Cognitive Approach

• Behaviour is influenced by thoughts that can be both conscious and unconscious – these internal mental processes mediate between the stimulus and response.
• Schema


  •A schema is a cognitive framework of beliefs and expectations that help us to organise and interpret information in the brain. They are developed from experience and help us to make sense of new information. They are used as a ‘reference point’ to help us to behave appropriately.
• Schema

  •Good – they help us to process lots of information quickly which is useful as a sort of mental short-cut that stops us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.

  Bad – they exclude anything that doesn’t fit our established ideas of the world. Therefore, we may develop stereotypes that are difficult to disconfirm, even with new and conflicting information
• Theoretical Model

  •A (theoretical) model is a simplified representation of a particular mental process.
• Computer Models

  •A computer model is when computer analogies are used as a representation of human cognition, suggesting that there is similarity in the way information is processed.
• A computer model of memory

  input-processing-output
• Multi store memory model


  MSMM

  
• Cognitive neuroscience

  •Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of brain/neurological structures, mechanisms, processes, chemistry that are responsible for cognitive/mental/thinking processes.•