AO1 and AO2

• assumes mind words similar to a computer
• studies the process that come between an external stimulus and behavioural response
• internal mental processes can be and should be studied
• these processes are private and cannot be observed so they are studied indirectly and inferences are made
• focuses on the examination of internal mental processes such as: perception, attention, memory and consciousness
• theoretical models enable the usual representation to complex conceptual processes and computer models provide a basis for research within the field of cognitive psychology
• schema theory is an information-processing model that emphasises how perception and memory are shaped by cognitive framework
• schemas are used to organise past experiences and to interpret and respond to new situations
• as we age our schemas become more sophisticated and adults develop more and more schemas to cover most situations
• schemas allow us to make sense of ambiguous situations by filling in the gaps of our knowledge
• schemas can lead to errors in information-processing such as prejudice and discrimination
• Barlett did a study researching schema memory and reconstructive memory
• Bartlett concluded that interpretation plays can important role and that learning and remembering are active processes
• visual representation of internal mental processes that are used to help researchers simplify and study complex processes
• theoretical models are usually diagrams of flow charts that show how information has been passed between different systems that manipulate it
• the development of the computer led to computer models emerging within psychology to explain different mental processes
• an example of a computer models would be atkinson and shiffrins model of memory
• the emergence of cognitive neuroscience tries to bridge the gap between the cognitive and biological approach
• cognitive neuroscience uses things like FMRI, ECG, PET