The cognitive approach

• The cognitive approach argues that internal mental processes can be studied scientifically, in opposition to the behaviourist approach
• Internal mental processes are private operations of the mind (such as perception and attention) that mediate between stimulus and response
• A schema is a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
• Schemas are developed as a result of experience
• Psychologists study internal mental processes indirectly by making inferences on the basis of observed behaviour
• Inferences are the process where cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour
• Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the biological structures that underpin cognitive processes
• Infants are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours such as grasping. As they develop, their scheme become more detailed and sophisticated
• Schema allow us to process large amounts of information quickly which prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
• Schema may distort our interpretations of sensory information, leading to perceptual errors
• Cognitive psychologists use theoretical and computer models to understand internal mental processes
• The information processing approach is a theoretical model which suggests that information flows through the cogntivie system in a sequence of stages, based on how a computer functions. The three main stages include input, storage and retrieval.
• Advances in brain imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET scans have allowed scientists to systematically observe the neurological basis of mental processes
• The cognitive approach uses objective, scientific methods to infer cognitive processes through lab studies or brain scans (cognitive neuroscience)
• As the cognitive approach relies on the inference of mental processes (rather than direct observation), it can occasionally become too abstract or theoretical
• Research studies of mental processes are often carried out using artificial stimuli (e.g. word lists) which may reduce the external validity and mundane realism of the research
• The cognitive approach has been practically applied to the treatment of depression and studies of eyewitness testimony, as well as the development of AI technology
• The cognitive approach is based on machine reductionism, which means that it ignore the influence of human emotion and motivation
• The cognitive approach is based on soft determinism, which is the view that human behaviour can be determined by internal and external factors but can also be a result of free will