer Analogy proven insufficient?
-The computer analogy was insufficient as we often make complicated alterations to our thought processes before we retrieve the information (e.g. memory)
