Cognitive approach

• What is an internal mental process?

  Thoughts or thinking processes
• What is an inference?

  Guesses or Judgments we make about what is going on inside the mind based on behaviour. Thoughts are private and cannot be studied directly so psychologists make inferences about them.
• What is a schema?

  A mental framework of beliefs telling us how to behave.
• What is a script

  A set of schemas
• What are computer models?

  Where the mind is compared the a computer thus suggesting similarities in its processing. For example, if we try to process too much, out brains are overwhelmed and do not function well.
• What are theoretical models?

  Multi-store models are used to represent how internal processes work. This is helpful as it makes it easy for us to understand and allows psychologists to develop ways of intervining as patterns can easily be identified in visual formats.
• How is the cognitive approach less deterministic?

  The approach is founded on soft determinism, we are not totally at the mercy of our thoughts but we have the power to change them.
• What are the three examples of cognition?

  Griffiths (gamblers), Terry (depression in pregnant women) and CBT
• How has the cognitive approach contributed to CBT?

  We can learn to have more control over automatic thoughts and decide how to respond to them. CBT operates on the premise that thoughts cause maladaptive behaviour
• What is machine reductionism?

  Comparing the human mind to a computer is useful in certain circumstances, but hugely oversimplified. A computer does not have emotion, which has been demonstrated to massively effect memory in EWT.
• Why does the cognitive approach not tell us why?


  Research only confirms that there are cognitve differeces by doesn't explain why, until combined with biology to create cognitve neuroscience.
• What are the two aims of cognitve neuroscience?

  Relate mental processes (cognition) to brain structures (neuro). The emergence of cognitive neuroscience has depended on the various brain scanning techniques.
• What is cognitive neuroscience?

  Blends cognitive and biological approach together. Telling us the answers the cognitive approach alone cannot.
• What are examples of cognitive neuroscience?

  The way psychopaths think is different to non-psychopaths. Kohlberg proposes a cognitve theory of moral development, but does not tell us why. Brain scans can indicate psychopaths have less blood flows to the amygdala.
• What are the two brains scan techniques?

  FMRI and PET
• What are OCD evidence for cognitive neuroscience?

  Studies using FMRI scans have shown cognitve characteristics of obsession in OCD is linked to abnormal functioning of both the parrahippocampal gyrus and frontal lobes.
• What is the phobia evidence for cognitve neuroscience?

  FMRI scans show people with an overactive fear response demonstrating cognitve processing such as hypervigilance have increased blood flow to the amygdala.
• What are the features of science?

  Lab-based, Empirical, Objective, Replicable, Theoretical construction and Hypothesis testing.
• How is cognitve neuroscience scientific?

  It is highly scientific and respected approach as it meets criteria for science.