COGNITIVE APPROACH

• What is the cognitive approach?

  Explains all human behaviour through the study of internal mental processes.

  -Stimulus response is appropriate but inly if the thought process between the two is acknowledged.

  -Make inferences about mental processes based upon behaviour.
• What is a schema?


  A cognitive framework that helps organise and interpret information in the brain.
• Why are schemas useful?

  • Provide us oath a mental shortcut to prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
  • Enable us to process large amounts of information quickly-efficient.
  • Help us predict what will happen next based on past experiences.
• Why are schemas not useful?

  • Can distort our perception of sensory information.
  • Can lead to inaccurate EWT
  • Negative/faulty schemas can have negative effects on mental health.
• What are the 2 ways used to study internal processes?

  • Theoretical models.
  • Computer models.
• Why does the cognitive approach use computer models?


  It suggests there are similarities in the way information of processed. They use concepts of a central processing unit, coding and the use of stores to hold information.
• Why does the cognitive approach use theoretical models?


  Information processing approach - suggests that information flows through the cognitive system in stages that include input, storage and retrieval. E.g. multi store model.
• What is cognitive neuroscience?


  The scientific investigation of brain structures on mental processes.
• The focus of cognitive neuroscience has recently expanded to the use of computer generated models that are designed to read the brain.

  -Led to development of mind mapping techniques called 'brain fingerprinting'
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

  Scientific and objective methods - employed highly controlled study methods on order to enable researcher to infer cognitive processes

  -Labs produce objective, reliable data.

  Emergence of cognitive neuroscience has established a credible scientific basis - not biased.
• What is a weakness of the cognitive approach?

  Machine reductionism - the computer analogy has been criticised by many - machine reductionism ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system, and how this may affect our ability to process information.

  -individual differences.
• What is a weakness of the cognitive approach?


  Application to everyday life - psychologists can only infer mental processes from the behaviour they observe in their research.

  -Too abstract and theoretical in nature.

  Studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli - may not represent everyday memory experience.

  -Lack external validity/ecological validity.
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach?


  Real life application - the dominant approach in psychology today and has been applied to practical and theoretical contexts.

  -AI, EWT and CBT
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

  Less determinist than other approaches - founded on soft determinism (constraints in our behaviour but within these we are free to make a choice).

  -Recognises that our cognitive system can only operate within the lints of what we know, but we are free to think before responding to a stimulus.

  -'Interactionist' - middle ground position.
• Neuroimaging has been able to identify different parts of the brain being active during specific mental processes.
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

  Real life applications - biological bases have been found for a range of psychological disorders. Range of drug therapies have been developed for depressed people to live a normal life.

  E.g. schizophrenics - have a different brain structures with smaller brains and higher dopamine levels.
• What is a weakness of the cognitive approach?

  Highly reductionist - reduces our feelings and reactions to robot-like behaviour and ignores the factors or our everyday environment- childhood and behaviour affect us.

  Complex behaviour such as thoughts and emotions are explained by low level biological mechanisms such as biochemicals and nerve impulses.
• George Kelly:

  Created the theory of personal constructs - sees the individual as a scientist, making prediction about the future, testing them, revising then according to new evidence.

  We don't have to be constrained to past experiences but seek out new positive meanings in everyday life.

  Your behaviour is a choice you can control

  Thought processes are key; not the way we perceive the event than the actual event.