Approaches : Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What is the internal mental processes?

Answer 1

Internal mental processes are the operations that occur during thinking.
Examples include how we turn the
information from our eyes into a usable form (perception);
-how we choose what to think about (attention); how we store information to use in the future
-(memory); how we construct meaningful
sentences to communicate with others
-(language); and how we construct new solutions -(problemsolving).

Cognitive psychologists appreciate that these concepts cannot be directly observed and use
inferences as a means of understanding human experience from observable behaviours.

Question 2

What is a Schema?

Answer 2

Schema theory is an information-processing model that emphasises how perception and memory are
shaped by cognitive frameworks. Schemas are mental frameworks of information that we use to organise
past experiences and to interpret and respond to new situations. For example, a classroom schema might
consist of a whiteboard, tables, chairs, books, pens and a teacher. As we age, our schemas become
increasingly sophisticated, and adults develop more and more schemas to cover most situations.

Question 3

What is cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 3

Cognitive neuroscience is a relatively new field that tries to bridge the gap between the cognitive and
biological approaches. This field has resulted from the development of techniques for scanning the living
brain while it is actively processing information. Cognitive neuroscience uses non-invasive brain scanning
techniques like PET (positron emission tomography) scans and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) to
understand which parts of the brain are active while specific internal mental processes are being used.

Question 4

examples of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 4

For example, brain scans have highlighted the distinction between different types of long-term memory
(LTM). The hippocampus is associated with episodic memory; the temporal lobe is associated with
semantic memory, and the cerebellum and motor cortex are associated with procedural memories.

Question 5

The Use of Theoretical Models?

Answer 5

internal mental processes that are used to help
researchers simplify and study complex processes.
Theoretical models are typically diagrams or
flowcharts that show how information is passed
between the different systems that manipulate it.
For example, the multi-store model (Atkinson and
Shiffrin, 1968) is a theoretical model of memory.

Question 6

The Use of Computer Models

Answer 6

The development of the computer in the 1960s led to computer models emerging within psychology to
explain different mental processes. For example, the analogy of long-term memory being the hard disk and
short-term (working memory) being viewed as the computer’s RAM (Random Access Memory) has been
applied to the human brain. Computer models of memory have been particularly useful in the
development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Question 7

Evaluation of The Cognitive Approach

Answer 7

 A speciality of the cognitive approach is its recognition of the complexity of human behaviour, and thus
its hesitation to assert a reductionist explanation of mental processes. There can be no doubt that all
cognition rests on a biological foundation since it occurs in the brain and is made possible by its
operation. But the precise nature of consciousness and memory and perception are not easily reducible
to purely biological outcomes, as the lived experience of all human beings seems to demonstrate
consistently.

 The cognitive approach has many real-world applications. For example, cognitive research into memory
and the effects of misleading information has reduced the use of eyewitness testimony in court cases,
and led to major reforms in police procedure, like the use of the cognitive interview. Additionally, a
better understanding of thinking patterns has helped professionals understand and treat mental
illnesses such as depression through the use of therapies like CBT. This indicates that cognitive research
has made concrete contributions to contemporary society and has developed professional
understanding in many fields.

However, not all human behaviour can be captured under the cognitive umbrella; the research in this
field has tended to neglect other significant dimensions of behaviour such as emotion and motivation which may be linked to cognition, but are not the same. The cognitive approach is careful to insist that
we are more than biological machines but often overlooks the equally important fact that we are not
only cognitive creatures.