The Cognitive Approach

• What is cognitive neuroscience?


  The scientific study of the mind and internal mental processes - it aims to discover how brain structures influence how we process information, and map cognitive functions to specific areas of the brain by making use of scanning techniques.
• What does the modern study of cognition rest on?


  The premise that the brain can be understood as a complex computing system.
• What does 'inference' mean in the context of cognitive psychology?


  The process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour.
• What are the basic assumptions of the cognitive approach?


  - Thought processes can and should be studied scientifically, this approach feels that introspection is not scientific.

  - The mind works like a computer in that it has input from the senses which it then processes to produce output such as language and specific behaviours.

  - Stimulus and response are appropriate but only if the thought processes that occur between stimulus and response are acknowledged (this is a direct criticism of the behaviourist approach).
• Describe how the computer model explains mental processes.


  Information is input through the senses, encoded into memory and then combined with previously stored information to complete a task. A computer is a good analogy for this - in a computer, information is stored on the hard disc (which is the long term memory). RAM (Random Access Memory) is likened to short term memory, which is reset and cleared once the task is completed.
• What are the three stages the brain shares with a computer?


  Input (seeing something and encoding the information)

  Processing (making a decision based on the information)

  Output (carrying out this decision)
• Define the term schema.


  Packages of knowledge and expectations developed from experience that help us process information more quickly.
• What is the role of schema?

  Schemas allow us to make short cuts by helping us process information more quickly - however, they also cause us to make errors and exclude anything that does not confirm our preconceived ideas about the world. Schemas can cause us to use stereotypes that are difficult to disconfirm even when faced with new information.
• Why are theoretical models used in cognitive psychology?


  Cognitive models are used because it simplifies complex processes, turns abstract concepts into a concrete form, and it provides framework for research.
• Theoretical models are often pictorial with boxes and arrows, and are updated and changed often. Draw the multistore model of memory.


  (get out a whiteboard and draw it mate)

  
• Give one pro and one con of schema (exam accurate answers)

  Using schemas is useful because they prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli, as they provide us with knowledge and expectations that can help us process vast amounts of information quickly.

  
  

  However, schemas can cause perceptual errors or inaccurate memories as they can distort our interpretation of sensory information - they can cause us to use stereotypes and exclude anything that does not confirm our preconceived ideas about the world.
• What are some examples of practical applications of neuroscience? (short ones - not a full AO3 point)


  - If we can locate different types of memory in different areas of the brain, it can lead to treatment for memory problems.

  - We can use imaging techniques and angiography to study the effects of normal ageing on the brain or to observe the effects of a stroke on the brain.

  - We can use computer modelling to test theories or hypotheses about mental processes such as attention, memory, and problem solving.

  - We can study mental processing in patients with depression, OCD, or in children with autism or dyslexia.
• What is a positive of the cognitive approach? (scientific)


  A positive is that the cognitive approach is scientific, and the use of laboratory studies is objective, systematic and replicable - this increases its validity as the research can be built on to understand greater populations. This also means that researchers are able to draw conclusions about how the mind works. Cognitive psychology has made important contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and the development of thinking robots - therefore, the cognitive approach has made a positive contribution in the field of psychology and had a positive impact on the lives of many.
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach? (scanning techniques)


  A strength of the cognitive approach is that it has allowed us to collect evidence using fMRI and PET scanning, which help us to understand the underlying neural basis of cognitive functions. This has led to quicker diagnosis of issues and more effective treatments. Therefore, the cognitive approach has made a positive contribution to our understanding of human behaviour.
• What is a strength of the cognitive approach? (practical applications)


  The cognitive approach has made substantial improvements to our understanding of psychological disorders caused by distorted thoughts. This has led to the use of cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) which have been found to be 52% effective when treating depression (Keller et al 2000). Therefore, the cognitive approach has made a positive contribution to our understanding of human behaviour.
• What is a limitation of the cognitive approach? (theoretical models)


  Although theoretical models have helped to clarify our understanding of human cognition and have progressively improved over time, many of the models may be over-simplifications of complex processes and therefore could lack validity. The cognitive approach may tell us how different cognitive processes take place, but it does not tell us why, as the roles of motivation and emotion are ignored. These factors may be irrelevant to a computer but not to a human. This is known as machine reductionism, and is a reason that the cognitive approach is an incomplete explanation of human behaviour.
• Define machine reductionism.


  When a complex thought process is reduced down to a simple mechanical process. In cognitive psychology, humans are reduced to processors of information. This leads to machine reductionism - the belief that human functions are the result of the 'units' of activity in information processing systems, such as memory stores.
• What is a limitation of the computer model?


  A limitation of the computer model is that computers do not make mistakes, nor do they ignore available information or forget things. On the other hand, humans do all of these things. However, Newell and Simon (1972) stated that whilst computers are better at remembering, they are inferior at planning future moves. This in turn led to an improvement in computer models of problem-solving behaviour.
• What is a positive of the cognitive approach? (schemas)


  In support of the cognitive approach, there has been research to support the role of schemas, for example Bartlett (1932) used an unfamiliar Native American folk tale called 'The War of the Ghosts' to show that people use their own schemas to help interpret and remember the world around them. However, this research has been criticised for overstating the role of schemas, and it is argued that the idea of a mental framework is difficult to test, meaning it has contributed little to our understanding of human behaviour.