Lesson 5- Cogntivie Approach

Question 1

cognitive approach assumptions

Answer 1

-argues internal mental processes can be studied scientifically, investigates areas neglected by behaviourists eg memory, perception, thinking
-uses inferences, might make assumptions about mental processes hat cannot be directly observed, goes beyond immediate research evidence
-direct observations of cognitive mental processes is not possible, results must be inferred from behaviour/data, behaviour influenced by both conscious and unconscious thought

Question 2

theoretical/computer models

Answer 2

-theoretical models, information processing model suggets information flows through cognitive system in sequence of stages including input, storage, retrieval
-models pictorial in nature, represented by boxes and arrows that indicate cause and effect/stages of particular mental processes
-also uses computer models, mind is compared to computer by suggesting similar ways in information is processed, uses concepts of central processing unit, coding, stores, proved useful in development of ‘thinking machines’/AI

Question 3

role of schema

Answer 3

-packages of ideas and information developed through experience, act as mental framework for interpretation of incoming information received by cognitive system
-babies born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours such as sucking, grasping, with age schema become more detailed/sophisticated, adults have developed mental representations for everything
-enable us to process lots of information quickly, useful mental short-cut that prevents from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli, may also distort interpretations of sensroy info leading to perceptual errors

Question 4

role of schema study

Answer 4

-lab setting, Bartlett 1932
-english participants asked to read Native American folk tale called ‘war on ghosts’, unfamiliar, different culture, unusual story structure
-participants read story, after different lengths of time had to recall story as accurately as possible, results showed all english participants changed story to fit their own schema, reconstructed it to recall it better
-details were adjusted to english culture, ghosts left out in recall, order of story changed to more ‘logical’, canoes changed to cars, bows and arrows changed to guns
-as more time passes between reading story and recalling details participants seemed to remember less info
-people use own schemas to help interpret and remember info, dependent upon culture to an extent

Question 5

emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Answer 5

-scientific study of the influence of brain structure on mental processes
-1860s, Broca, damage to frontal lobe could permanently impair speech production
-advances in brain imaging techniques means scientists can systematically observe and desrcibe the neurological basis of mental processes and disorders, eg Tulving et al and different types of LTM in pre-frontal cortex, link between ocd and parohippocampal gyrus
-recent expansion to involve use of computer generated models designed to read brain, led to development of mind mapping techniques, eg brain wave patterns of eye witness testimony

Question 6

cognitive neuroscience study

Answer 6

Aim- Maguire 2000, investigate whether brain anatomy was predetermined or susceptible to plastic changes in response to environmental stimulation, whether structural changes could be detected in brain of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation
Procedure- 32 healthy males average age 44, split into two groups, one group of 16 licensed male London taxi drivers (worked for at least 18 months), second group had never driven taxis, mri scans of brain taken and analysed
Findings- results from MRI showed right posterior hippocampus of taxi drviers was larger than control groups, related to length of time taxi driver had been in job, positive correlation found between amount of time spent as taxi driver and volume in right posterior hippocampus, responsible for storing visual representations of environment, taxi drivers have to navigate around streets of London, demand in knowledge resulted in physical change in brain identified by MRI

Question 7

cognitive approach evaluation

Answer 7

-scientific and objective methods, lab experiments, combination of two fields biology and cognitive psych, credbile scientific basis
-real life application, applied to a wide range of practical and theoretical contexts
-less determinist than others, founded on soft determinism recognises contribution of free will, interactionist, behaviourist/biological practice hard
-machine reductionism, has similarities but computer analogy ignores influence of motivation and emotion on cognitive system
-lacks external validity, too theoretical/abstract, only able to infer mental processes from observed behaviour, lab conditions lack ecological validity
-inferences not objective enough, does not provide full picture of what goes on in working mind/brain, still need to make inferences about cognitive processing which may be based on limited information available from research/experiments, questionable whether psychologists can really understand and explain thinking by using inference alone