cognitive approach Flashcards
What is the cognitive approach ?
It argues that internal mental processes can be studied scientifically, it has investigated areas of human behaviorists neglected such as memory, thinking and perception.
They use inferences about cognitive internal processes , they make assumptions as direct observation of internal processes is not possible.
Theoretical and computer models
You can study internal processes through the use of theoretical models such as the information processing approach.
It suggests that information flows through a series of stages that include input, storage and retrieval. an example of this is the multi store model, they are often represented with flow charts.
Computer models are also used as models for the brain and the central processing unit which is the brain , the coding of information, and stores holding information.
Role of schema
Cognitive processing can be effected by a persons beliefs or expectations, these are referred to as schema. They are a mental framework for interpreting incoming information. An example is that you have a schema for a chair which is something you can sit on that has legs. You get this schema through experience and it helps you respond to the object appropriately.
Babies have simple motor schema for actions such as grasping or crying. As we get older our schema become more detailed and sophisticated. They have schemas for more complex situations such as what happens in a restaurant to what they think a zombie would look like.
Bartlett study method
The study was conducted in a lab and they got English participants to read a Native American folk tale called “the war of the ghosts” which had an unfamiliar story structure compared to western stories. They had to read the story and then after different amounts of time they had to recall the story as accurately as possible.
This was done to test their schema and recall.
Bartlett study results and conclusion
They found that people restructured the story to recall it better, the details became more English and contained elements of English culture. The story order was changed to be in a more logical way and details of ghosts where left out. Things such as canoes and bows where changed to cars and guns. The more time passed before the retelling the less information was remembered. The conclusion was that people use their own schemas to help them interpret and remember information and this is dependent on their own culture.
