The Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What is the cognitive Approach?

Answer 1

An Approach which believes the internal mental processes can be investigated using scientific methods and principals

Question 2

What is the cognitive approach useful in explaining?

Answer 2

Disordered thinking and for treatment of it

Question 3

What are the main assumptions of the cognitive approach?

Answer 3

• Internal processes can be studied in labs by inferring thoughts from behaviour.
• The human mind works like a computer: the input for the senses and the output through the behaviour.

Question 4

What are humans seen as in the cognitive approach?

Answer 4

Information processes.

Question 5

How is human behaviour to be understood?

Answer 5

Internal mental processes must be studied.

Question 6

What are Schemas?

Answer 6

The mental representation of experience and knowledge and understanding

Question 7

What do Schemas do?

Answer 7

• They help us predict what will happen in the world based on past experience
• We can process a lot of information quickly using schemas

Question 8

Can schemas develop and evolve with experience?

Answer 8

• Yes, they become more detailed and sophisticated.
• For example when you were 5 years old your schema of school was very different than the schema you have now. Your “school schema” developed with your experience of schooling.

Question 9

How are Schemas useful?

Answer 9

• By helping us to take shortcuts in thinking
• They prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli

Question 10

What are the negatives of Schemas?

Answer 10

• They can lead to faulty conclusions and unhelpful behaviour (like getting a panic attack before an exam)
• May develop stereotypes that are difficult to confirm
• Can distort our interpretation of sensory information
• Can cause bias recall based on what we expect to see

Question 11

Cognitive processes are examples of ____

Answer 11

Theoretical models

Question 12

Give 2 examples of theoretical models

Answer 12

Multi store model of memory and WMM

Question 13

We cannot directly see processes such as thinking but we can make ____

Answer 13

inferences

Question 14

What is the computer model?

Answer 14

An analogy of how the brain works like a computer.

Question 15

How does a computer model apply to humans?

Answer 15

Input - sensory information.
Processing - brain.
Output - perceptions, memories, brain

Question 16

What is an example of a computer model?

Answer 16

Input - touch something hot.
Processing - process that it’s hot.
Output - move our hand away.

Question 17

What is Cognitive Neuroscience?

Answer 17

The study of relating brain structure on our mental processes

Question 18

Why is brain scanning technology used?

Answer 18

It allows scientists to describe the neurological basis of mental processing (and how different parts of the brain are involved in mental processing).

Question 19

What sort of brain scanning techniques are used?

Answer 19

PET and fMRI.

Question 20

What are practical applications of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 20

• Scanning/imagine techniques to study mental processes in sufferers of depression, schizophrenia, etc.
• Imaging techniques to study the effect of normal ageing of the brain.
• Computer simulations to help in schizophrenia behaviour.

Question 21

What are strengths of the cognitive approach?

Answer 21

• It can be considered a scientific approach.
• It has many applications (e.g. dysfunctional behaviour).

Question 22

What are weaknesses of the cognitive approach?

Answer 22

• The use of computer models.
• Ignores important factors (e.g. why cognitive processes take place).