cognitive approach

• what does cognitive mean

  mental processes
• why was this approach developed

  in response to the behaviourist failure to consider mental processes, so they compared out thoughts to how a computer processes information
• one of the main assumptions of the cognitive approach

  they disagree with the behaviourists, they believe that internal, mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
• one of the main assumptions of the cognitive approach

  internal mental processes influence our behaviour
• one of the main assumptions for the cognitive approach


  they investigated in areas of psychology that were ignored or neglected by the behaviourists. E.g, memory, perception and thinking
• one of the main assumptions of the cognitive approach

  these processes are private and cannot be observed, this means cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences from their behaviour about what is going on in their mind
• the two models in the cognitive approach : theoretical


  the theoretical model, which is a diagram of how we can store information being stored as mental processes in the brain which generates testable hypothesis, which allows each assumption to be tested (this is through theory)
• the two models in the cognitive approach : computer model


  where cognitive psychologists compare the mind to a computer, which is called computer analogy where they have a theory that information is inputted into the brain, before the brain has to code it in in order to make some sense to it (which has led to AI 'thinking machines')
• what is a schema

  organised packages of information and ideas that are developed from experiences. they are mental frameworks that affect the way we think
• a pro about schemas

  they enable us to take shortcuts to say cognitive energy and save time, which stops us from feeling overwhelmed by stimuli in the environment
• a con about schemas

  we can sometimes disort information and make perpetual errors, it makes us prejudice
• the explained emergence of cognitive neuroscience

  paul broca (1860) identified damage to a part of the brain called the frontal lobe, which became known as the broca's area which could permanently damage speech production

  in the last 20 years cognitive neuroscience has become very important in psychology because of technological advancements such as fMRI scans, PET scans which have led to our understanding of neurological basis of mental processes
• explain neurosciences most famous story on Phineas gage

  • a tamping iron pierced through his cheek damaging his frontal lobe, but he was conscious enough to go to the doctor and give them a rundown of his incident
  • this caused phineas to become disinhibited because of the damage in his frontal lobe, which enabled him from refraining from saying inappropriate things
  • people say that he became 'highly aggitated, more aggressive and impaitent'
• a strength of the evaluation of the cognitive approach

  • a strength of the cognitive approach is that it uses highly controlled methods to allow psychologists to infer the cognitive processes at work
  • they used controlled lab experiments along with the use of brain scans (in cognitive neuroscience) which increases the reliability of data any data
  • TST the study of the mind has developed a scientific, credible basis
• a strength of the evaluation of the cognitive approach

  • the cognitive approach has led to real life applications
  • for example, it has led to many aritificial intelligence and thinking machines that can operate as humans. E.g, drive-less cares and purchase predictors
  • this suggests the cognitive approach has the potential to revolutionise how we live in the future
• a weakness of the evaluation of the cognitive approach

  • a weakness of the cognitive approach is that it is machine reductionist
  • this means that it REDUCES complex human behaviour to the workings of a computer. For example , working memory model...
  • this suggests it ignores the influence of human emotions and how that might affect our cognitive processes (E.g, as seen in EWT)
• a weakness of the evaluation of cognitive approach

  • some psychologists argue that it is difficult to study a persons cognition
  • in lab experiments alone psychologists can only make inferences about what they think a person's cognition may be. it is impossible that incorrect inferences are made because they are subjective
  • this suggests that the approach is difficult to verify unless it uses the more advanced scan techniques as evidence