Cognitive approach AO1 Flashcards
What is the role of schemas?
Cognitive framework that helps us organise information in the brain
Why are schemas helpful?
- Help us take shortcuts when interpreting a huge amount of information
- Help us fill in the gaps in absence of full information
What does the cognitive approach argue?
Argues that we must study internal mental processes in order to understand behaviour.
What does the cognitive approach look at?
Look at how we extract, store, and retrieve information to help guide our behaviour
What did Branford & Johnson do?
Made participants recall 9 steps of washing clothes
What are the results of Branford & Johnson study?
More ideas were recalled in the ‘title before’ condition compared to the ‘no title’ condition
- means that schema was activated making it easier to recall information
What are the disadvantages of schemas?
- cause stereotyping
- cause us to exclude anything that does not conform to our ways of thinking
DISADVANTAGES
Schemas can make us focus on what?
information that conforms to our pre-existing beliefs and ideas
What is our memory linked with?
a computer
What does RAM correspond to?
Working memory
How is working memory corresponded to RAM (random access memory)?
Working memory is seen as a temporary workspace and is cleared when the task being carried out is finished.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.
Examples of brain imaging techniques
fMRI
PET scans
What is an example of cognitive neuroscience?
MRI scans of CW and HM’s brain allowed psychologists to infer that certain areas of the brain were responsible for episodic and semantic memory.
What did the emergence of cognitive neuroscience enable?
It has enabled us to understand information about the brain structures involved in different kinds of brain processing by using PET and fMRI scans.
Give an example of PET Scan
Raine et al investigated brain activity in 41 murderers using PET scan by measuring glucose uptake in brain cells.
- Reduced glucose metabolism in the prefrontal cortex in murderers’ brain suggested reduced function in the PFC (associated with restrained aggression and self-restraint)
What are schemas?
Package of knowledge built up from previous experiences that helps us make sense of the world.
