AO3

• a strength is that it uses objective scientific methods. they use a highly controlled method of study so researchers can infer cognitive processes are work. This emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together on a scientific basis. This means that the study of the mind has credible scientific basis
• a weakness of cognitive psychology is that it relies on the interference of mental processes rather than direct observation of behaviour. therefore it can be viewed as too abstract and theoretical in nature and research studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday experiences. This means that the approach lacks external validity
• a strength that there is practical application and is a dominant approach in psychology today. Cognitive psychology has had an important contributions in the field for example artifical itelligence and development of thinking machines. Also has been applied to the treatment of depression and improved reliability of EWT. This supports the value of the approach
• a weakness is machine reductionism. The similarities of the human mind and the operations of a thinking machine such as a computer have been critisised as it ignores the influence of human emotions and motivation on the cognitive system which may affect out ability to process information. This suggests that machine reductionism may weakness the validity of the cognitive approach