cognitive area Flashcards
what are the defining principles and concepts of the cognitive area?
mental processes are key to understanding human behaviour
the mind can be seen as an information processor
what is a strength of the cognitive area (point & explain)
p : takes a scientific approach to studying behaviour
e : extraneous variables are controlled so that the internal validity of the study is increased, this ensures that cause and effect can be established
p : has many useful applications
e : findings can be applied to real life situations to improve or change the way in which groups of people or professions work
what is a weakness of the cognitive area (point&explain)
p : can be considered reductionist
e : suggests that behaviour is influenced by one simple process; input processing and output, therefore ignoring other processes involved in cognition
p : research used reduces ecological validity
e : findings from research may not reflect how behaviours occur in real life, and therefore reduce the usefulness of research
what is an application for the cognitive area?
what : memory enhancing techniques
who : students and teachers
how : they can get better results in assessment by using context-dependent memory, students should revise in silence as they are tested in silence
link : the cognitive area believes the mind is like an information processor, the information inputted is the facts and the context, the processing is memory and the output is recall in the test
