Approaches - Cognitive/Biological Flashcards
What are inferences?
- the idea that the cognitive model might make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly observed, and this goes beyond intermediate research evidence (difficult to gather data and evidence about inferences)
What is the cognitive approach (+ assumptions)?
- where psychologists focus on attention, memory, how people perceive/store/manipulate/interpret information
- attention
- thinking
- store info in memory
- retrieve info
- ** indirectly study cognitive processes by inferences **
What is the Information Processing Model?
- info is received through the senses and is processed by the brain
- info procession is used to describe how computers process information
What are schemas?
- packets of info/ideas that are developed through experience and expectations about how we should behave
- can help us organise and interpret vast amounts of info
- ** schemas can cause us to exclude anything that does not fit in with our ideas about the world **
-
role schema:
- about behaviour that is expected from someone in a particular role
-
event schema:
- about what to expect from an event
What are the strengths of the cognitive approach?
- many applications in diff. areas of psychology:
- can help psychologists understand how to form impressions of other people and how we might form errors/biases
- explains the development of faulty negative thinking
- emphasises scientific methods/lab experiments:
- high levels of control are exercised in these settings so cause and effect relationships can be identified between the IV/DV
- big influence on cognitive neuroscience/therapies:
- aims to scientifically study the influence of the brain structure on mental processes
- cognitive therapy aims to change negative thoughts into more positive thoughts to help cure depression
What are the weaknesses of the cognitive approach?
- focuses heavily on internal mental processes:
- often ignored by other models in psychology
- e.g. biological approach focuses on genetics, biochemistry, and neuroanatomy
- does not provide a full picture about what is actually happening in the brain:
- psychologists still need to make inferences which may be based on limited information available from research/experiments
- questionable whether or not psychologists can really understand/explain thinking by using inferences
- idea of soft determinism:
- the idea that behaviour is constrained by the environment/biology
- this approach views behaviour as being determined by internal cognitive factors (ignores bio/env.)
- however, bio may have a big impact on cognitive thinking
What is Bartlett’s (1932) study of the role of schemas?
- conducted in a lab setting with English ppts who were asked to read a Native American folk tale (“The War of the Ghosts”)
- after reading the story, they had to recall it after different lengths of time
- results showed that all the ppts changed the story to fit in with their own schema
- e.g. ‘canoes’ was changed to ‘cars’ and ‘bows’ were changed to ‘guns’
- they found that people use their own schemas to help interpret and remember information
What are the strengths of “The War of the Ghosts” study?
- conducted in a lab setting:
- IV is highly controlled in order to accurately measure schemas/internal cognitive processes
- reliable results and can be obtained again if repeated
- confirms the importance of schemas:
- seems that people recall info that fits in with their schema
- psychologists can help to ensure that this does not affect people when conducting eyewitness testimony or court proceedings
What are the weaknesses of “The War of the Ghosts” study?
- ppts may have shown demand characteristics:
- may have guessed the aim of the study and could have altered their responses in order to fit in with the aim of the study
- can lead the psychologist to question the validity of the results in relation to schemas/internal cognitive processes
- biased sample used:
- only used English ppts which means that results cannot be generalised to other samples from around the world
-therefore the results do not give a holistic view of different cultures and how their schemas may operate
- only used English ppts which means that results cannot be generalised to other samples from around the world
What are the similarities and differences between the human mind and a computer?
- similarities:
- input
- memory
- output
- differences:
- computer = metal, brain = organic
- computer = limited memory, brain = unlimited
What is the information processing model?
- input –> processing –> output
What is the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?
- Miller (1991) helped to bridge the gap between cognitive science and neuroscience
- combines the cognitive approach with some elements of the biological approach
- CN includes computer generated models which can read the brain
- CN = the scientific study of the influence of the brain structure on mental processes
- areas of the brain can be mapped to locate specific cognitive functions
- studying brain:
- FMRI
- PET
What are the strengths of the use of theoretical computer models/the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?
- dominant today in psych
- applied to practical/theoretical contexts
- soft determinism
- cognitive thinking system operates within the limits of what they know and that humans are free to think before they respond to stimuli
- emphasises scientific methods
- e.g. lab experiments
- high levels of control which can help identify cause and effect between IV and DV
What are the weaknesses of the use of theoretical computer models/the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?
- computer models oversimplify behaviour being examined
- reductionist/mechanistic
- role of emotion is overlooked
- not accurate to compare humans to computers (no free will)
- many differences exist between them
- computers do not explain human behaviour
- e.g. forgetting, getting tired, making mistakes
- inaccurate to compare human mind and computer
What is Maguire’s (2000) study of taxi drivers’ brains?
- wanted to see if the brain anatomy is predetermined or susceptible to plastic changes
- 32 males investigated
- 16 = licensed London taxi drivers
- 16 = control group (never driven taxis)
- MRI scans of both groups were taken
- right posterior hippocampus of taxi drivers’ brain was larger than the control group
- longer they had been driving, the bigger the hippocampus
What are the strengths/weaknesses of Maguire’s study?
- strengths:
- combines both cognitive and biological factors (uses MRI brain scans)
- research evidence to support right posterior hippocampus is involved in spatial awareness
- weaknesses:
- only males were investigated (population validity)
- lacks temporal validity (sat navs used these days)
What are genetics?
- extent to which a psychological characteristic is determined by genes
- involves passing on characteristics from one gen. to the next
What is genotype?
- genetic code written in the DNA which are inherited from biological parents
What is phenotype?
- characteristics that are determined by expression of physical, behavioural, and psychological traits
- genotype + environmental factors = phenotype
What are the strengths of genetics?
- gene mapping can help to locate genes on chromosomes:
- scientific/objective
- often involves twins/adoption studies:
- helpful for MZ studies (examine concordance rates in relation to behaviour)
- can help psychologists to screen people to see if they carry genes for certain illnesses
- gene mapping helps identify mental illnesses/diseases
What are the weaknesses of genetics?
- reductionist
- takes complex human behaviour (IQ) and reduces it to small components like genes
- other models and approaches are ignored
- cognitive and behavioural approaches should also be considered when examining behaviour
What is Gottesman and Shields’ schizophrenia study?
- 224 sets of twins who were studied for the schizophrenic gene
- longitudinal study (25 years)
- relied on the fact that one twin already had the illness - concordance rates were investigated
- longitudinal study (25 years)
- used in depth interviews, doctors case notes and the DSM
- 48% of MZ twins were both concordant for schizophrenia
- 17% of DZ twins were both concordant
What are the strengths/weaknesses of Gottesman and Shields’ study?
- strengths:
- longitudinal
- Gottesman and Shields supports the biological approach
- weaknesses:
- ignores behavioural approach when examining schizophrenic patients
- G and S study relied on interviews with patients (may have struggled to effectively communicate symptoms)
What is the evolution theory by Charles Darwin (1851)?
- focussed on natural selection and adaptiveness to the environment over time
- genetic makeup of an individual can undergo a random mutation due to the environment and his can be passed down to offspring