Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Assumptions of the cognitive approach
- Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically.
- Cognitive psychologists can investigate areas of behaviour neglected by behaviourists.
- Look at private processes, study them indirectly by making inferences about what’s going on inside the mind on the basis of behaviour.
What is an inference?
An assumption about mental processes.
What do theoretical and computer models help us explain?
Human behaviour and help us make inferences about mental processes
What do theoretical models help us study?
Internal processes
What is an important theoretical model?
Information processing approach which suggests that information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence of stages:
Input - storage - retrieval
What is the similarity between a computer and our minds?
The way info is processed
What concepts do the computer model use?
Central processing unit - the brain
Concept of coding - turn into a useable format
‘Stores’ - hold info
What have computer models proved useful in developing?
AI
What is a schema?
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing
How are schemas developed?
From experience
What do schemas help us do?
Respond to stimuli appropriately
How can we use schemas?
As mental shortcuts
What is an example of a schema a baby is born with?
Grasping
What happens to schemas as we get older?
They become more detailed and sophisticated
How can schemas be unhelpful?
Distorting our interpretations of sensory information which can lead to perceptual errors or faulty conclusions
Bugelski and Alampay?
- two groups were shown a sequence of pictures which were either a number of different faces or a number of different animals - ‘rat man.’
- participants saw a sequence of faces were likely to perceive the figure as a man whereas participants who saw animals were more likely to perceive a man
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The influence of brain structures on mental processes combining biological and cognitive approaches
1860s Broca
Identified how damage to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently damage speech production
Past 20 years
FMRI and PET scans - scientists can systematically observe and describe neurological basis of mental processes
Bartlett - the war of the ghosts
Method: English ppts asked to read a Native American folk tale. Unfamiliar to them and had a different structure to an English story. Ppts were asked to recall the story after different lengths of time.
Results: all ppts changed the story to match their schema - details became more English and the story started to contain English culture and details. As the length of times increased the amount of info decreased.
Conclusion: people use their own schemas to help interpret and remember the world around them.
Evaluation of the cognitive approach: strengths
- Uses scientific and objective methods - use of lab experiments produces reliable and objective data - highly controlled and high internal validity
- Cognitive neuroscience - enabled two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together - ecological validity = concepts can be applied to real life
- Less determinist than other approaches - soft determinism - recognises our cognitive system can only operate within limits of what we know
Cognitive approach evaluation: limitations
- Fails at application to real life - can only infer mental processes from observable behaviour - lacks external validity
