Cognitive Approach

• What is cognitive psychology?

  Focuses on the perception, storage, manipulation, and interpretation of information. Investigating processes like perception, memory, thinking and problem solving.
• What is the role of schema?

  A schema is a cognitive framework that helps to organise or interpret information in the brain. Schemas help to make sense of new information.
• What is a disadvantage of schemas?

  They can lead to excluding information which doesn't conform to our pre-existing beliefs and ideas about the world.
• What are theoretical models?

  Are simplified representations of a particular mental process. Models are usually pictorial, with arrows, boxes to represent the flow and stages of a particular mental process such as memory.

  Examples

  • MSM
  • WMM
• What is a disadvantage to theoretical models?

  They are often incomplete and informal. This means they can be frequently updated and changed. The episodic buffer was not added to the WMM until 2000.
• What is the computer model?

  This simply means the application of computer terms to the human brain (known as computer analogies to represent human thoughts/cognitions). The use of analogies has stemmed from the development of computers and computer processing, and focus on how sensory information is coded as it passes through the brain.
• What are the strengths of Cognitive Approach?

  .

  • Application- treatments (cognitive behavioural therapy and schema therapy) eyewitness testimony
  • Scientific and objective- use of controlled and rigorous methods to research cognitive processes (involves lab experiments)
• What are the weaknesses of Cognitive Approach?

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  • Scientific and objective- use controlled and rigorous methods to research cognitive processes: lacks ecological validity / generalisability
  • Inferences
  • Machine reductionism- although there are similarities between humans and computers, there are still many differences.
  • Soft determinism