Cognitive Approach

Question 1

Five internal mental processes

Answer 1

Perception, attention, memory, language, thinking

Question 2

What is perception?

Answer 2

The process of taking in and interpreting information from our senses

Question 3

What is attention?

Answer 3

The process by which we focus on a particular source of information rather than others

Question 4

What is memory?

Answer 4

The process of retaining and recalling information

Question 5

What is language?

Answer 5

The study of communication and thinking in relation to language

Question 6

What is thinking?

Answer 6

The process of manipulating information in the mind in order to reason, problem solve and make decisions

Question 7

What do internal mental processes do?

Answer 7

Allow us to make sense of and respond appropriately to the world

Question 8

What does the approach focus on and when was it created?

Answer 8

Created in 1950s as an alternative to the behaviorist approach and focuses on how internal mental processes direct and affect our behaviour

Question 9

How is it studied?

Answer 9

It is believed it should be scientific but internal mental processes are private and can’t be observed. Therefore, cognitive psychologists must study these processes indirectly by making inferences

Question 10

What are inferences?

Answer 10

A conclusion drawn about the way our internal mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour

Question 11

What are schemas?

Answer 11

They are packets of information about the world around us stored in our long term memory

Question 12

How are they developed? (schemas)

Answer 12

We develop these through direct (experiences we’ve had ourselves) or indirect (seeing something in the media) experiences.

Question 13

What is the purpose? (schemas)

Answer 13

They allow us to cognitively process lots of info quickly, but these shortcuts can distort our cognitive processes sometimes

Question 14

Allport and Postman test

Answer 14

1947 America- role schema among white people. Believed black people to be more violent/ not likely to be businessmen. Mixed up the black man in the photo as the aggressor when he wasn’t

Question 15

Types of schemas

Answer 15

Object- info on an object
Social- info on a social event
Event- about events
Role- info about groups of people

Question 16

What models do cognitive psychologists use to help them understand internal mental processes?

Answer 16

Theoretical and computer models

Question 17

What is a theoretical model?

Answer 17

It is a diagrammatic representation of the steps involved in internal mental processes

Question 18

What is a computer model?

Answer 18

Software simulations of internal mental processes that are created in collaboration with computer scientists

Question 19

First strength

Answer 19

Uses objective scientific methods that allow researchers to infer the cognitive processes at work

For example: memory research on duration and capacity of our STM has been conducted in strict lab conditions and scientific brain scanning techniques (fmri/pet) help cognitive neuroscientists pinpoint exact biological mechanisms involved in cognitive processes

credible scientific basis

Question 20

weakness

Answer 20

Artificial, due to being so scientific

example: studies on STM, mentioned previously, are carried out in artificial ways that don’t reflect our memory in everyday life, like getting people to remember lists of words

it may lack external validity

Question 21

second strength

Answer 21

Practical applications- been applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts

mental health treatments (CBT), improving eyewitness testimonies (cognitive interview) and developing AI (like Alexa)

Supports the approach’s value