The Cognitive Approach

• Key Assumptions (beliefs) of this approach

  1. Behaviour is controlled by internal mental processes.
  2. The brain is seen as an information processor.
  3. Models (computer/theoretical) are used to explain human behaviour.
• What is the cognitive approach?


  The cognitive approach recognises that mental processes (thought) cannot be directly observed. But they can be studied indirectly by inferring what goes on.
• When did this approach emerge?

  Developed in the 1960's as a response to the behaviourists' failure to acknowledge mental processes. The development of the first computers gave cognitive psychologists a metaphor for describing mental processes.
• Why is the cognitive approach the most dominant approach in psychology?

  Been applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts. E.g. it has made an important contribution in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of 'thinking machines' (robots), exciting advances that may revolutionise how we live in the future.
• Why is the cognitive approach the most dominant approach in psychology?

  It uses experimental methods and neuroimaging (brain scans) to investigate memory, language, perception and problem solving.
• Which best describes the aim of cognitive neuroscience?

  To relate mental processes to brain structures