Cognitivism (School of Thought)

Question 1

how/why did cognitivism come about ?

Answer 1

cognitivism came about is response to weaknesses and concerns with the behaviourist approach to response modification

Question 2

what do cognitivist psychologists do ?

Answer 2

explore the internal events that appear to mediate the process between the stimulus and the response

Question 3

what are ‘thought patterns’ and ‘mental habits’ in cognitivism

Answer 3

thought patterns and mental habits are adopted as primary forces in determining behaviours and feelings

Question 4

state the 4 basic assumptions of cognitivism

Answer 4

1. info processing in humans is comparable to computers
2. info made available by environment is processed by a series of processing systems (eg - perception, attention)
3. these processing systems transform the information in systematic ways
4. the aim of research is to specify the process and structures that underlie cognition

Question 5

state what it is meant by the key term - change blindness

Answer 5

change blindness is a phenomenon that occurs when a change in visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it

Question 6

state 3 facts about research done by Harvard and Kent on ‘change blindness’

Answer 6

1. 1988 - targeted pedestrians on college campus to determine how much people notice about immediate environments
2. half the participants didn’t notice change
3. cognitive psychologists explain this through the limits of visual attention and perception of visual cues

Question 7

what do cognitivists believe about the ‘black box’

Answer 7

believe it can be opened and that it becomes a ‘glass box’ (Lave and Wenger, 1991)

Question 8

what does behaviourism need to take in ?

Answer 8

cognitive processing

Question 9

what is the focus of: A) behaviourism, and B) cognitivism

Answer 9

A) products of learning (outcome)

B) processes of how we learn –> understanding, memorising, concepts, use of symbols and language

Question 10

what does cognitivism suggest about S-R, and why ?

Answer 10

a stimulus may not lead to a response –> humans can synthesise, analyse, formulate and extract information

Question 11

how is learning theorised in the cognitivist approach ? (3/6 things)

Answer 11

1. detached from environment - is in the head
2. an Asocial activity (little need for group work)
3. linkage to prior knowledge
4. surface learning = ST memory
5. deep learning = LT memory
6. processing and transmission of info via communication, explanation, recombination, contrast, interference, problem solving (Wenger, 1988)

Question 12

what is the role of the coach and the role of the learner in cognitivism (Tishman et al. 1993)

Answer 12

coach - prep knowledge and transfer it to students

learner - act and store knowledge

Question 13

state 4 implications of cognitivism for teachers and coaches

Answer 13

1. the ‘black box’ should be opened and understood
2. learner is viewed as an information processor (like a computer)
3. skill is analysed and broken into steps
4. chunks are organised and taught from most simplistic to most complex parts

Question 14

explain what it is meant by the key point in cognitivism - ‘metacognition’

Answer 14

The mind is like a computer or information processor. Learners receive, store and act upon information

Question 15

explain what it is meant by the key point in cognitivism - ‘transmission model’

Answer 15

teachers/coaches are seen as the expert and the pupil/athlete are viewed as novices

Question 16

explain what it is meant by the key point in cognitivism - ‘context of learning’

Answer 16

largely irrelevant to the learning process as learning happens within the individual

Question 17

explain what it is meant by the key point in cognitivism - ‘thinking and learning’

Answer 17

Both viewed as skills. The effectiveness of which is determined by individual’s cognitive structures