Cognitive approach

• What is Attention ?

  The individual needs to pay attention to the behaviour and it’s consequences
• What is retention ?

  The individual stores the observed behaviour in Long term memory where it can stay for a long period of time

  Imitation is not always immediate
• What is reproduction ?

  The individual must be able to reproduce the observed behaviour
• what is motivation ?

  The individual must expect to receive the same positive reinforcement for imitating the observed behaviour that they have seen the model receiving
• What is a schema?

  Mental framework collections of connected basic knowledge about a concept or object built from previous experience with the world
• A criticism of the computer model 


  It is over simplistic ( machine reductionist ) . The human brain is far more complex than any computer and the mind is capable of consciousness and emotions which can lead to irrational behaviours humans also have flaws
• What’s a theoretical model

  Flow chart representations of the steps of a specific mental process
• Advantage of theoretical models

  Generates testable hypotheses allowing each assumption to be systematically and scientifically tested
• Strength of the cognitive approach

  The cognitive approach has lead to many successful treatments for mental illness, This suggests that the cognitive approach can help to improve people's lives and therefore has a positive impact in the real world
• Weaknesses of the cognitive approach

  The cognitive approach and its computer models have been criticised for machine reductionism. this is because they reduce complex behaviour and thought processes to simple mechanical processes
• Advantages of the cognitive approach

  The cognitive approach is seen to be highly scientific due to its very controlled experiments. For example, many of the studies were conducted in laboratory settings
• Advantages of the cognitive approach

  understanding the role of schemas has led to practical real-world application of cognitive behavioural therapy, where therapists help clients change negative thought patterns
• Advantages of the cognitive approach

  Cognitive psychologists are soft determinists, arguing that experience creates schemas in the brains biological structure, yet they also suggest that conscious thought processes provide personal control over actions, a core principle of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Disadvantages of the cognitive approach

  Cognitive research makes inferences about internal mental processes from behaviour; assumptions can be mistaken. For this reason, cognitive psychologists, despite their highly controlled laboratory studies, are not considered fully scientific
• Disadvantages of the cognitive approach

  The computer model of the mind is criticised for being overly simplistic (machine reductionist). Other psychologists argue the human brain is far more complex than a CPU and the mind experiences consciousness and emotions