Approaches To Psychology: Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What does the cognitive approach investigate

Answer 1

It looks as the internal workings of the mind and explains behaviour through cognitive processes
It is about how we think

Question 2

How do cognitive psychologists try explain behaviour

Answer 2

They look at our perception, language, attention and memory
They use experimental methods to test behaviour scientifically

Question 3

What type of approach is cognitive

Answer 3

Reductionist: the mind can be compared to a computer

Question 4

How are computer models use to explain how we behave

Answer 4

Humans are treated as information processors (computers) and behaviour is explained in terms of information processing (how computers deal with information)

Question 5

What are laboratory experiments

Answer 5

Lots of research in cognitive psychology happens in laboratories
This is scientific and reliable as you can have good control over variables
However it has low ecological validity

Question 6

What are field experiments

Answer 6

Take place in natural situations
They have higher ecological validity
But there’s less control of most of the variables

Question 7

What are natural experiments

Answer 7

These involve making observations of a naturally occurring situation
Experimenter has little control of variable and ppts can’t be randomly assigned to conditions
They have high ecological validity but not massively reliable, as uncontrolled (or confounding) variables can affect the results

Question 8

What are the principles of the cognitive approach

Answer 8

Our mental systems have a limited capacity: the amount of information that can be processed will be influenced be how demanding the task is and how much other information is being processed
A control mechanism oversees all mental processes: this will require more processing power for new tasks
There is a two-way flow of information: we take in information from the world, process it, and react to it. We also use our knowledge and experiences to understand the world

Question 9

How is the mind described as a computer

Answer 9

The brain is described as the processor - it has data input into it, and output from it
Some parts of the brain form networks
Some parts can work sequentially ( info travels along just one path ).
This means one process must finish before another starts.
This occurs in more demanding, or unknown tasks

Can work in parallel as well: info travels back and forth along lots of paths at the same time.
More likely to happen for tasks which are familiar

Question 10

Computer system compared with human system

Answer 10

Computer system: data input, data processing, data output
Human system:
Input: information coming in from the world through sense organs
Processing: brain
Output information passed back out for action
Signals pass through neurones

Question 11

Differences between humans and computers

Answer 11

Human are influenced by emotional and motivational factors
Humans have an unlimited but unreliable memory while computers have a limited but reliable memory
Humans also have free will (ability to choose between decisions) which computers don’t

Question 12

What is a schema

Answer 12

Contains all the information you know about an object, action or concept
E.g. schema of a human face contains information that a face has two eyes, a mouth and a nose
Schemas help you to organise and interpret information

Question 13

What happens when info is consistent with the schema

Answer 13

When the information is consistent with the schema, it is assimilated into the schema
E.g. a child’s schema for an apple may be edible, green, hard sphere, every time the child sees an apple, the experience is assimilated and the schema is strengthened

Question 14

What happens when info is inconsistent with the schema

Answer 14

When information is inconsistent with the schema, accommodation occurs and the schema has to change in order to resolve the problem
E.g. if a child sees a different colour apple, the apple schema has to accommodate the new info - it becomes edible, hard sphere that is either green or red

Question 15

What are role schemas

Answer 15

Ideas about the behaviour which is expected from someone in a certain role, setting or situation
E.g. schema for a doctor may be intelligent, respectable and sensible

Question 16

What are event schemas

Answer 16

Can also be called scripts
Contain info about what happens in a situation
E.g. when you go to a restaurant you know you’ll usually need to read a menu and order

Question 17

What are self schemas

Answer 17

Contain info about ourselves based on physical characteristics and personality, as well as beliefs and values
Self schemas can affect how you act
E.g. if your self-schema says that you are health conscious, you are likely to eat well and exercise

Question 18

Problems with schemas

Answer 18

Schemas can stop people from learning new information
E.g. prejudice and stereotypes can be an outcome of schemas:
A schema which holds expectations or beliefs about a certain group of people may bias the way we process incoming information
Th8s means we may be more likely to pay attention to information we can easily assimilate, and ignore information that would cause our schemas to accommodate and change

Question 19

Method of Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts experiment

Answer 19

English ppts were asked to read a Native American folk tale called war of the ghosts
It was an unfamiliar story full of unusual names, ideas and objects
It also had a different structure to English stories
Ppts were asked to recall the story after different lengths of time

Question 20

Results of Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts experiment

Answer 20

All ppts changed the story to fit their own schemas
Details of story became more English and contain elements of English culture and details and emotions were added
As the length of time between hearing and recalling the story increased, amount of information remembered became a lot less

Question 21

Conclusion of Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts experiment

Answer 21

People use their own schemas to help interpret the world around them

Question 22

Evaluation of Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts experiment

Answer 22

Conducted in laboratory so lacks ecological validity
Highly influential at the time as it paved the way for further cognitive research

Question 23

The emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 23

Cognitive approach started in the 1950s and 1960s but didn’t take hold until 1970s
This is because of modern brain imaging techniques and procedures
Aims to study biological structures that influence mental processes

Question 24

What is the cognitive approach

Answer 24

An approach in psychology which maps human behaviour to brain function
Brain imaging techniques allow psychologists to discover when and where things happen in the brain in relation to peoples behaviour at the time

Question 25

What methods does cognitive neuroscience use

Answer 25

Lesion studies: looking at people with brain damage to see how behaviour is affected

Electrophysiology: using electromagnetic fields to measure brain activity and brain waves

Neuroimaging: pinpointing areas of the brain which are active when a task is performed e.g. PET scans have been used to show the brain areas that are most active during memory tasks

Question 26

Strengths of the cognitive approach

Answer 26

Considers mental processes which are often overlooked in other approaches
Has had big influence on the development of therapies e.g. cognitive behaviour therapy

Question 27

Positive evaluation for cognitive approach: scientific and objective methods

Answer 27

Employs highly controlled and rigorous methods of study so researchers can infer cognitive processes at work.
Lab experiments- reliable, objective data produced
Biology and cognitive psychology now work together
Credible scientific basis

Question 28

Negative evaluation for cognitive approach: machine reductionism ignore human traits

Answer 28

Ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how this may affect our ability to process information.
Human have an unreliable and unlimited memory – computers have a limit but it is reliable

Question 29

Negative evaluation for cognitive approach: application to everyday life

Answer 29

Only able to infer mental processes from behaviours observed
Too abstract and theoretical
Use artificial stimuli that may not represent everyday memory experience.
May lack external validity

Question 30

Positive evaluation for cognitive approach: treatment for mental health

Answer 30

Cognitive behavioural theory where patients learn to notice negative/ fault thought cognitions and test how accurate they are
Goals can be set to think positively/ adapt thoughts

Question 31

Positive evaluation for cognitive approach: real - life application

Answer 31

Cognitive psychology has made important contributions to the study of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of thinking machines (robots)

Question 32

Positive evaluation for cognitive approach: less determinist than other approaches

Answer 32

Determinism- all physical events occur in cause and effect relationships:
All determined by past events and causes
Used to predict future behaviour.

CA- soft determinism: recognises that our cognitive system can only operate within the limits of what we know, but that we are free to think before responding to a stimulus.
This is a reasonable ‘interactionist’ position.

Question 33

Studies that use cognitive neuroscience

Answer 33

Tulving: found semantic memories in left prefrontal cortex and episodic memories in right prefrontal cortex
Empathy may be developed from mirror neuron system