CLOA - outline & explain how CLOA principles can be demonstrated in research Flashcards
1
Q
principles of CLOA
A
Principle 1: mental representations guide behaviour
Principle 2: mental processes can and should be studied scientifically
2
Q
how do mental representations guide behaviour?
A
- behaviourists believe that there’s no intervention between the stimuli and the response
- but cognitive psychologists disagree
- there are cognitive mediums between input (stimuli) and output (response)
- these cognitive mediums are based on the way the world is represented in our memory
- we never confront reality full-on; instead we interpret and perceive it on the basis of stored knowledge
3
Q
why should mental processes be studied scientifically?
A
- viewing mental processes in terms of information-processing has made it possible to create theories on unobservable cognitive structures and processes
- these models can be tested with conventional scientific methods
- studying mental processes enable psychologists to explain what behaviourism can’t
- CLOA studies can be related to BLOA and SCLOA to develop more comprehensive explanations
4
Q
how do schemas support principle 1?
A
- schemas are mental representations
- they guide behaviour by creating expectations
- thus influencing the cognitive process of memory
Cited studies:
Bartlett (1932)
Bransford & Johnson (1972)
5
Q
Bartlett (1932) - Aim
A
- to support the theory that memory is an active reconstructive process
- to prove that schemas influence certain details during memory reconstruction
6
Q
Bartlett (1932) - Process
A
- English participants were asked to read a Native American folk tale (War of the Ghosts)
- Their memory of the story was tested using serial reproduction or repeated reproduction
7
Q
Bartlett (1932) - Findings
A
- with successive reproductions, the story became progressively shorter
- distortions were introduced in the recollection of the story (e.g. hunting seals became fishing, canoe became boat…)
8
Q
Bartlett (1932) - Conclusion
A
- more complex info = higher chance of distortion
- people use existing schemas to subconsciously fill in gaps in memory
- according to Bartlett, memory is an imaginative reconstruction of experience
- new information is strongly influenced by activated schemas
9
Q
Bartlett (1932) - Evaluation
A
- very robust study with 2 ways of assessing schema use (serial & repeated reproduction)
- but culturally very specific to 1930s England
- therefore cannot be generalized to modern society as most modern English people know what seals and canoes are
- unsophisticated methodology: Bartlett didn’t explicitly ask for accurate reproductions; environment not controlled
10
Q
Bransford & Johnson (1972) - Aim
A
to identify the processing stage at which schemas are likely to exert influence
11
Q
Bransford & Johnson (1972) - Process
A
- Participants heard a long speech that made vague references with no context
- 3 conditions:
- no title
- title before
- title after - Participants were asked to indicate how easy they found it to understand the speech, and were asked to recall as much of it as possible
12
Q
Bransford & Johnson (1972) - Findings
A
- participants of the ‘no title’ and ‘title after’ conditions found the paragraph much more difficult to comprehend
- participants of the ‘title before’ condition remembered much more of the speech
13
Q
Bransford & Johnson (1972) - Conclusion
A
- in the ‘title before’ condition, the background information given prior to the speech activated schemas involved with the subject
- this helped disambiguate the speech
- perceiving the passage within the context defined by the relevant schemas improved understanding.
- in the ‘title after’ condition, the context was given too late for participants to comprehend the material as they had already forgotten most of it
14
Q
how does memory support principle 2?
A
- memory is a mental process
- it’s scientifically investigated using free-recall experiments
- where variables are controlled
- the focus is on remembering impersonal material that can be tested on many subjects
Cited studies:
Loftus and Palmer (1974)
15
Q
Loftus & Palmer (1974) - Process
A
- Participants watched car accident videos.
- They were asked how fast they estimated the cars were going when they hit. The action verb “hit” was replaced with contacted, smashed, etc., with different groups.
