Cognitive Approach

• Cognitve approach explains human behaviour in terms of mental processes.

  • This contrasts with learning approaches, which focus only on behaviour that can be observed from the outside.
• Chomsky explained that language cannot be learned through classical and operant conditioning.

  In stead, we build up mental models of the rule of grammar.
• The Cognitive approach is linked with an effective approach to therapy for disorders; cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Schema is a cognitive structure where thoughts and memories are linked together.
• Schema’s are influenced by the culture in which you grow up.
• Cognitive psychologists can’t look inside someone’s head to see thought processes and schema’s - these must be studied indirectly
• Learning about mental processes by observing behaviour is called - inferences.

  • Cognitive psychologists use these inferences to build and test models
• Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory is a good example of a computer model - early days of cognitive psychology.

  • Views memory as being based on processing and storing information.
• A key method used in cognitive neuroscience is the functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scan.