cognitive approach

• assumptions of the cognitive approach

  behaviour is influenced by thoughts that can be conscious or unconscious. internal mental processes studied by cognitive psychologists include attention, memory, language, thinking and problem solving. humans are information processers because out internal mental processes store information that guides out behaviour.
• assumptions of the cognitive approach pt2

  the brain processes made by humans can be compared to that of a computer. models are use to create theories about mental processing and can be studied scientifically, inferences are made on the basis of observed behaviour.
• inferences

  going beyond the immediate evidence to make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed.
• schemas

  a cognitive framework of beliefs and expectations that help us interpret information in the brain. they are developed from experience and help us make sense of new information, they are used as a reference point. ' packages' of ideas that are learned through experience.
• how schemas develop

  babies are born with a simple motor schema which could include moving a hand and placing it around an object, as we get over our schema becomes more developed and sophisticated.
• schemas- good

  they help us process information quickly which stops us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
• schemas- bad

  they can distort our interpretations of sensory information.

  they exclude anything that does not fit our ideas of the world, therefore we may develop stereotypes.
• using lab experiments

  -direct observation of internal mental processes is not possible so inferences have to be made which may be mistaken.
• computer models

  a computer model is when computer analogies are used as a representation of human cognition, suggesting a similarity.
• cognitive neuroscience

  the scientific study of brain structures, processes and chemisty which are responsible for cognitive, mental thinking processes.
• cognitive neuroscience

  non-invasive imaging such as PET and fMRI have enabled psychologists to observe and understand how the brain supports cognitive activities.

  for example, tulving et al has been able to show that different types of long term memory may be located in different parts of the brain.
• cognitive approach

  the study of how mental processes affect behaviour.
• internal mental processes

  private workings of the mind like perception and attention.
• schema-

  mental framework of beliefs and expectations developed from experience. we start as a blank slate.
• inference

  cognitive psychologists must make conclusions of what they think behaviour indicates about thought processes. a03- the inference is not always right.
• cognitive neuroscience

  focuses on biological structure of the brain and how it affects structure.
• scripts


  schemas that provide information about a sequence of events.
• limitations

  reductionist as it ignores human emotion for ecample computer analogy.

  lacks external validity as research is artificial in nature.
• fMRI

  functional magnetic resonance imaging.
• fmri detects-

  blood flow

  radio waves from increased oxygen.
• fMRIs produce-

  maps showing which part of the brain is involved in mental processes
• fMRIs help us understand-

  brain localisations and functions.
• if fMRIs are used correctly

  they are risk free and straightforward
• unlike pet scans fMRIs do not rely on

  radiation
• compared to other methods, fMRIs are

  expensive.