Chapter 4 Approaches - The cognitive approach

Question 1

The cognitive approach - Assumptions?

Answer 1

Internal mental processes can be studied through inference.

Question 2

The cognitive approach - The role of schema?

Answer 2

• Belief & expectations affect thoughts & behaviour.
• Innate (e.g. sucking schema) or learned.
• Mental shortcut, leads to perceptual errors.

Question 3

The cognitive approach - Theoretical & computer models?

Answer 3

• Information processing approach.
• Mind is likened to a computer & applied to artifical intelligence.

Question 4

The cognitive approach - The emergence of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 4

• Scientfic study of how brain structures affect mental processes.
• Biological structures link to mental states e.g. Broca.
• Brain imaging (e.g. fMRI) used to read the brain.

Question 5

Evaluation of the cognitive approach - Scientfic methods? STRONG

Answer 5

• Lab studies to produce reliable, objective data.
• Cognitive neuroscience is scientific.
• CP is that the use of inference & artifical stimuli lead to low external validity.

Question 6

Evaluation of the cognitive approach - Real-world application? STRONG

Answer 6

Successfully applied to the fields of artifical intelligence, depression & eyewitness testimony.

Question 7

Evaluation of the cognitive approach - Machine reductionism? WEAK

Answer 7

Computer analogy is too simple, it ignores the influence of emotion e.g. effect of anxiety on eyewitness testinomy.

Question 8

Evaluation of the cognitive approach - Soft determinsm?

Answer 8

Cognitive approach is an example of soft determinism, a middle-ground & more reasonable than behaviourism.