Approaches: Cognitive Flashcards
what are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
internal mental processes should be studied scientifically. it investigates areas of the areas that behaviourism neglected (memory, perception, thinking). these private processes are studied indirectly by making inferences about what’s going on inside people’s minds.
what’s theorectical models?
it’s an abstract model. the information processing approach suggests information flows through the cognitive system through input, storage and retrieval.
what’s the computer model?
it’s a concrete model. the multi-store model is based on the way computers function but a computer model involves actual programming a computer to see if such instructions produces similar output to humans. we can infer human’s have similar processes.
what’s the role of schemas?
schemas are packages of ideas and information developed through experience, a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information. babies are born with innate behaviour (sucking and grasping). as we get older, schemas become more sophisticated and detailed. adults develop mental representations for everything. it allows us to process information quickly.
what’s cognitive neuroscience?
the scientific study of brain structures on mental processes. mapping brain areas to specific cognitive functions. with advances of brain imaging techniques, scienticists could systematically observe neurological basis of mental processes.
what are scanning techniques useful for?
useful in establishing neurological basis of mental disorders. the focus of cognitive neuroscience has expanded to include the use of computer-generated models designed to read the brain.
how’s the cognitive approach scientific and objective? (A03)
the approach has highly controlled and rigorous methods of study to enable researchers to infer cognitive processes at work. this involves lab experiments to produce reliable and objective data. the emergence of cognitive neurosicence has enabled the 2 fields to come together. the study of the mind establishes credible scientific basis.
how’s the cognitive approach a machine reductionism?
there’s similarities between the human mind and the operations of a computer, the computer analogy has been criticised by many. such machine reductionism ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how it affects our ability to process information. research has found that human memory may be affected by emotional factors.
what’s the real-life application to everyday?
cognitive psychologists are only able to infer mental processes from the behaviour they observe in their research. as a consequence, cognitive psychology suffers from being too abstract and theoretical. similarly, experimental studies of mental processes are carried out using artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday memory.
