COGNITIVE APPROACH

• cognitive psychologists suggest that behaviour is a result of internal mental processes
• areas that researchers study are attention, perception and memory
• internal mental processes cannot be directly observed, so researchers must make inferences based on observation
• schemas are a mental framework where there is a collection of knowledge about a concept/object based on previous experience
• schemas work as mental shortcuts so we can quickly understand and respond to a range of situations
• an advantage of the schema is that it allows us to engage with the world without being overwhelmed by information, and quickly process environmental information so we can react to it without using too much mental energy
• Another advantage of a schema is that they help us to predict future situations by making assumptions from similar situations we have experienced before
• negative schemas can lead to bad mental health such as having faulty schemas of the world, themselves and others (Becks negative triad) e.g. viewing themselves unworthy
• negative schemas can also lead to inaccurate assumptions of certain situations/objects/people
• computer model suggests that the biological brain works in the same way as a computer processing software; they both have an input and output, and process information through a sequence of steps
• The computer model is criticised for machine reductionism - the brain is more complex, and capable of having consciousness and emotions which can lead to irrational behaviours. These features are different from computers.
• The theoretical model - flow chart representations of specific mental processes and how they work, e.g multi-store model
• theoretical models can be scientifically tested - if the behaviour observed contradicts with the model, it can be adjusted or rejected
• PET research by Tulving has revealed specific brain activity pattern for the different types of long term memory which supports cognitive theories of the idea that there is more than one long term memory store.
• cognitive neuroscience aims to scientifically identify and examine neurological structures and chemical processes linked to and influence internal mental processes.
• the emergence of cognitive neuroscience is due to development of brain scanning techniques which allow researchers to give participants cognitive tasks and observe activity in different areas of the brain