Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Developed in?
Alternative to?
Psychologists focused on?
Arguing that?
The cognitive approach was also developed in the 1950s as an alternative to behaviourism.
Cognitive psychologists focus on internal mental processes (such as memory, perception and thinking) and how these direct and affect our behaviour, arguing that this was neglected by behaviourists.
Should be studied?
They also believe that this should be studied scientifically (i.e. experimentally and objectively), although cognitive psychologists do recognise that our internal mental processes are ‘private’ and cannot be observed.
Study our internal mental processes indirectly by?
Cognitive psychologists study our internal mental processes indirectly by making inferences, which means to draw conclusions about the way our mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour.
What are internal mental processes?
What 5 are there? PALMT
Interconnected processing systems that allow us to make sense of and respond appropriately to the world.
Perception Attention Language Memory Thinking
What is perception?
The process of taking in and interpreting information from our senses
What is attention?
The process by which we focus on a particular source of information rather than others
What is language?
The study of communication and thinking in relation to language
What is memory?
The process of retaining and recalling information
What is thinking?
The process of manipulating information in the mind in order to reason, problem-solve and make decisions
What is schema?
Schema are packets of information about the world around us that we store in our long term memory (LTM).
What are 4 types of schema?
Object schema
Social schema
Event schema
Role schema
How do we develop schema?
Environment
Experiences
Traditions
Communications
Our schema allow us to?
However?
Our schema allow us to cognitively process lots of information quickly – they help us make sense of the world by providing us with ‘short cuts’.
However they may distort our cognitive processes
Allport and postman (1947)
Aim?
Participants?
Aim:to investigate schemas affect on recall
Participants: black and white Americans
Allport and postman (1947)
Method?
Method:
White participants shown picture of an argument with a well-dressed black man and a white man with a razor.
Participants passed the story to each other through serial reproduction.
Repeated with black participants.
Allport and postman (1947)
Results?
Result :
White participants: after a few tellings, the black man was the aggressor.
Black participants: the results were more accurate, the white man was still the aggressor.
Why do psychologists use theoretical and computer models?
Cognitive psychologists use both theoretical and computer models to help them understand internal mental processes
What are theoretical models?
Theoretical models are diagrammatic representations of the steps involved in internal mental processes.
What are computer models?
Computer models are software simulations of internal mental processes that are created in collaboration with computer scientists.
Alpha go- artificial intelligent
Computer models involve?
Computer models involve programming a computer to see if information processing instructions produce a similar output in computers as humans – if they do then we can suggest that similar processes are going on in the human mind.
Such computer models have proved useful in the development of artificial intelligence such as alpha go.
Strengths of cognitive approach?
Applications in the real world.
Scientific, controlled methods.
Uses advanced technology
Limitations of the cognitive approach?
Considered reductionist, as it does not provide a full explanation of human behaviour- claims our minds are like computers.
Theories are hard to test because mental processes are hidden from view, and not directly observable.
Laboratory experiments- lowers ecological validity
