AO3

• Evaluation of cognitive approach

  Scientific

  Use of the experimental method provides researchers with highly controlled methods for collecting and evaluating evidence to infer the cognitive processes at work. The conclusions about how the mind works are based on more than introspection and common sense as these can give a misleading picture of mental processes
• Practical applications

  Substantial contribution to the understanding of psychological disorders e.g. depression/phobias, which can be traced back to faulty though process. Depression is characterized by negative thoughts about self, world and future, this led to patients using cognitive based therapy that focuses on changing irrational thoughts into rational thoughts to change dysfunctional behaviour.
• Research lacks ecological validity

  Experiments in memory use artificial test material that are meaningless in everyday life rather than try to understand the way in which memory is used in everyday life. Hence it is unlikely that we would be able to generalise these findings to real-life situations.
• Limitation of computer models

  There is an important difference between the sort of information processing that takes place within a computer program and the information processing that takes place within the human mind. Computers don’t make mistakes, ignore available information or forget information on their hard drives. Humans on the other hand do all of this