AO1 NEW

• What does the cognitive approach argue (in direct contrast to the behavioural approach)?

  Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
• What is the cognitive approach?

  Focus on how mental processes (thoughts, perception, attention) affect behaviour
• How do psychologists study mental processes indirectly as they can’t be observed?

  Using inferences about what is going on inside people’s mind on the basis of their behaviour
• What are internal mental processes?

  Private operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response
• What are schemas?


  Mental frameworks of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
• How are schemas devleoped?

  Through experience
• What does schemas allow us to do?

  Process lots of information quickly. Useful as a sort of mental shortcut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
• What is a potential problem with schemas?

  They may distort out interpretations of sensory information, leading to perceptual errors
• What models do cognitive psychologists use to understand internal mental processes?

  Theoretical (abstract) and computer (concrete) models
• Example of an important theoretical model?

  Information processing approach
• What does the information processing approach suggest?

  Information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence of stages. These include input, storage and retrieval, as in the multi store model
• What has computational models of the mind proved useful in?

  Developing of artificial intelligence
• What is cognitive neuroscience?

  Scientific study of brain structures that underpin cogntiive processes
• Cognitive neuroscience has also been involved in the advances in brain imaging techniques allowing scientists to systematically observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes