Approaches- The Cognitive Approach Flashcards
What is the main assumption of the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach assumes that internal mental processes, such as memory, perception, and thinking, can and should be studied scientifically, even though they are private and not directly observable.
How do cognitive psychologists study internal mental processes?
Cognitive psychologists study mental processes indirectly by making inferences based on observable behavior, using theoretical models, computer models, and experimental methods.
What is the information processing approach?
The information processing approach is a theoretical model that suggests information flows through the cognitive system in stages, including input, storage, and retrieval, similar to the multi-store model of memory.
What is the computer analogy in cognitive psychology?
The computer analogy compares the mind to a computer, with concepts like a central processing unit (the brain), coding (converting information into a usable format), and stores (memory systems) to explain how information is processed.
What are schemas, and how do they influence cognitive processing?
Schemas are mental frameworks of ideas and information developed through experience. They help interpret incoming information quickly but can also distort perceptions, leading to errors.
How do schemas develop over time?
Babies are born with simple motor schemas (e.g., sucking, grasping), which become more detailed and sophisticated with age, allowing adults to process complex information efficiently.
What historical example illustrates the link between brain structure and function?
In the 1860s, Paul Broca identified that damage to Broca’s Area in the frontal lobe impaired speech production, demonstrating the link between brain structure and cognitive function.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of how brain structures influence mental processes, using techniques like fMRI and PET scans to map brain areas to specific cognitive functions.
How have brain imaging techniques advanced cognitive neuroscience?
Techniques like fMRI and PET scans allow scientists to systematically observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes, such as memory and emotion.
What is brain fingerprinting?
Brain fingerprinting uses computer-generated models to analyze brain wave patterns, with potential applications like determining the truthfulness of eyewitness testimony in court.
What are the strengths of the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach uses scientific, objective methods, such as lab experiments and brain imaging, to study mental processes, providing a credible scientific basis for understanding the mind.
What is a criticism of the computer analogy?
The computer analogy is criticized for being machine reductionist, ignoring the influence of human emotion and motivation on cognitive processes, such as how anxiety affects memory.
How does the cognitive approach lack external validity?
Cognitive research often uses artificial stimuli (e.g., word lists) that may not reflect real-world experiences, making findings less applicable to everyday life.
What are the real-world applications of the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach has contributed to artificial intelligence, the development of thinking machines (robots), and practical applications like treating depression and improving eyewitness testimony reliability.
How does the cognitive approach view determinism?
The cognitive approach adopts soft determinism, recognizing that cognitive processes are influenced by knowledge but allow for free will in thinking before responding, offering a more flexible, interactionist perspective than hard determinism.
How is the cognitive approach less deterministic than behaviorism?
Unlike behaviorism, which emphasizes strict environmental determinism, the cognitive approach allows for free will and the influence of internal mental processes, making it more flexible and interactionist.
