cognitive

• The study of mental processes is now seen as a legitimate and

  highly scientific area within psychology

  Although mental processes remain ‘private’, cognitive psychologists are able to make inferences about how these work on the basis of lab tests
• Cognition - internal mental processing e.g thinking, decision making, planning, language

  Belief that even though they cant be seen, thoughts can and should be studied scientifically
• Compares us to computers - known as the information processing model 
• Separates the brain (physical organ in your head) and the mind (the processes and tasks that you can perform in your head)
• Cognitive psychologists will give participants a task/stimuli in scientific conditions and then monitor the response. They will use this to try to identify what is happening between stimulus and response.

  This process is known as inference (drawing conclusions about mental processes based on what is observed in behaviour)
• To explain the mind, cognitive psychologists use theoretical models, simplified diagram, of mental process to show the stages that occur within the mind to make a behaviour happen
• Computer models - comparing the mind to how a computer works with inputs and outputs 
• Create edit models based on what research has shown -> conduct research on participants investigating thought processes under  scientific conditions ->
• Information processing model - an example of a theoretical/computational model; the idea that human mental processes can be broken into 3 steps - input, processing and output
• Input 

  The input comes from the environment via the senses and is encoded by the individual. Rob sees the old lady struggling to reach the biscuits and encodes the information.
• Processing

  The information, can be encoded, can be processed. An example of this processing is schemas. He would make the decision, from his processing/understanding on the information that she needs help and that he can help her.
• Output 

  The output is the behavioural response. This is emitted following from processing .

  He would ask the lady if she would like him to get the biscuits down for her and then reaches up for the biscuits and give them to her.
• Schema - a collection of ideas about a person or situation formed through experience which helps the individual to understand and predict the world around them.
• We use our schemas to interpret the world as they can help us to process a lot of information quickly but this also means we may miss things or interpret things differently to other people 
• Cognitive neuroscience attempts to link internal mental processes (thoughts, memory, language etc) to specific parts of the brain

  The idea that certain parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions is called localisation of function
• One weakness of the cognitive approach is that it cannot be considered fully scientific. This is because it studies through processes that cannot be seen, using the process of inference rather than studying things in an empirical way through observation. This is a weakness because it does not strengthen Psychology’s reputation as a discipline meaning the cognitive approach does not support the idea that Psychology is a science.
• One strength of the cognitive approach is that it has real life applications. For example, the cognitive approach has been used to create therapy for depression known as CBT and cognitive neuroscience has helped to support individuals who have suffered strokes and brain injuries. This is a strength because it suggests that the research is valid meaning the cognitive approach is useful to society.
• One strength of the cognitive approach is that there is research evidence to show the biological existence of internal mental processes. For example, Tulving investigated cognitive neuroscience and found the existence of different types of memory using separate areas of the brain. This is a strength as it improves the validity of the approach meaning that cognitive approach can effectively explain mental processes.
• Posterior - semantic

  Anterior - episodic
• One reason that schema might be useful is in unfamiliar situations or events, where there are expectations of how to behave. Schemas are useful as they allow us to take cognitive shortcuts when interpreting a large amount of information, as they help us to ‘fill in the gaps’ in the absence of complete information. This matters because humans need to use cognitive time-saving strategies when processing the complex world around us; otherwise they would have too much information to process in new or unfamiliar situations.
• Using experimental research methods, the cognitive approach studies internal mental processes such as attention, memory and decision-making
• • One weakness of the cognitive approach is that data is usually collected through the use of self-report. SR refers to any method in which a person is asked to explain their own feelings, opinions, experiences on a given topic. They generally are not the best method for data collection since participants r not alws truthful (demonstrate social desirability). Furthermore, they could generate a response bias which is when participants tend to respond in a similar way. This is a weakness because this means that there may be issues of reliability regarding the results produced from this data
• Features 

  • Behaviour is influenced by internal mental processes.
  • Schemas are the mental representation of experience and knowledge and understanding.
  • Mental processes are information processing and the processing can be compared  to that of a computer.
• Features

  • Models can be used to provide testable theories about mental processing and these can be studied scientifically and inferences made.
  • Cognition and biological processes can be integrated leading to cognitive neuroscience as a way forward to understanding human behaviour.
  • Methodology - use of controlled experimentation – inference about mental processes on the basis of observed behaviour
• • schema help us predict what will happen in our world based on our experiences
  • schema enable us to process vast amounts of information rapidly
  • schema prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
  • schema can distort our interpretation of sensory information
  • schema lead to perceptual errors or inaccurate EWT / memories
  • negative / faulty schema may have a negative impact on mental health
• It is argued that the way in which humans behave is similar to the internal workings of a computer. Information is put in (input), stored (storage), and got later on (retrieval). Humans operate similarly. The information processing model draws on the similarity btwn the human mind and computer software, and attempts to explain behaviour. The 1st stage is input, where information comes in from the environment via the senses + is encoded by the individual. After coding, the information can then be processed in the 2nd stage. e.g processing - schemas. 3rd stage is output - a behavioural response.
• Models help us to understand human behaviour, and play a particularly important role in cognitive psychology. Experimental findings provide the basis for construction, and later revision, of models. Models can also make predictions, and experiments can be carried out to test these predictions.

  Computational models are software simulations of internal mental processes.

  Theoretical models are diagrammatic representations of cognition and internal mental processes. Examples of theoretical models include the multi-store model of memory and the working memory model.
• A strength of the cognitive approach is that it has real world applications into understanding and treating mental disorders. By understanding the role of cognitive processes in mental health disorders, such as depression, we can begin to treat them. For example, cognitive therapies (including CBT) can be developed that aim to alter the cognitive processes involved. This is advantageous as therapies can improve quality of life for people with these disorders, making this approach particularly useful.
• A strength of the cognitive approach is its use of computational models. These models can be particularly useful in helping us to understand internal processes. For example, Simon and Newell developed a program, 'general problem solver, designed to solve a wide variety of problems with similar strategies to participants also completing these problems. It was found that its performance was similar to that of the participants. This demonstrates that computational models can, to an extent, mimic human behaviour, and can therefore be used to help us understand internal mental processes.
• However, the use of models may over-simplify complex processes. Simon and Newell found that computers had superior memory of what had already happened, whilst the human brain was better at predicting + planning ahead. This may be because mind is more flexible, not confined by programming. People are able to think creatively. Additionally, human behaviour is often driven by emotion, not alws logical. whilst, computers make decisions based on logic, don't have motivation? This is a weakness for the cognitive approach as it uses models that r limited in what they can tell us about human behaviour
• One issue is that it uses artificial laboratory experiments. Many experiments use tasks that lack mundane realism, conducted in artificial settings. For example, many studies include having to remember lots of random figures, which we don't do often in real life. Research may not tell us much about the role of internal mental processes in the real world. However, the use of controlled settings does make this approach more scientific. The laboratory setting allows us to manipulate variables whilst controlling for extraneous variables, and so we can establish causal relationships.