Lesson 5- Cognitive Approach- study of internal mental processes

Question 1

What are inferences & what is a potential problem with them?

Answer 1

Inferences are made about cognitive 🧠 internal processes … cognitive model might make assumptions about mental processes that ✖️ be directly observed (from 🏃‍♂‍/data)

✖️ evidence for inferences made & 🏃‍♂‍/data used may be incorrect-> invalid results

Question 2

What does the cognitive approach of 1960 focus on?

Answer 2

Focus on attention, memory & how ppl perceive, store & manipulate info

Question 3

What is the information processing model?

Answer 3

Info perceived through senses 👀, 👂etc & processed by 🧠

Question 4

What are the 4 assumptions that are made about the cognitive approach’s mental processes?

Answer 4

1) Attention
2) Thinking 🤔
3) Storing info in memory
4) Retrieving info from memory

• Above cannot be directly observed … assumptions made about processes

Question 5

What are Schema’s?

Answer 5

Schemas- packets of info/ideas/cognitive frameworks- developed through experience & expectations about how we should behave 🏃‍♂‍

Question 6

What do schemas do?

Answer 6

Help to organise & interpret vast amounts of info in mind & act as “shortcut” whereby mind can fill in gaps about info missed e.g. we have schema about what to expect when going to restaurant

Question 7

What are the 2 types of schema?

Answer 7

1) Role Schema

2) Event Schema

Question 8

What is a role schema?

Answer 8

Role schema- schema about 🏃‍♂‍ expected from someone in particular role e.g. librarian 📚

Question 9

What is an event schema?

Answer 9

Event schema- schema about what to expect from an event e.g. party 🥳

Question 10

What are the evaluation points of the cognitive approach?

Answer 10

👎- ✖️ give full picture about what is going on inside the working 🧠- inferences made about cognitive processing may be based on limited info available from research/experiments … questioned whether psychologists understand & can explain thinking 🤔 using inference alone
👍- emphasises scientific methods e.g. lab experiments when collecting data … ⬆️ levels of control-> cause & effect relationships identified between IV & DV- makes research ⬆️ objective & scientific 🧪
👎- Soft determinism (🏃‍♂‍ restricted by environment/biology)- cognitive 🧠 approach ignores biology/environment as believes 🏃‍♂‍ determined by internal 🧠 factors BUT biology might have a big impact upon 🧠 thinking e.g. evidence that depression & ➖ 🤔 might be genetic
👍- many applications in different areas of Psychology- e.g 🧠 Psychology might explain development of faulty ➖ 🤔- aids understanding of abnormal psychology e.g. phobias

Question 11

Who studied the role of schemas & when did they do so?

Answer 11

Bartlett (1932)- the war of the ghosts story

Question 12

What was Bartlett’s method when studying the role of schemas?

Answer 12

Method:
1) Lab 🧫 setting
2) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pps asked to read Native 🇺🇸 folk tale called “The war of the Ghosts”- unfamiliar/strange story- came from very different culture to 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
3) Pps read story & then after different lengths of ⏰ recalled story as accurately as possible (tested schemas & recall)

Question 13

What was Bartlett’s findings when studying the role of schemas?

Answer 13

Findings:
4) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pps changed story to fit own schema- reconstructed story to recall it better- now contained elements of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 culture
5) Details of “ghosts” left out in recall, order of story changed to be ⬆️ “logical”, “canoes” 🛶 changed to “cars” 🚗 & “bows” & arrows changed to “guns” 🔫

Question 14

What was Bartlett’s conclusion when studying the role of schemas?

Answer 14

Conclusion:
6) Ppl use own schemas to help interpret & remember info- schemas depend on culture to extent

Question 15

What are the evaluation points of Bartlett’s War of the Ghosts study?

Answer 15

👎- demand characteristics- pps might’ve guessed aim of study & … altered responses- might mean that study & results ✖️ very valid
👍- lab 🧫 setting which is an advantage- setting & IV ⬆️ controlled … accurately measures schemas & internal 🧠 processes- results ⬆️ reliable if study repeated again
👎- biased sample used- only used 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pps & … findings ✖️ be generalised to other samples from around the 🌎 as results narrow & biased & ✖️ give general view of different cultures & how their schemas & internal 🧠 processes might operate
👍- study highlights importance of schema theory when investigating internal mental 🧠 processes- ppl recall info in way that fits in with their schema- … has implications when asking ppl to recall info for 👁 witness testimony & court proceedings- ppl might distort their memories according to their schemas BUT now psychologists aware of issue … ensure ✖️ happen