Evaluate one strength and one weakness of cog app (4+4)

• Strength: scientific

  P: one key strength of the cognitive approach is its use of objective and scientific methods.

  E: cognitive psychologists often conduct research in controlled laboratory settings and use brain imaging techniques such as PET and MRI scans to observe mental processes. This has led to the development of cognitive neuroscience, which investigates how brain activity is linked to functions like memory and perception.

  E: this scientific approach has helped establish reliable, replicable findings and has real-world applications, for example, improving police interviewing techniques through research on eyewitness testimony.

  L: therefore, the cognitive approach is not only credible due to its scientific foundation but also useful in understanding and improving real-life behaviours.
• Weakness: mechanistic

  P: however, a major weakness of the cognitive approach is its mechanistic view of human behaviour.

  E: the mind is often compared to a computer, focusing on information processing while neglecting human emotions and the impact of social and environmental factors. For instance, while a person’s depression might be explained by faulty thinking patterns, the cognitive approach may ignore the emotional pain caused by life events such as divorce.

  E: unlike humans, computers don’t experience emotion, yet the approach often treats people as if they do - this oversimplifies complex psychological conditions

  L: as a result, the cognitive approach can be criticised for lacking ecological validity and for offering incomplete explanations of human behaviour.