cognitive approach

• ao1


  argues internal mental processes studied scientifically, investigates areas neglected by BA eg memory perception, private processes so cannot be observed but studied indirect, by making inferences

  • schema - mental framework of beliefs that organise and interpret info, develop from experience so sophisticated with age, helps make sense of new info, allows lots of info processed quickly and fill in gaps of absence, can lead to stereotyping as categorise to simplify info, and cognitive dissonance where errors are made as exclude things that don’t conform
• ao1


  ways of understanding IMP

  • theoretical models as flowcharts make inferences as suggestions of how cognitive processes are organised eg MSM
  • people also seen as info processes suggesting IMP work in same way as computers in input storage output components
• cognitive neuroscience 


  scientific study of influence of brain structures on mental processes

  • study of neurotypical people to see physical basis and compared to atypical eg injury
  • eg Broca identified BA in left frontal lobe for speech prod
  • advances lead to fmri and pet scans so can see neurological basis in detail eg Buckner and Petersen episodic left prefrontal cortex and semantic right
  • scanning useful for origin of disorder eg ocd and parahippocampak gyrus unplessant emotion
• strength of CA


  objective scientific method

  • highly controlled and rigorous method so can infer cognitive processes, makes use of lab studies to produce reliabke data
  • emergence of cognitive neuroscience = scientific
  • study of mind has credible scientific basis
• counter limitstion 


  relies on inferences of IMP

  • rather than direct observation of behavuour, may be too abstract and theoretical
  • research studies of IMP rely on artificial tasks eg memory lists so dont show real life usage
  • research lacks external validity
• limitation 


  machine reductionism

  • similarities between mind and computer ignores influence of human emotion and motivation on cog systems and how it affects ability to process info
  • eg effect of anxiety on recall accuracy of EWT
  • weakens validity
• strength 


  practical applications

  • dominant approach applied to lots of practical and theoretical contexts
  • cog psych contributes to field of AI and thinking machines or robots, revolutionising how we may live in future
  • treatments of depression
  • reliability of EWT
  • shows approach has value