Cognitive Approach

Cards (11)

  • 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