cognitive approach

• cognitive approach

  • relates to mental processes such as perception,memory and reasoning
  • the study of internal mental processes
• cognitive neuroscience

  an area of psychology dedicated to the underlying neural basis of cognitive functions
• emergence of cognitive neuroscience

  Neuroscientists are able to study the brain and collect detailed information about the brain structures involved in different kinds of mental processing.

  Brain areas can be mapped for specific cognitive functions.

  PET,fMRI’s help psychologists understand how the brain supports different cognitive activities and emotions by showing what parts of the brain become active in specific situations.
• • as internal mental processes cannot be directly observed, cognitive psychologists have to go beyond the research evidence and use inferences
  • this is making assumptions about the internal mental processes that produced the participant behaviour observed in an experiment
• schema

  • mental frameworks
  • collections of connected basic knowledge about a concept or object built from previous experience in the world
• example of a schema

  • classroom
  • you would think of chairs, desks, a whiteboard and books
• • schemas work as mental shortcuts
  • we use them to quickly understand and navigate the world and interact with people and objects, this means it doesn't take too much mental energy to decide how to respond to a range of situations~
• • schemas allow us to engage with the world without being overwhelmed by sensory information
  • assigning objects to a schema (e.g classroom) means we do not have to consciously work out exactly what each object is individually
• assumptions

  • internal mental processes can be studied scientifically
  • the mind works like a computer
• issues with schemas

  • leads to inaccurate recall; assumptions due to schemas can influence memory - problem for EWT
  • negative schemas can lead to poor mental health - beck argues people with depression have faulty schemas that bias their thinking about themselves
• • use of theoretical and computer models to explain and make inferences about mental processes
  • mind operates similarly to a computer or follows a logical, fixed sequence of stages
• computer model

  • operation of a computer's central processing unit running software programs
  • the human brain conducting internal mental processes
  • this comparison suggests both systems receive inputs and outputs
• theoretical models

  • flow chart representations of the steps of a specific mental process
  • an example is the multi store model of memory, it shows how sensory input progresses from STM to LTM before its retrieved
• cognitive neuroscience

  • aims to scientifically identify and examine the neurological structures and chemical processes in the brain that are linked to internal mental processes
  • cognitive neuroscience seeks to understand how the brain's physical and chemical structure influences thoughts, memories, emotions and behaviours
• emergence of cognitive neuroscience

  • is due to the development of brain scanning techniques; PET and fMRI scanners allow researchers to give participants cognitive tasks and observe activity in the different ares of the brain
• One assumption of the cognitive approach is that the mind works like a computer. This is known as the computer analogy. Just like a computer processes input, stores information, and produces output, the human mind is thought to process information through mental processes such as attention, memory, and decision-making.