Cognitive approach Flashcards
Intro
What is the cognitive approach ?
(basic assumptions)
- 1950s reponse to behaviourists
- rejects their idea of not studying mental processes and they they should be studied scientically
- looks at areas that were previously neglected:
- Attention
- Perecption
- Memory
- Thinking
- These processes are studied indirectly via inferences based on observable behaviour
What are theoritical models ?
- These are diagrams that reppresent the steps involved in internal mental processes.
What are computer models ?
- computer simulations of mental processes.
What is the role of the schema ?
- Cognitive processing can often be affected by a persons belief or expectations, which are often referred to as schema.
- Packages of information that act as cognitive frameworks to help us organise and interpret information.
- Schemata develop with age.
- Starting with simple, innate, motor schema.
- They are developed through experience and help us respond appropriately.
- E.g. A chair, wedding, egg etc.
- Process information very quickly & predict what is going to happen.
- But can also lead to interpretations being distorted andincorrecte.g.EWT
What is the Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience?
- The Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.
- Started the the mid 19th century - Paul Broca - Broca’s area.
- New technology such as FMRI and PET scans observe and describe the neurological basis of mental processes.
- Tulving et al. (1994) - the location of episodic and semantic memory
- Braver et al. (1997) - The possible location of the central executive.
- Psychiatric disorders e.g. link between the parahippocampal gyrus (processing unpleasant emotions)andOCD.
PA
Evaluation of cognitive approach
(strength)
A strength of the cognitive approach is that it has practical application.
- It is the dominant approach in psychology today.
- Involved in the development of artificial intelligence and “thinking machines” that could revolutionise how we live in the future.
- Used in the explanation and treatment of depression via the identifying and challenging of negative thoughts.
- Supports the value of the cognitiveapproach.
SM
Evaluation of cognitive approach
(strength)
Strength - Scientific methods.
- Another strength of the cognitive approach is that it uses objective scientific methods.
- Highly controlled and rigourous studies - researchers are able to infer cognitive processes
- Use of lab studies - produce reliable objective data
- The emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the merging biology and cognitive psychology to enhance scientific study.
This means that the study of the mind has a credible scientificbasis
Counterpoint to SM
Evaluation of cognitive approach
(Limitation)
Counterpoint to scientific method
- However cognitive psychology relies on the inference of mental processes rather than direct observation of behaviour.
* Can suffer from being too abstract and theoretical.
Often includes artificial stimuli e.g. memory experiments.
* This may not represent everyday experience.
Therefore research on cognitive processes may lack externalvalidity.
MR
Evaluation of cognitive approach
(Limitation)
- Limitation - Machine Reductionism
- One limitation of the cognitive approach is that it is based on the machine reductionism.
- Although there are similarities between the human mind and the operations of a computer, this analogy has been criticised by many.
The cognitive approach ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on behaviour and reduces everything down to a basic computer analogy. - Thought and emotions can affect our ability to process information.
- E.G. human memory can be affected by emotional factors such as anxiety.
This suggests that machine reductionism may weaken the validity of the cognitiveapproach
