AO3 Cognitive Approach

• Strength: Real life applications

  The field has made important contributions to the development of artificial intelligence, and treatments for mental health based on cognitive assumptions have been known to be effective. For example: March fund that CBT as a treatment for depression was as effective as antidepressant drugs (with less side effects). These applications have a huge impact on individuals and society. However, drugs are cheaper for the NHS and are less time consuming than CBT.
• Strength: Scientific

  The cognitive approach is scientific as concepts are operationalised and can be falsified through testing. It is far more rigorous and objective, it forms more accurate conclusions than methods like introspection. It is also parsimonious as it simplifies ideas into a clear theory explaining complex behaviour in an economical fashion.
• Strength: Scientific

  However, the scientific merit only applies to brain scanning techniques. Several aspects of cognitive psychology research involve lab studies investigating abstract concepts. The lab environment doesn't replicate real world experiences. For example, to support the concept of interference on forgetting, Underwood had participants remember lists of unrelated words. This has little relevance in the real world- therefore less external validity in supporting evidence of the cognitive approach.
• Weakness: Machine reductionism

  The cognitive approach oversimplifies human behaviour to computer and theoretical models which focus heavily on processing analogies, in doing this, the complexity of the human mind is underestimated. Computers don't ignore available information, computers don't make errors, motivation to process information is irrelevant to a computer, not to humans. The approach therefore explains how we process our environment but not why. It ignores our motivations and emotions, which Freud argues are key in explaining behaviours.
• Weakness: Machine reductionism

  It is accused of being based on machine reductionism, although humans share some things in common with computers, this analogy could be criticised. For example: emotion and motivation both influence accuracy of recall in eyewitness accounts (fear or focusing on a weapon). This is not replicated by computer models. Thus oversimplifying human cognitive processing and ignoring aspects which influence performance.
• However: Soft determinism

  However, while the approach may be seen as machine reductionist, a merit of it is its approach to determinism. The cognitive approach is an example of soft determinism which makes it less deterministic than other approaches. It is commended for recognising that our cognitive system can only work within certain limits and we are free to think before responding to situations.
• However: Soft determinism

  This is a stark contrast to the behavioural approach that suggests we are passive slaves to our environment and lack free choice in our behaviours. This is seen as a more flexible middle ground position in the free-will vs determinism debate and is more in line with our subjective sense of free will.