Cognitive Approach Flashcards

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1
Q

What does the cognitive approach focus on?

A

How the internal mind works to influence behaviour

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2
Q

Thoughts can be both _____ and ______ these stages are called _____ _______ ________

A

Conscious
Unconscious
Internal mental processes

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3
Q

What are internal mental processes?

A

Information processing completed by the mind

Or

Operations that occur in the mind

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4
Q

What are schemas?

A

Packets of information about experiences and expectations about the world and objects. These schemas are developed through experiences with the objects.

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5
Q

What are inferences??

A

Going beyond immediate evidence and making assumptions about mental processes which can be observed

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6
Q

What are the models used by cognitive psychologists?

A

Computer

Theoretical

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7
Q

What do models help us to do?

A

Produce testable theories that can be studied with scientific methods and inferences made from experiments

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8
Q

What do schemas do?

A

Stop us from getting overwhelmed with information and helps us to organise large amounts of info

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9
Q

How can schemas be changed?

A

Assimilate- add new info to an existing schema

Accommodate- when an old schema is adapted or a new schema has to be created
E.g knowing a chair but having to adapt it to finding out about a rocking chair

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10
Q

What can schemas lead us to?

A

Incorrect assumptions
Stereotypes
Prejudice

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11
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience?

A

Investigates how brain structure and chemistry affects cognitive processes

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12
Q

How do they test cognitive neuroscience?

A

Neuroimaging, through FMRI and PET scans

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13
Q

Weaknesses of cognitive approach

A

Machine reductionism:
Seen as overly mechanical, as they describe human thinking as if it’s a computer. This means the approach can’t explain human irrationality and emotions on behaviour

Inferences can be seen as none scientific as psychologists are jumping to conclusions, inferences can be wrong as they can’t be tested

Lacks mundane realism:
Tests are done in controlled environments meaning the tests may not reflect everyday life as they’re artificial.

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14
Q

Strengths of the approach

A

Highly scientific:
Tests are highly controlled

Computer models help us to understand mental processes

Has real world applications to AI and treatments for mental disorders (eg psychopathy)

Has been applied to other approaches helping to understand behaviour better

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15
Q

Who was cognitive neuroscience founded by?

A

Broca

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16
Q

What did broca do?

Experiment

A

Realised damage to frontal lobe impaired speech reproduction

17
Q

What do theoretical/computer models do?

A

Help cognitive psychologists to understand mental processes

18
Q

Why do cognitive psychologists compare the mind to a computer?

A

The minds processes are similar

Getting the info (input)

Processing the info

Using the info (output)