Cognitive approach

• What does the cognitive approach argue?


  Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically as they play a central role in understanding human behaviour(direct contrast to behaviourist approach)
• What does the cognitive approach investigate?


  It studies neglected areas of human behaviour (e.g. memory, perception, and thinking)
• What metaphor does the cognitive approach use to describe how the brain works?


  Brain = computer
• What do cognitive psychologists do with mental processes?


  Processes and models in brain help make inferences about mental processes based on observed behaviour.
• Who created the rat-man study and when?

  Bugelski and Alampay 1962
• What is the rat-man study?


  • Two groups were shown different images:
  • Condition 1 - saw pictures of faces
  • Condition 2 - saw pictures of animals
  • They were then shown the rat-man image
  • C1 saw a man (more likely to perceive the image as a man)
  • C2 saw a rat (more likely to perceive the image as a rat)
• What conclusion can be drawn from the study?

  Pps were using their schemas to identify the image
• What is a schema?


  It is a mental framework to help interpret incoming information using prior knowledge and ideas. Schema becomes more complex as you become older
• What are the pros of a schema?

  • Enables us to process information quickly
  • Saves us from overstimulation from environmental stimuli
• What are the negatives of having a schema?


  • Distortion - perceptual errors
  • Stereotyping
  • Pre-misconceptions
  • Halo effect
• What is the halo effect?


  The halo effect is a cognitive bias where your overall impression of someone influences your perception of that person's specific traits or abilities. (e.g. doctors = intelligent)
• What is coding?


  Process of turning information into useable information using your schema
• What are stores?


  The places information are held (using the computer-brain metaphor, it is the hard drives/memory sticks)
• What is the information processing model and its stages?


  It is the stages of information flowing through the cognitive system

  • Input (via the senses/stimulus)
  • Storage (encoded and processed using schema)
  • Retrieval (observable behaviour - retrieved when mimicking for e.g)
• What are the strengths of the cognitive approach?


  • Scientific - controlled, reliable (replicable), objective, able to collect and evaluate evidence
  • Applications are wide - treatments for mental illness, reducing accidents, economic implications
  • Biology and Psychology are merged
  • Dominant approach in psychology - helped develop robots
• What are the weaknesses of the cognitive approach?


  • Machine reductionist - does not take our emotions, choice, and feelings into consideration
  • (Soft) Deterministic - assumes we have no free will