Approaches: Cognitive approach

Question 1

what is the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

the study of internal mental processing. Thinking, decision making, planning and language.

Question 2

what are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?

Answer 2

• directly contrasts the behaviourist approach as cognitive approach argues that internal mental processes can, and should, be studied scientifically. (even though you cannot see them)
• processes are ‘private’ and cannot be observed. so cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences on the basis of their behaviour.
• compares us to computers
• seperates the brain and the mind (the physical organ VS the processes and tastks you can perform in your head.)

Question 3

Explain the process of how they study internal mental processes.

Answer 3

• cognitive psychologists will give participants a task/stimuli in scientific conditions(high control)
• they monitor their response
• they infer what is happening between stimulus and response.

Question 4

What is inference?

Answer 4

drawing conclusions about mental processes, which cant be seen, based on how you respond to a stimulus.

Question 5

What is a theoretical model?

Answer 5

Using inferences cognitive psychologists build ‘models’:

theoretical model is a symplifi