The cognitive approach Flashcards
1
Q
what is cognitive psychology?
A
- the study of internal mental processes
2
Q
what are internal mental processes?
A
- how info is used in the mind
- all conscious and unconscious thoughts
- areas of research= attention, perception and memory
3
Q
characteristics of cognitive research:
A
- scientific approach
- highly controlled experiments
- lab studies w/ highly controlled experiments
- have backed up evidence with high internal validity
4
Q
issues with studying internal mental processes:
A
- cant be directly observed
- have to use inferences to make assumptions about internal mental processes
5
Q
Evaluations: limitations, relies on inferences
A
- 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
6
Q
what is a schema?
A
- mental frameworks
- collections of connected basic knowledge about an object or concept built from previous experiences of the world
7
Q
how do schemas work as mental shortcuts?
A
- 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
8
Q
how schemas process environmental information:
A
- 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
9
Q
how schemas help us predict the future:
A
- 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
10
Q
how schemas lead to inaccurate recall:
A
- assumptions due to schemas can influence memory
- people may feel they are remembering correctly but their memory has been influenced by leading questions
- EWT
11
Q
how schemas can lead to poor mental health:
A
- 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
12
Q
what is the computer model?
A
- 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
13
Q
Evaluating the computer model: limitations, machine reductionist
A
- 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
14
Q
what is the theoretical model?
A
- flow chart representations of each step of a specific mental process
- ## example being multi store model of memory
15
Q
Evaluating the theoretical model: strength, generate testable hypothesis
A
- 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
