5.4: Mental processes

Question 1

Adil has just started studying the cognitive approach in psychology but does not understand when his teacher tells him that cognitive psychologists use the results of experiments to make inferences about behaviour.

Write a brief explanation of inference that would help Adil to understand what his teacher means (2 marks)

Answer 1

Inference is making assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed or going beyond the immediate research evidence

Question 2

To explain internal cognitive processes, such as memory, cognitive psychologists often use an information processing model based on the computer analogy.

Briefly explain why computer analogies are used to help us understand human cognitive processes (2 marks)

Answer 2

Computer analogies are used to help us understand human cognitive processes, because the computer analogy is helpful, as computers and humans process information in similar ways, since both humans and computers use coding, have a CPU for manipulating information and have storage capacity, for example

Question 3

Cognitive psychologists often use the experimental method in their investigations.
Briefly discuss one strength of using experiments to investigate cognitive processes in humans (2 marks)

Answer 3

One strength of using experiments to investigate cognitive processes in humans is that experiments allow cause and effect relationships to be established

Question 4

Cognitive psychologists often use the experimental method in their investigations.
Briefly discuss one strength of using experiments to investigate cognitive processes in humans (2 marks).
One strength of using experiments to investigate cognitive processes in humans is that experiments allow cause and effect relationships to be established.

Answer 4

In cognitive processes like memory, psychologists can use experiments and make inferences about the properties of memory, for example capacity