Cognitive approach

• Assumptions

  Internal mental processes can and should be used to explain human behaviour

  Investigates memory, perception and thinking 

  Private processes can’t be observed so they have to be inferred 
• Schema- a cognitive framework that helps to organise and interpret information in the brain

  enables us to process lots of information quickly, prevents us from being overwhelmed

  Babies born with simple motor schema, as we get older they become more detailed and sophisticated and we have developed schemas for everything
• Theoretical models

  As mental processes can’t be observed, simplified representations of mental processes are used, often as pictures 

  Computer models

  software simulations of internal mental processes, you program a computer to carry out a mental process an see the outcome
• the emergance of cognitive neuroscience

  the study of the biological processes/structures that are responsible for the cognitive processes, mapping brain areas to specific cognitive function has a long history in psychology 

  Paul broca - identified how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production
• a strength is the objective scientific methods

  Cognitive psychologist use highly controlled methods so researchers are able to infer cognitive processes. This has involved the use of lab studies to produce reliable objective data and the emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together to enhance the scientific basis of study.

  however, cognitive psychology relies on inference of mental processes, so it can occasionally suffer from being too abstract and theoretical, so it may lack external validity
• strength is the real world application

  It has been applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts, for example, has made an important contribution to the field of artificial intelligence and the development of thinking machines

  Cognitive principles have also been applied to the treatment of depression and to improve the reliability of eyewitness testimony
• A limitation is machine reductionism

  The computer set an ology has been criticised as it ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system