the cognitive approach Flashcards
what does the cognitive approach argue?
internal mental processes should be studied scientifically
what are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
- the mind actively processes info about the senses
- between stimulus and response is a complex process, which can be studied scientifically
- there is a relationship between an individuals thought processes and their behaviour
what does the cognitive approach investigate?
areas of human behaviour neglected by behaviourism e.g. memory, perception and thinking
what do cognitive psychologists make?
inferences about what is going on inside people’s minds
how does the cognitive approach study internal mental processes?
- theoretical models
- computer models
what are theoretical models?
the information processing approach is a theoretic model which suggests that info flows through the cognitive system
- in a sequence of input, storage and retrieval
what is an example of a theoretical model?
the WMM
what are computer models?
the mind is compared to a computer
- similarities in the way info is processed
- central processing unit (brain) -> coding (changing format of info) -> use of stores (holding info)
what is a schema?
a cognitive framework that helps organise and interpret info in the brain
how do schema’s work?
- schema’s are developed through experience
- schema’s for different events are based on expectations of how to behave in certain situations or roles
- we don’t have schema’s for every social situation, what you don’t remember your brain should fill in for you
what are the strengths of schema’s?
- they provide us with mental shortcuts that prevent us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimulus
- help us process vast amounts of info quickly
- help us predict what will happen based on past experiences, can be useful in keeping us safe
what are the weaknesses of schema’s?
- can distort our perception of sensory info
- can lead to inaccurate EWT
- negative or faulty schema’s can have detrimental effects on mental health
- can develop stereotypes that are hard to change
who developed a series of stages of cognition?
Piaget
what did Piaget argue?
Piaget believed that cognition develops through a series of stages
- each new state builds on the previous one
what are the 4 stages?
- sensory-motor
- pre-operational
- concrete operational
- formal operational
what is the sensory-motor stage?
- 0-2 years
- children develop the world through motor activity and senses
- learn object permanence
- learn through trial and error
- egocentric
- basic language
what is the pre-operational stage?
- 2-7 years
- language develops along with memory
- egocentric
- child hasn’t mastered conservation
- engages in pretend play
- gains concepts (colour, time, numbers)
what is the concrete operational stage?
- 7-11 years
- understand conservation
- struggles to solve problems mentally
- understand that non-living things don’t have feelings
- can see things from other points of view
what is the formal operational stage?
- 11 years onward
- can understand more complex processes
- can think logically
- can use abstract thoughts and represent problems mentally
- empathy and metacognition
S: scientific and objective methods
ID: a strength of the cognitive approach is that it uses scientific and objective measures
Q: the emergence of cognitive neuroscience has substantially increased the scientific credibility of psychology, bringing it closer to that of biology, physics etc
EX: for example, this is due to the emphasis on objectively collecting reliable data through direct observation of the neural processes underlying cognition, as seen in PET,
CT, MRI and fMRI scans. furthermore, the cognitive approach uses lab experiments to produce reliable, objective data.
AN: therefore, this is a strength as cognitive approach using scientific measures increases the internal validity of experiments and means that we can trust inferences and conclusions that are made
W: lacks real-life application + ELAB: some practical applications
ID: however, the cognitive approach lacks application to everyday life
Q: this means that the extensive use of schemas and analogies as ways of indirectly studying and inferring the cognitive basis of behaviour are not representative
EX: for example, this reliance on inference means that some ideas in cognitive psychology may seem too abstract and not have enough supporting empirical evidence of such mechanisms being observed. AN: therefore, this reduces the potential practical applications of
cognitive research, as it remains mainly theoretical.
ELAB: however, the cognitive approach has been applied to a range of practical and theoretical contexts. for example, cognitive psychology has made an important contribution in the field of AI and the development of ‘thinking machines’ (robots). therefore, this is positive as these advances may revolutionise how we live in the future.
S: soft determinism
ID: a further strength of the cognitive approach is that it is founded on soft determinism
Q: this means that the cognitive approach recognises that there are constraints on our behaviour but within these limitations, we are free to make choices
EX: for example, it sees humans as being able to reason and make conscious decisions within the limits of what they know or their ‘cognitive system’, and so adopts a soft deterministic approach.
AN: therefore, this is more flexible than the behaviourist hard determinism stance because it allows for humans to have some conscious insight into their behaviour: a complexity which differentiates us from animals, and so provides a
better explanation for human behaviour than behaviourism.
