Cognitive Biases - evaluation

• SUPPORTING RE (ILLUSION OF CONTROL)

  } Griffiths (94) - fruit machines > regular and non-gamblers

  used introspection - say what they were thinking and content analysis

  exp - more irrational verbalisations (14%) than non-g (2.5%)

  gamblers - faulty thinking in relation to gambling

  ev gives validity to exp - specifically RO self serving bias and illusion of control
• SUPPORTING RE (ATTENTIONAL BIAS)

  } Knight et al (2017) - compared 25 heavy drinkers to 25 moderate / light drinkers on attentional test with pics relating to alcohol and not

  quasi = naturally changing IV

  heavy - quicker identifying alcohol related stimuli + slower and made more mistakes with non alc stimuli

  measured response time to change in objects and no. mistakes

  provide evidence for exp and gives val
• REDUCTIONIST - TOO SIMPLISTIC

  e.g. AB - may exp A's tendency to be drawn to A related clues > doesn't explain why they became A / what causes cognitive biases

  sug CB play role but not sole exp > ignores other influences

  EXT - Volkow - AB changes PFC > could cause AB (bio - better)
• CONCLUSION

  • useful to consider thought processes involved in AB > challenged in CBT - useful exp
  • exp tested + measured in lab > more scientific than others
  • exp - provided description of why symptoms occur > fail to account for cause of faulty thought processes