A01

• A01: assumptions

  the cognitive approach focuses on the scientific and objective study of internal mental processes however these cannot be directly observed and therefore inferences must be made based on observable behaviour- the indirect measure of cognition.
•  A01: theoretical models

  An example of a theoretical model is the working memory model, used to explain short term memory. This model breaks memory down into cognitive components e.g., episodic buffer, central executive, phonological loop, which information flows between
• A01; computer analogies

  Analogies can be made between the workings of a computer and the function of the human brain, for example, inputs such as a processer for a computer is likened to the brain and the output of a computer code is likened to the human language.
• A01; schemas

  schemas provide an internal mental framework which allows the brain to process large volumes of information efficiently and quickly, preventing sensory overload. These are also generated via experiences so become more advanced with time. 

  However- schemas are preconceived and thus may lead to perceptual distortions due to having an already established mental framework. 
• A01; cognitive neuroscience


  Cognitive neuroscience is defined as ‘the scientific field concerned with the study of the biological processes and aspects that underlie cognition, with a specific focus on the neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes’.
• example of development of cog neuroscience


  Objectively Investigating Brain Localisation Theory in the 1970s = Advances in technology meant that it was possible to systematically measure and observe the neural processes which coincide with specific brain functions. For example, using PET scans, Petersen et al (1988) found evidence of Wernicke’s area being activated during a listening task and Broca’s area being activated during a reading task.