Cognitive approach

• Cognitive approach assumptions

  • Argues that internal mental processes can and should be scientifically studied
  • Investigates areas of human behaviour neglected by Behaviourists
  • Cognitive processes are private and cannot be observed
• Internal mental processes

  • The cognitive approach has investigated those areas of human behaviour that were left out by Behaviourists
  • This includes conscious and unconscious thoughts
  • Unconscious thoughts are investigated by inferences as they cannot be directly observed
• Inference

  • Going beyond the immediate evidence to make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed
• Theoretical models are diagrammatic representations of the steps involves in the internal mental process
• Computer models are software simulations of internal mental processes that are created in collaboration with computer scientists
• Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the neural mechanisms underlaying condition as well as how the brain enables the mind
• Cognitive neuroscience emerged due to the development of brain scanning techniques such as PET scans and fMRI machines
• Brain scanning techniques allow researchers to give participants cognitive tasks and observe activity in different areas of the brain
• A schema is a mental framework that organizes and stores information in a way that is useful for a particular purpose.
• Schemas act as a mental framework for interpretations of incoming information received by cognitive systems. They are also known as mental shortcuts
• Benefits of Schemas

  • They process environmental information which prevents us from being overwhelmed
  • They can predict the future as they allows us to make assumptions about the future due to past experiences
• Disadvantages of Schemas

  • Can lead to inaccurate recall
  • They can cause poor mental health as faulty/negative schemas may have a negative mental health impact
• The multi-store model

  A) Sensory memory

  B) Short term memory

  C) Long term memory

  
• Supporting evidence for Cognitive neuroscience

  P - made a big impact on the understanding of Memory.

  E - psychologist have been able to show that different parts of the multi store memory model are in different locations of the brain, thus showing that there are different locations for function.

  E - shown that the LTM is found in the Hippocampus whereas the STM is in the frontal lobe. 

  L - The use of cognitive neuroscience has enabled advances into topics such as memory and helped psychologists gain a better understanding
• Contradictory evidence for Cognitive neuroscience

  P - A limitation with the research and the use of cognitive neuroscience is that the conclusions are correlation.

  E - Correlations show that there is a link between two or more co variables, for instance a location in the brain and a function.

  E - This means causation for the variables cannot be proven, and one variable cannot cause another to occur. 

  L - causal links cannot be drawn from the research, meaning that the research using cognitive neuroscience needs to be taken with caution.
• Supporting evidence for the cognitive approach

  P - has a credible scientific basis

  E - lab experiments that use the method of cognitive neuroscience produce reliable objective data. For example, research into memory, Miller’s research into the capacity of STM

  E - this has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together

  L - the cognitive approach is considered scientific and has enhanced the status of Psychology by producing reliable, useful research that has improved our understanding of the mind.
• Contradictory evidence for the cognitive approach

  P - Its use of lab studies. 

  E - The use of laboratory research can be said to be artificial due to the context and the type of task performed

  E - e.g. many memory experiments require participants to learn lists of words flashed briefly on a screen in a way that does not reflect everyday memory tasks. 

  L - This means that cognitive approach lacks external validity as the thought processes measured may not be a true representation of everyday experiences