4🍋Cognitive-Approaches PAPER2 Flashcards
(13 cards)
Cognitive Assumptions
- It is necessary to look at internal mental processes to understand behaviour
- All behaviour is result of information processing
- By describing thinking as information processing, cognitive psychologists can make a comparison between minds and computers
Schema
-‘package’ of beliefs and expectations on a topic, based on prior experience
-give us ‘shortcuts’ in world
-apply new information onto schemas to know how to behave
Effect of Schemas
-can cause us to exclude any information which does not conform with pre existing, established ideas
-may cause us to rely on steryoptypes
-can lead to faulty conclusion and unhelpful behaviour
eg. a schema for injections may be that they are unpleasant and scary, as a results a person may have a panic attack before vaccination
Computer Model
-compare brain to computer system
-mind functions in similar way to how computers process information
-computer takes in data through keyboard, brain gathers information from senses such as sight
-after brain receives this input, it processes the information, just like a computers processor analyses data
-the mind then organises, stores and retrieved memories in ways comparable to how a computer saves and accesses files
-finally brain responds to this processed information by producing actions, like a computer outputs results through screen
INPUT—-> PROCESSING—->OUTPUT
Strength Computer Models
-psychologists can better understand the way our brains break down tasks and manage information
-helps them visualise mental processes like memory and dedication making in clear, systematic way, highlighting how organised and efficient brain can be, similar to how computer operates
Weakness Computer Models
-computers ≠ humans
-uses computer models to explain human behaviour through terms such as ‘encoding’ distinctly from field of computing
- important distinctions between computers and human mind, eg. computers do not make mistake or forget information
-computer models not accurate representation of human mind, should be treated with caution
Information Processing Models
-describe thinking as series of steps or stages
-brain receive input from environment such as noticing something or hearing a sound
- information passes through different stages of attention, perception and memory as brain analyses and interprets it
-once brain processes input, it may decide on response, which could involve making descision, solving problem or action
-final step is output, where brain produce reaction, like moving or speaking
INPUT—>PROCESSING—->OUTPUT
INPUT- from environment via sense
PROCESSING- info is encoded and processed using schema
OUTPUT- observable behaviour
Strength Cognitive (application to treatment of…)
-application to treatment of psychological disorders
-used to explain how faulty thinking processes can cause psychological disorders such as depression
-led to development of successful treatments for psychological disorders such as CBT
-improved individuals lives, greater number people happier lives, positive
Cognitive Strength (methodology and its use of…)
-methodology and its use of scientific and empirical methods
-uses scientific and empirical methods to collect and evaluate evidence
-conclusions about mind are based on more then common sense and introspection instead looking at reliable and replicable empirical evidence
-conclusions far more valid representation of human mind due to way data collected
Cognitive Weakness (doubt the cognitive approach truly understood what it is to be human as…)
-there is some doubt the cognitive approach has truly understood what it is to be human as it ignores emotions and motivation
-can tell us how different cognitive processes take place, fails to explain why they do
-over dependence on computer models may explain why role of emotion and motivation is largely ignored
-matters as human mind not like a computer and emotion and motivation clearly important aspects human behaviour
Cognitive Weakness ( often lack __________ validity…..)
-although methodology generally considered strong, not without concerns
-studies often lack ecological validity ( being typical of the mental processes we use in our everyday day life)
- many studies tend to use fasts that have little in common with participants everyday experiences
- for example experiments in memory use artificial test materials that are relatively meaningless in everyday life eg. random word lists
-therefore much research said to lack ecological validity as fails to reflex real life behaviour
how does information processing model view brain
-as efficient processor, handling information in an ordered logical way, and helps psychologists understand how we manage tasks like problem solving or decision making in real time
