Cognitive approach

Question 1

What is the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

It focuses on how people perceive, process and store information. It emphasises the study of internal mental processes.

Question 2

inference

Answer 2

Drawing conclusions about the way mental processes work by making assumptions based on observable behaviour.

Question 3

Internal mental processes

Answer 3

How we process information in our minds. These include perception, attention, memory, language and problem solving.

Question 4

schemas

Answer 4

Mental structures that help us organise and interpret information. They act as frameworks based on past experiences that shape how we perceive situations.

Question 5

theoretical models

Answer 5

These are often represented as flowcharts to show how information is processed in stages.

Question 6

Computer models

Answer 6

These use the analogy of the brain as a computer. The human brain processes information through input, storage and retrieval like a computer.