Cognitive Approach

• What is the cognitive approach?

  Opposite of behaviourist approach as it looks at internal workings of the mind and explains behaviour through cognitive processes eg, how we think
• Cognitive psychologists explain behaviour by looking at...

  Perception, Language, Attention and Memory
• Computers are often used to expain behaviour


  Behaviour is explained in terms of information processing (how computers deal with info)
• The 3 general principles of the cognitive approach =

  -Our mental systems have a limited capacity

  -A control mechanism oversees all mental principles

  -There is a two-way flow of information
• Our mental systems have a limited capacity =


  The amount of information that can be processed will be influenced by how demanding the task is and how much other informaton is being processed
• A control mechanism oversees all mental processes =


  This will require more processing power for new tasks, leaving less available for everything else
• There is a two-way flow of information =


  We take in information from the world, process it, and react to it. We also use our knowledge and experiences to understand the world
• Data Input =


  Computer - Info coming in via a keyboard then signals pass through wires

  Human - Info coming in from the world through 5 senses then signals pass through neurones
• Data Processing =


  Computer - computer processor and then signals pass through wires

  Human - brain then signals pass through neurones
• Data Output =


  Computer - Info output to a moniter

  Human - Info passed back out for action
• Differences between humans and people =

  -Humans are influenced by emotional and motivational factors where as computers aren't

  -Humans have unlimited but reliable memory where as computeers have limited but reliable data

  -Humans have free will within decisions