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Psychology > Cognitive Approach > Flashcards

Cognitive Approach Flashcards

1
Q

When did the Cognitive Approach develop?

A

In the 1950s

It branched off from Behaviourism and Learning Theories.

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2
Q

What was the main belief that led to the development of the Cognitive Approach?

A

Behaviour involved more internal mental processes than behaviourism credited

This belief prompted a shift in focus from observable behavior to internal cognitive processes.

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3
Q

What invention provided psychologists with an analogy to explain how the human brain works?

A

The computer

This analogy helped in understanding cognitive processes.

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4
Q

What are the three main assumptions of the Cognitive Approach?

A
  • Psychology should be seen as a science
  • Mediational processes occur between stimulus and response
  • Humans are information processors
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5
Q

What does the Cognitive Approach assert about psychology?

A

It should be seen as a science

Cognitive psychologists advocate for laboratory experiments and strict control of variables.

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6
Q

What does the Cognitive Approach say about mediational processes?

A

They occur between stimulus and response

This indicates a shift from the behaviorist approach that focused solely on simple stimulus-response explanations.

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7
Q

How do cognitive psychologists view humans in terms of information processing?

A

Humans are information processors

They compare the brain to a computer in processing information.

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8
Q

True or False: The Cognitive Approach relies on observational methods rather than laboratory experiments.

A

False

The approach emphasizes laboratory experiments and the control of variables.

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9
Q

What are schemas?

A

Schemas are ‘packages’ of ideas and knowledge about a certain person, place, object or time. They are generated through experience, becoming more sophisticated through time.

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10
Q

What function do schemas serve?

A

Schemas act as mental frameworks, providing us with ‘mental shortcuts’ to process large volumes of data quickly and efficiently, thus avoiding sensory overload.

E.g. you have schemas for how to get to school / how to complete an essay / how to have a shower etc.

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11
Q

What is a potential issue with schemas?

A

Schemas may lead to perceptual distortions due to having an already established mental framework.

E.g. If asked what happened last Friday, you might describe a general Friday instead of the specific events of last Friday.

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12
Q

How do we use schemas?

A

We use schemas when we process information from the world around us.

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13
Q

What are schemas?

A

Schemas are ‘pre-conceived’ mental frameworks that help us process information from the world around us.

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14
Q

How can schemas lead to perceptual distortions?

A

Schemas may lead to perceptual distortions due to having an already established mental framework.

For example, if asked what happened last Friday, one might describe a typical Friday instead of the actual events.

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15
Q

What is one reason why using schemas might be useful?

A

Using schemas can help us quickly process and understand information based on prior knowledge.

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16
Q

What is one reason why using schemas might not be useful?

A

Schemas might not be useful when they prevent us from accurately recalling specific events that differ from our expectations.

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17
Q

What is meant by inference?

A

Inferences are conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

18
Q

How do cognitive psychologists use inferences?

A

Cognitive psychologists use computer models to draw conclusions (make inferences) regarding mental processes.

19
Q

What was the finding in the laboratory study of problem-solving regarding ink color?

A

The study found that it took longer to solve problems presented in green ink than in other colors.

20
Q

What is a demand characteristic?

A

Demand characteristics occur when participants give the answers they think the examiner wants to hear.

21
Q

What is social desirability?

A

Social desirability is when participants give answers that are socially acceptable.

22
Q

What was the cognitive study about dreams?

A

Participants spent a night in a sleep lab connected to EEG machines to measure brain waves and were woken at different times to explain their dreams.

23
Q

In what ways is the dream study scientific?

A

The study used a laboratory setting, lab equipment, and a standardized procedure, making it replicable.

24
Q

In what ways is the dream study not scientific?

A

The study may have limitations in ecological validity and potential biases from participants.

25
Q

How might demand characteristics have affected the dream study?

A

Participants may have altered their responses to align with what they believed the researchers wanted.

26
Q

Why might ecological validity be low in the dream study?

A

The controlled laboratory environment may not accurately reflect real-life dreaming conditions.

27
Q

What is a strength of the cognitive approach?

A

A strength is its use of scientific methods, including laboratory settings and equipment, allowing for replicability.

28
Q

What is a weakness of the cognitive approach?

A

It may lack ecological validity as studying mental processes in laboratory settings does not reflect real-life situations.

29
Q

How does ecological validity affect the study?

A

Low ecological validity means data collected in artificial environments may not be applicable to real-world scenarios.

30
Q

What is a challenge in studying mental processes in the cognitive approach?

A

Mental processes cannot be directly observed, relying on participants to accurately report their memories.

31
Q

What issue may arise from participants reporting their mental processes?

A

Demand characteristics may influence participants to provide responses they think the researcher wants.

32
Q

How does the cognitive approach compare to behaviourism?

A

The cognitive approach is similar to behaviourism as both favour the scientific approach and conduct lab experiments. However, the cognitive approach views humans as mental processors, using computer analogies to explain information processing, while behaviourism sees humans as automatic responders to stimuli.

33
Q

What type of research methods do behaviourism and cognitive approach use?

A

Behaviourism relies on observation for research, whereas the cognitive approach uses self-report methods.

34
Q

How does the cognitive approach compare to social learning theory?

A

The cognitive approach is similar to social learning theory as both acknowledge the mediational process, where thought occurs after a stimulus and before a response. However, social learning theory is based on observing role models and imitating their behaviour based on perceived rewards or punishments.

35
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience?

A

Cognitive neuroscience is defined as ‘the scientific field concerned with the study of the biological processes and aspects that underlie cognition, with a specific focus on the neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes’.

36
Q

What does cognitive neuroscience combine?

A

It combines cognitive science and biology.

37
Q

How can cognitive neuroscience study brain processes?

A

We can give a participant a cognitive task to do and while they are completing the task, we can scan their brains to see how the brain is processing the information.

38
Q

What was a significant advancement in the study of brain localization theory in the 1970s?

A

Advances in technology meant that it was possible to systematically measure and observe the neural processes which coincide with specific brain functions.

39
Q

What did Petersen et al (1988) find using PET scans?

A

They found evidence of Wernicke’s area being activated during a listening task and Broca’s area being activated during a reading task.

40
Q

Name two areas of the brain involved in cognitive tasks.

A

Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area.

41
Q

What are some other brain areas related to cognitive functions?

A

Somatosensory cortex, Primary motor cortex, Angular gyrus, Primary visual cortex, Primary auditory cortex.

Psychology (4 decks)

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