Cognitive Approach

• Assumptions

  • argued internal mental processes should be studied scientifically, contrasting biological approach
  • studies areas neglected by behaviourists (memory, perception, thinking)
  • makes inferences about person's mind based on their behaviour
• Role of schema

  • packages of information/ideas about world
  • act as mental framework for interpretation of incoming information received by cognitive system
  • babies born with motor schema for innate behaviours
  • as we age schemas get more detailed
• Theoretical/computer models

  • both methods help understand theoretical processes
  • information processing approach suggests information flows through cognitive system in a sequence of sages e.g multi-store model
• Emergence of cognitive neuroscience

  • study of influence of brain structures on mental processes, focus explained due to use of computer generated models
• Strengths 1

  1. use of objective scientific methods - lab studies provides reliable/objective results, emergence of cognitive neuroscience allowed for biology and cognitive psychology to come together, meaning cognitive approach has some credibility as it has scientific basis
• Counterpoint 1

  1. however - relies on influence of mental processes, therefore can be too abstract and theoretical. research also carried out using artificial stimuli therefore lacks external validity
• Strength 2

  1. real-world application - made important contribution to AI and development of robots, supports value of cognitive approach
• Limitation

  1. based on machine reductionism - ignores the influence of human emotion/motivation on cognitive system and how this may affect the ability to process information, suggests machine reductionism may weaken validity of cognitive approach