The cognitive approach

Question 1

what is cognitive psychology?

Answer 1

• the study of internal mental processes

Question 2

what are internal mental processes?

Answer 2

• how info is used in the mind
• all conscious and unconscious thoughts
• areas of research= attention, perception and memory

Question 3

characteristics of cognitive research:

Answer 3

• scientific approach
• highly controlled experiments
• lab studies w/ highly controlled experiments
• have backed up evidence with high internal validity

Question 4

issues with studying internal mental processes:

Answer 4

• cant be directly observed
• have to use inferences to make assumptions about internal mental processes

Question 5

Evaluations: limitations, relies on inferences

Answer 5

• approach relies on educated guesses that could be wrong
• cognitive psychology often viewed as less scientific
• inferences= cognitive psychologists can research areas inaccessible to other approaches like internal mental processes
• inferences can be supported by brain activity studies

Question 6

what is a schema?

Answer 6

• mental frameworks
• collections of connected basic knowledge about an object or concept built from previous experiences of the world

Question 7

how do schemas work as mental shortcuts?

Answer 7

• use them to navigate through the world and interact w people and objects
• doesnt take much mental energy to decide how to respond to a range of situations

Question 8

how schemas process environmental information:

Answer 8

• allow us to engage with the world without being overwhelmed by sensory information
• assigning objects to a schema= don’t have to consciously work out what each object is

Question 9

how schemas help us predict the future:

Answer 9

• based on past experiences
• we can make assumptions on what similar people and objects would do in similar situations
• often accurate as others act according to similar schemas

Question 10

how schemas lead to inaccurate recall:

Answer 10

• assumptions due to schemas can influence memory
• people may feel they are remembering correctly but their memory has been influenced by leading questions
• EWT

Question 11

how schemas can lead to poor mental health:

Answer 11

• beck argues ppl w depression have faulty schemas that bias their thinking about themselves, others and the future
• they always think theyre inadequate or unworthy

Question 12

what is the computer model?

Answer 12

• analogy between operation of computers central processing unit running software programmes and the brain conducting internal mental processes
• both systems receive inputs and generate outputs
• both process info through a sequence of programmed steps

Question 13

Evaluating the computer model: limitations, machine reductionist

Answer 13

• criticised for being overly simplistic
• human brain is more complex than a computer
• capable of consciousness and emotions that can lead to irrational behaviour
• nature of the features both things have in common are very different
• brain= alter memories
• computer= recall them perfectly

Question 14

what is the theoretical model?

Answer 14

• flow chart representations of each step of a specific mental process
• ## example being multi store model of memory

Question 15

Evaluating the theoretical model: strength, generate testable hypothesis

Answer 15

• this model generates testable hypothesis
• each model systematically and scientifically tested
• if observed behaviour matches the models predictions= model is valid
• if behaviour contradicts the model= model readjusted or rejected

Question 16

what is cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 16

• aims to scientifically identify and explain the neurological structures and chemical processes that happen during our internal mental processes

Question 17

what is the emergence of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 17

• development of brain scanning techniques
• PET and fMRI
• allow researchers to give pp cognitive tasks and see which areas of the brain are active

Question 18

Evaluating cognitive neuroscience: strength, link between brain structure and mental processes

Answer 18

• confirmed link between mental processes and brain structure
• traditionally explored by looking at pp w unique brain injuries
• Tan

Question 19

Evaluating cognitive neuroscience: strength, Tan as a case study

Answer 19

• Tan could only say ‘tan’ bc of speech production issues
• autopsy showed damage to brocas area
• brocas area activates in healthy brains during language production
• observation using scientific and objective tools verifies the areas role in speech

Question 20

Evaluations: limitations, lack external validity

Answer 20

• scientific and highly controlled= highly artificial
• memory tasks dont mirror everyday use of memory
• lack external validity bc not generalisable to everyday tasks

Question 21

Evaluations: strength, real life applications

Answer 21

• cognitive psychology has real life applications
• understanding schemas= CBT
• understanding how schemas influence EWT= informed jury instructions
• cognitive neuroscience= aid memory and language disorders

Question 22

Evaluations: strength, argue for soft determinism

Answer 22

• behaviour is due to biology and the environment
• schemas are biological processes but thought processes provide personal control over actions
• CBT= teaches people to have control over their thought patterns
• pp are active in their recovery which they arent w drug treatments= biological determinism