Cognitive approach

• What does the cognitive approach focus on?

  • This focuses on studying internal mental processes
  • It has relation to how the different systems of the brain process information from the different senses
  • We cannot see the internal mental process so we make inferences from the observed behaviour and then theories
• What is the first system of the cognitive approach?

  Schemas
• What do schemas do?

  • It is a cognitive framework which organises information from the senses
  • It is a package of information from past experiences that helps us understand information better
  • It also provide a shortcut for interpreting information
  • It aids us when there may be an absence of full information
  • Schemas may cause exclusion of info that do not conform so we only believe certain information that confirms our belief
• What study shows stereotypes in schemas?

  Allport and Post did a study in the 1940's where people remembered the picture as a black man holding a knife despite the white man actually holding the blade.
• What is the second system(s) in the cognitive approach?

  Theoretical and computer models
• What is the theoretical model about?

  • It includes models that are often informal, incomplete and changed
  • These models include the working memory model and the multi store model
  • The episodic buffer was added 25 years later after the working memory model had been introduced
• What is the computer model system about?

  • It likens our memory to a computer
  • The info is inputted from the senses and then it is encoded into the long term memory
  • It then combines current knowledge to complete a task
  • Examples of computers being similar to human brains can be seen in theories of memory
• What are memory examples of computers being similar to human brains?

  • The information stored on a computer is similar to the LTM
  • RAM can be seen as similar to working memory
  • Memory can be seen as a temporary workspace and is cleared as well as reset when the task is done
• What is a third example of memory in the cognitive approach?

  Emerging cognitive neuroscience
• What is the emergence of cognitive neuroscience about?

  • Neuroscientists examine the alive brain
  • This has allowed us to learn about different brain structures in brain functioning
  • Neuroscientists use PET scans or fMRI's as a way of seeing active brain parts
• What is an example of the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?

  • Raine et al (1997)
  • It was an investigation of 41 murders using PET scans
  • they assess glucose uptake of the brain
  • The more glucose uptake of the brain, the more the brain parts would be active
  • Findings show that there was reduced glucose uptake in the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for emotions
  • This shows a reduced functioning of emotional impulses
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

  • It is applied in many areas of psychology
  • In social psychology, it has been applied to show how people for impressions of other people due to our schemas
  • It helps us understand errors of our interpretations of others and why we may stereotype them
  • it has applications to explaining real behaviour
• What is another strength of the cognitive approach?

  • It can be used to explain psychopathology
  • It explains how dysfunctional behaviour may be linked with faulty thinking
  • This had led to treatments like CBT that helps with depression and aims to rationalise faulty thinking
  • It has been found that CBT is 90% effective for depression
  • It has positive implications
• What is a strength regarding the nature of the cognitive approach?

  • The use of experimental methods emphasises the use of the scientific method
  • The studies that are conducted are objective and controlled
  • Evidence is rigorous, meaning that we can draw more accurate conclusions about the mind not relating to introspection or opinion
• What is a disadvantage with the

  cognitive approach regarding computers?

  • Encoding and storage are borrowed from computing
  • However, there is a massive difference between information processing in the human mind and in a computer.
  • Computers don't make mistakes or have emotions
  • Computer models may not generalise from computing to humans
• What is another disadvantage of the cognitive approach ?

  • It is reductionist
  • It reduces behaviour to thought processes
  • Cognitive process tells us how the brain processes information but not why the processes occur
  • Some examples include emotion and motivation being ignored
  • It simplifies behaviour
  • However, there are also more explanations like the behaviourist and biological approach