Cognitive approach

• Assumptions:

  disagrees with the behaviourist, believes that internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically (behaviourists believe that things are learnt and only studies the external processes)

  Internal mental processes influence our behaviour.

  Investigated areas of psychology that were ignored or neglected by the behaviourist e.g memory, perception, and thinking.

  These processes are private and cannot be observed.

  Cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences for their behaviour another what is going on in their mind.
• A strength of the cognitive approach is that it used highly controlled methods to allow psychologists to infer the cognitive processes at work. They use controlled lab experiments along with the use of brain scans which increase the reliability of data gathered. They also use highly scientific scanning techniques e.g MRI scans and X-rays. However, this can be criticised as this evidence is correlational which means that the causation cannot be established. Overall, the cognitive approach has highly sophisticated and scientific techniques for studying behaviour. 
• strength of the cognitive approach is it led to real life applications. research into memory and the effects of misleading information reduced the use of EWT cases in court, led to major reforms in police procedures and use of cognitive interviews. It has led to developments in treatments such as CBT for depression and sz. Also, it has led to an increased understanding of the links between brain injury and how that affects certain functions, e.g Broca’s and Wernickes aphasia. This suggests that it has made significant contributions to society and developed understanding in many fields. 
• A weakness of cognitive approach is that its machine reductionist. The approach reduces complex human behaviour to the workings of a computer. E.g working memory model assumed to be an active processor of information. It ignores the role of emotion and motivation which may be linked to cognitions. E.g Johnson and Scott demonstrated how anxiety can decrease accuracy of EWT. This suggests it overlooks that we are not simply cognitive creatures. 
• A weakness of cognitive approach is that it’s difficult to study someone’s cognitions. Lab experiments alone, psychologist can only make inferences about what they think a persons cognitions may be. It’s possible that incorrect inferences are made because there is no way of testing if this is the case, since mental processes are not directly observable. This suggests that the approach is difficult to verify unless it uses the more advanced scan technique as evidence.