Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Which approach is the cognitive approach in response to?
The behaviourist approach
What are the two assumptions of the cognitive approach?
- Psychologists can study mental processes
- The mind works like a computer - ‘Information-processing model’
Give an example of 3 mental processes.
- Attention
- Rettention
- Memory
How does the cognitive approach propose that Psychologists study mental processes?
- Create theoretical models, (Ex: WMM)
- Design study that measures observable behaviours
- Make inferences from the conclusion of study about how mental processes work
Give an example of a theoretical model.
Schema Theory
Schema
Cognitive fameworks, which we form from our experiences
What are two reasons why schemeas may differ between individuals?
- Gender
- Culture, (Individualistic vs Collectivist)
We all have different experiences which we use to formulate schemas, meaning each person has different schemas
Assimilation
When a new experience matches out schema and is incorperated into it
Accommodation
When an experience doesn’t match our schema, we accomodate our schema to match our new experience
Why do cognitive psychologists assume that the mind works like a computer?
- Stimuli are like inputs
- The mind processes these inputs, (stimuli)
- Then the mind produces an ouput, (the behaviour)
We use schema when we process information from the world around us.
Explain one reason why using schema might be useful when processing information from the world around us, and explain one reason why using schema might not be useful when processing information from the world around us. [4 marks]
Useful
* Helps process information efficiently
* When encountering new environmental stimuli, our existing schemas help to make sense of it
* This can prevent us being overwhealmed by environmental stimuli
Not useful
* Can lead to stereotyping and bias
* Schemas are based on past experiences - If we have had a previously negative experience, this can lead us to make assumptions about individuals or groups that are not fair or accurate
* This can lead to discrimination
What are the evaluative points for the Cognitive Approach?
2 strengths + CP and 2 weaknesses
Strengths
* A science according to Popper’s hypothetico-deductive model of science - Studies are falsifiable
CP: Studies are often lab experiments = Low ecological validity
* Application to understanding and treating mental disorders, (link to schemas, depression and CBT)
Limitations
* Overly-abstract concepts due to inferences
* Ignores the possibility that different people’s mental processes work differently - Nomothetic *GRENADE
AO3 - Popper’s Hypothetico Deductive Model - Strength
- Hypothetico-deductive model = Importance of falsification
- Cognitive Psychologists create theoretical models, design studies which observe obserable behaviours and make inferences
- Studies are mostly lab experiments with a high level of control, meaning the study can be falsified
- This means if theoretical model is incorect, it can be rejected and improved
CP: Lab studies lack ecological validity
AO3 - Application to treatments - Strength
- Approach can be used to understand and treat mental disorders
- Ex: Schema theory has helped deduce that a key symptom of depression is having a pessemistic mental frameowrk
- Therefore, by adapting negative schemas into neutral or positive schemas, we can help treat depression
- This can be done using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
AO3 - Abstract-concepts - Limitation
- Cognitive psychologists use analogies as a way of indirectly studying and infering about mental processes
- The approaches reliance on inference means some ideas may seem to abstract + lacking empirical evidence to support
- This reduces the potential applications of cognitive research as it remains mostly theoretical
