The Cognitive approach Flashcards
What are the main assumptions of the cognitive approach?
Internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically.
How our mental processes affect our behaviour.
Define internal mental processes.
“Private” operations of the mind, e.g perception or attention.
Define inference.
The process whereby conclusions are drawn about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviours.
What is an issue with the cognitive approach and how have scientists gotten around it?
Mental processes cannot be observed so psychologists observe behaviours and then make inferences about what is going on in people’s mind.
What are computer models?
The mind is compared to a computer and suggests that there are similarities on how they both process information.
Define a schema.
Packages of ideas and information that we develop through experience. They help process a large amount of information quickly.
Define cognitive neuroscience.
The scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.
