cognitive approach

• mental processes are 'private' and cannot be observed, so cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences (assumptions) about what is going on inside people's heads on the basis of their behaviour
• schema are packages of information developed through experience and they act as a 'mental framework' for the interpretation of incoming information received by the cognitive system. Babies are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours such as sucking and grasping. As we get older, out schema become more detailed
• The information processing approach suggests that information flows through a sequence of stages that include input, storage and retrieval
• computer models refer to programmes that can be run on a computer to imitate the human mind like conversational machines to deal with consumer enquires. By running such a programme psychologists can test their ideas about information processing
• Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the influence on brain structures on mental processes. With advances in brain scanning technology in the last 20 years, science have been able to describe the neurological basis of mental processing. This includes research in memory that has been linked to episodic and semantic memories to opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex. Scanning techniques have also proved useful in establishing the neurological basis of some disorders like OCD
• One strength of the cognitive approach is that it uses scientific and objective methods. Cognitive psychologists have always employed controlled and rigorous methods of study like lab studies, in order to infer cognitive processes at work. In addition, the 2 fields of biology and cognitive psychology come together (cognitive neuroscience) to enhance the scientific basis of study. This means that the study of the mind has established a credible, scientific basis
• One strength of the cognitive approach is that it has application to everyday life. The cognitive approach is dominant in psychology today and has been applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts. For instance, artificial intelligence and the development of robots, the treatment of depression and improving eyewitness testimony. This supports the value of cognitive appraoch
• One limitation of the cognitive approach is that it is based on machine reductionism. Although there are similarities between the operations of the human mind and computers such as central processor, inputs-outputs, the computer analogy has been criticised. For instance, emotion and motivation have been shown to influence accuracy or recall. These factors are not considered within the computer analogy which suggests that machine reductionism may weaken the validity of the cognitive approach