8: Real life implications of Cognitive Psychology

Question 1

Practical applications of cognitive psychology

Answer 1

Working Memory Model can be used by educational psychologists can use the to target specific memory (STM), eg help students to develop memory strategies (eg chunking) for exams, help improve their education

Research into types of LTM can be used to target long term memory, eg Belleville et al devised an episodic memory programme for older people with mild memory, help improve people memory and lives in the real world

Research into explanations for forgetting can be used to improve education, eg retrieval failure research shows that thinking of a room where information was learnt can help to improve recall (support from Smith), which students can use

research into accuracy of EWT can be used to improve the justice system and other systems.
- warn juries not to trust EWT and take into a range of evidence
- post event discussion: keep witnesses separate after a crime, warn witnesses about the effects of PED
- anxiety: Yerkes-Dodson law can be used in sport, education, therapy etc.
- leading questions: instruct not to be asked in courts, interviews
- use CI to improve EWT accuracy

Question 2

Economic implications of cognitive psychology: Positives

Answer 2

• methods can improve efficiency of research: using meta-analysis eg Kohnken et al for research into effectiveness on the CI saves money and time, using small scalps samples for research eg Loftus and Palmer cuts costs
• Cognitive Interview: improves the accuracy of EWT, eg maximise info EWs can give, reduces waste and improves efficiency in the legal system

Question 3

Economic implications of cognitive psychology: Negatives

Answer 3

• it can be expensive to carry out research, eg Gabbert et al may have had to spend a lot of time and money on producing the mock crimes and carrying out the research
• some participants in research may sue for emotional damage due to ethical issues such as lack of protection from harm, eg Johnson and Scott since there was no informed consent and it may have been traumatic for the ppts
• the CI can be time consuming and takes longer than standard interviews, this makes police work for longer which costs more money which may cause increased taxes, and it may be unnecessary spending since Kohnken et al found it increases inaccurate recall by 61%
• some technological research can have high costs such as brain scans and PET scans, eg used to provide evidence to support Baddeley and Hitch’s WMM and Tulving et al’s types of LTM, this funding must come from the government when it can be argued it should be used elsewhere such as in healthcare and education