cognitive neuroscience

• AO1


  cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the influence of brain structure on mental processes. also interested in social cognition of the brain regions involved when we interact with each other and how impairments in these regions may characterise different psychological conditions.
• AO1 paragraph 2

  The use of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques helps physcologists to understand how the brain sports different cognitive activities and emotions by showing what part of the brain becomes active in specific circumstances. MRI and PET scans have enabled scientists to systematically observe and describe neurological basis of mental processes including; memory, perception and awareness
• strength: more scientific and objective

  in research study compared with the cognitive approach because it provides information about brain activity as well as behaviour

  k-this therefore means the research is more scientific.
• another strength: provides evidence to support


  previously controversial behavioural findings by illuminating mechanisms of cognitive development that underlie behavioural observations

  k-therefore one evidence cognitive neuroscience is that is has previous evidence
• weakness: mainly provides only controversial data


  for example finding that the parahippocampas gyrus is often activated in people with ocd doesn't show that this are is casually involved with ocd

  k-therefore cognitive neuroscience only provides controversial data
• another weakness hard for neuroscientists to identify patterns of brain activation 


  corresponding to some physiological processes like attention or planning. This means PET scans and MRI scans are not reliable enough

  k-therefore it's hard to identify brain activity