The Cognitive approach Flashcards
define : cognitive approach
the term cognitive means ‘mental processes’, so this approach is focused on how our mental processes (thoughts, perception and attention) affect our behaviour
when did the cognitive approach first emerge
the 1950s
define : internal mental processes
‘private’ operations of the mind such as perception and attention which mediate between stimulus and response
define : schema
a mental framework of beliefs and expectations which influence cognitive processing. they are developed from experience
define : inference
the process of how cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour
define : cognitive neuroscience
the scientific study of the biological structures that underpin cognitive processes
what does the cognitive approach argue in contrast to the behaviourist approach?
the cognitive approach argues that internal mental processes can be studied scientifically
what areas of human behaviour do cognitive psychologists study?
areas neglected by behaviourists: memory, perception and thinking
how do cognitive psychologists study the ‘private’ processes which cannot be observed?
they are studied indirectly through inferences about what is going on inside ones mind on the basis of their behaviour
what can cognitive processing often be affected by?
a person’s beliefs or expectations - often referred to as the schema
what is a schema?
‘packages’ of ideas and information which are developed through experience
what type of schema do babies have?
a simple motor schema for innate behaviours
what happens to our schema as we get older?
it becomes more detailed and sophisticated
what do schemas enable us to do?
it enables us to process lots of information quickly, like a mental shortcut and prevents us from getting overwhelmed
However, what may schemas do?
they may distort our interpretations of sensory information , leading to perceptual errors
what is an important theoretical model?
the information processing approach - that suggests that information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence of stages
- including input, storage and retrieval
what do cognitive psychologists refer to to help us understand the internal mental processes?
theoretical and computer models
what is the information processing approach based on?
based on the way that computers work (but a computer model would involve programming)
what did Paul Broca identify in the 1860s?
how damage to the frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production
what are some more modern brain scanning techniques?
fMRI and PET scans
scientists have been able to systematically observe and describe the neurological basis of the mental processes
what did Buckner and Peterson do in 1996?
that different types of long term memory may be located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex
how have scanning techniques proved useful?
because it established the neurological basis of mental disorders
what is brain finger printing?
a mind mapping technique, could be used to analyse the brain wave patterns of an eyewitness to determine whether they are lying in court.
what is a strength of the cognitive approach?
it uses objective, scientific methods
