Cognitive Approach

Subdecks (2)

Cards (17)

  • 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?
    .
    • 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