The Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What do cognitive psychologists believe

Answer 1

That it is necessary to look at internal working processes in order to understand behaviour

Question 2

How must the cognitive approach be studied

Answer 2

It recognises that it must be studied indirectly by inferring what is going on as a result of measuring data

Question 3

What processes contribute to information processing

Answer 3

-Selection of important information (attention)
-Using it to solve problems (thinking)
-Storing it in memory and accessing it when necessary

Question 4

What are schemas

Answer 4

A schema is a cognitive framework which helps us to interpret the huge amount of information we process on a daily basis, and is based on our experiences in the world

Question 5

What can schemas cause

Answer 5

Us to exclude any information that doesn’t conform to our established beliefs and ideas

Question 6

What can schemas help us do

Answer 6

Fill in the gaps in the absence of full information about people, events or things

Question 7

What is a negative consequence of schemas

Answer 7

We develop steriotypes that are very difficult to shake, even when presented with new discounting information

Question 8

What models does the cognitive approach use

Answer 8

Theoretical and Computer Models

Question 9

What are Theoretical Models

Answer 9

Simplified representations of processes beased on current research evidence. These are often incomplete and informal, and thus frequently updated and refined

Question 10

What is an example of a theoretical model being updated

Answer 10

Baddely changing the working memory model in 2000

Question 11

What are Computer Models

Answer 11

The development of computers has led to the computer model being used as an analogy for the way sensory information is ‘coded’ and flows through the system

Question 12

Give an example of how computer models are used

Answer 12

Long term memory is equivalent to a hard disk on a computer and short-term memory is equivalent to RAM

Question 13

What has advancements in technology made possible

Answer 13

Cognitive Neuroscience: It has made it possible to study the living brain, giving detailed information into the brain structures involved in different kinds of mental processing

Question 14

What new technology has helped in development of the cognitive approach

Answer 14

Non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and fMRI showed what areas are active during specific tasks

Question 15

How is scientificness a strength of the cognitive approach (eval)

Answer 15

The use of the experimental method provides researchers with a rigorous method for collecting and evaluating evidence in order to reach accurate conclusions and how the mind works. This means that conclusions drawn about how the mind works robust and reliable.

Question 16

How is the application of the cognitive approach a strength (eval)

Answer 16

Research in social cognition has allowed us to better understand how we interpret the actions of others, such as being able to explain how dysfunctional behaviour can be traced to faulty thinking processes. It has been used to develop CBT that is effective in treating depression and OCD

Question 17

Why is the use of computer models to explain human information processing flawed (eval)

Answer 17

Terms like ‘encoding’ or ‘storage’ are commonly associated with the computer models directly borrowed from computing. However there are important differences between computers and people, such as an inability to forget information and being unable to make a decision based on emotion

Question 18

Why is ecological validity an issue for the cognitive approach (eval)

Answer 18

Tasks tend to have little in common with participants everyday activities. Artificial memory tests are relatively meaningless to everyday life. This means it’s inappropriate to generalise these findings to real-life situations