Approaches- Cognitive

Question 1

What are the 4 key assumptions of the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

1. Believe it is important to look at internal mental processes to understand behaviour.
2. All behaviour is a result of information processing.
3. By describing thinking as an internal process, we can compare minds and computers.
4. Just like computers behaviour is determined by the information it is given and how it has been programmed, so is a persons behaviour (environment, how to process info, capacities for processing)

Question 2

What is a schema?

Answer 2

A schema is a ‘package’ of information of expectation that we have got from prior experiences, they give us ‘shortcuts’ in the world around us. We can apply these to new situations so we know how to behave.

Question 3

What are 3 disadvantages to schemas?

Answer 3

1. They can cause us to exclude anything that doesn’t conform with established ideas.
2. Can lead to faulty conclusions and unhelpful behaviour.
3. We may rely on stereotypes even when we are faced with new and conflicting information.

Question 4

What is a theoretical method?

Answer 4

A diagrammatic representation of the steps involved in internal mental processes.

Question 5

Define INFERENCE.

Answer 5

The process of drawing conclusions about how mental processes operate based on observed evidence.

Question 6

What is a computer model?

Answer 6

Software stimulus of internal mental processes that are created in collaboration with computer scientists.