cognitive approach

Question 1

what does the cognitive approach involve?

Answer 1

involves study of internal mental processes

Question 2

what are the internal mental processes?

Answer 2

memory, attention, perception, thinking (thinking drives behaviour)

Question 3

what can you say about these internal mental processes?

Answer 3

all can’t be directly observed so have to be indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples mind on basis of their behaviour

Question 4

what is inferences?

Answer 4

process where cognitive psychologists draw conclusions on way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviours
e.g. Beck infers depression is based on dysfunctional thought processes- But no proof of this,

Question 5

what is a schema?

Answer 5

• beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. They are developed from experiences.
• internal packages of ideas + info. developed through experience –> act as framework for interpretation of incoming info.

Question 6

are we born with schemas?

Answer 6

yes born with simple motor schema which becomes more detailed and sophisticated as we get older

Question 7

schemas are…

Answer 7

shortcuts.
- allowing us to process lots of info. quickly.
- can predict what may happen
- prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli
- BUT schemas may distort interpretations of sensory info.= perceptual errors. and schemas can be affected by cultures

Question 8

what is cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 8

scientific study of influence of brain structures on mental processes.
mapping areas of brain to specific cognitive functions.

Question 9

what was the origin cognitive neuroscience discovery?

Answer 9

Broca area (frontal lobe) discovery= linked it to speech production

Question 10

examples of new technology

Answer 10

fMRI’s, PET scans
- both allow scientists to systematically describe + observe the neurological basis of mental processes

Question 11

what can scanning techniques be used for?

Answer 11

used to discover neurological basis of mental disorders e.g. OCD

Question 12

what has cognitive neuroscience recently expanded to?

Answer 12

expanded to include computer models that are designed to read the brain -> led to development of mind mapping techniques (brain fingerprinting)
May be used in future for eyewitnesses to know whether they are lying.

Question 13

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

Answer 13

• theoretical models
• computer models

Question 14

what’s a theoretical model?

Answer 14

• abstract
• information processing approach –> suggests info. flows through cognitive system in a sequence of stages.
  e.g. multi store model (MSM)
  Input -> storage -> retrieval
  approach is focused on way that computers function

Question 15

what are computer models?

Answer 15

• concrete
• actually involves programming computer to see if instructions produce a similar output to humans
• if they do it suggests similar processes are going on in human minds
• used to develop AI

Question 16

we work through…

Answer 16

stimulus –> mediator –> response
- exactly same way computer has input –> process –> output

Question 17

what approach is the cognitive a direct contrast to?

Answer 17

behaviourist

Question 18

eval- point 1

Answer 18

machine reductionism
- weakens validity
- ignores human emotion + motivation on cognitive system e.g. human memory may be impacted by emotional factors (anxiety etc).

Question 19

eval- point 2

Answer 19

uses objective scientific methods.
involves lab studies= controlled + reliable

Question 20

eval- point 3

Answer 20

practical applications e.g. AI + robots, applied to treatment of depression etc.

Question 21

eval- point 4

Answer 21

Bennet- discovered fMRIs= not accurate as affected by external factors e.g light etc

Question 22

eval- point 5

Answer 22

soft determinism as humans can be influenced by internal and external factors (free will)

Question 23

eval- point 6

Answer 23

• emergence of cognitive neuroscience= allowed for biology + cognitive psychology to come together + enhance scientific basis of study= study of mind has creditable scientific basis.
• BUT it relies on onference of mental processes + not direct with observation of behaviour –> too abstract and theoretical?
• uses artificial stimuli= may not represent everyday experience –> lack external validity