STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES OF THE COGNITIVE APPROACH

• STRENGTH: COGNITIVE APPROACH- HIGH TESTABILITY:

  • Use of highly controlled & vigorous methods of study (lab experiments, to produce reliable, objective data)
  • Allows for inferences & provides falsifiable basis
• STRENGTH- USEFULNESS IN EVERYDAY ISSUES:

  • Research into memory & effects of misleading info- reduced over-reliance of eyewitness testimony in court ( & reform in police procedures e.g. cognitive interview)
  • Furthermore, treatment of mental illness e.g. depression using CBT (talking therapy, management of problems
  • Practical application in real-world 
• WEAKNESS: OPPOSING THEORY FOR THE INFLUENCE OF MENTAL PROCESSES ON BEHAVIOUR:

  • SLT- we learn from experience, through the imitation & identification of others within a social context, doesn’t concern mental processes
  • Decreases validity- cannot explain all aspects behaviour fully