Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Compare the cognitive approach to the behaviourist approach.
They both have similar research methods but cognitive use ethical research conducted on humans rather than animals but humans can lead to demand characteristics.
The cognitive approach were dissatisfied with the behaviourist explanation of SR as the ignored important, internal, mental processes between stimulus and response.
Describe and Ebbinghaus’ experiment
He conducted the first memory experiment.
He wanted to investigate remembering and forgetting using lists of words.
List one contained words with meaning and list two contained nonsense words
Results showed that list one was easier to remember and could be recalled weeks later
Therefore, we remember information with meaning but subject variables such as IQ could have affected the results.
Describe Wasons’ experiment
He wanted to investigate how people reason and whether it is logical.
Participants were shown 4 cards and were told the rule that it there was an A on one side then there would be a 3 on the other side. They were asked to only turn over the necessary cards to see if it was true or false. Most participants turned over the card with an A on it but not the card that had 2 on it which would have disproven the rule and been the most logical way.
This is how cognitive psychologists study internal mental processes.
What are the main assumptions of the cognitive approach?
They put forward SOR (stimulus, organism,response)
The organism contains cognitive mediating factors that help us process information; perception, attention, memory, thinking and language.
We process information similar to computers-information processing model.
The cognitive approach uses cognitive behavioural therapy to psychologically treat depression by converting negative thoughts to positive ones.
What are the advantages of the information processing model?
It has simplified how the mind processes information and encouraged psychologists to develop models to explain memory
It has allowed us to create artificial intelligence such as computer games that mimic the human brain. These are known as the computational and connectionist model.
Compare the cognitive approach to SLT.
SLT agrees that we have important mediating factors. However, they put forward motivation, attention, retention and motor reproduction.
What research method do the cognitive approach use?
What are its advantages and disadvantages?
Laboratory based, objective, scientific experiments
+high control over variables so can establish cause and effect
+replicable
-artificial setting so lacks ecological validity
What are the disadvantages of these models?
They are hypothetical and lack ecological validity.
Compare the cognitive approach to the psychodynamic approach.
The cognitive approach focuses conscious mental processes but the psychodynamic approach investigate the unconscious mind.
Both approaches use case studies however the cognitive approach uses them scientifically by testing patients with memory loss whereas Freud use was subjective and u representative.
Compare the cognitive approach to the biological approach.
According to the cognitive approach, the environment is crucial as we input our stimulus from it and supports nurture. However, it ignores biological influences and the biological approach.
The cognitive approach uses CBT to treat depression whereas the biological approach would use physical treatments such as drugs and anti depressants.
