The Cognitive Approach Flashcards
Cognitive approach
The term ‘cognitive’ has come to mean ‘mental processes’, so this approach is focused on how our mental processes (e.g. thoughts, perceptions, attention) affect behaviour.
Assumptions
In direct contrast to the behaviourist approach, the cognitive approach argues that internal mental processes can, and should, be studied scientifically. as a result, the cognitive approach has investigated those areas of human behaviour that were neglected by behaviourists, such as memory, perception and thinking. These processes are ‘private’ and cannot be observed, so cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of their behaviour.
Internal mental processes
‘Private’ operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response. It shows how information is processed in the mind, including all conscious and unconscious thoughts.
Schema
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. They are developed from experience.
The role of schema
Cognitive processing can often be affected by a persons beliefs or expectations, which are often referred to a schema.
Babies are born with a simple motor schema four innate behaviour is such as sucking and grasping. For example, the grasping schema consists of moving a hand towards an object and shaping the hand around the object in coordination with visual input.
As we get older, our schema become more detailed and sophisticated . Adults have developed mental representations for everyone from the concept of psychology to a schema for what happens in a restaurant or what a typical zombie looks like.
Schema enable us to process lots of information quickly and this is useful as a sort of mental shortcut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli. However, schema may also distort our interpretations of sensory information, leading to perceptual errors.
The role of schema
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processing environmental information: schemas allow us to engage with the world without being overwhelmed by sensory information
-Predict the future: ask him is a based on previous experiences, they allow us to make assumptions about what objects and people will do in similar situations. -
Leads to inaccurate recall: Assumptions due to schemas can influence memory, a particular problem for eyewitness testimony.
-Negative schema can lead to poor mental health: Beck argues people with depression have faulty schemas that bias they thinking about themselves, others and the future.
Theoretical and computer models
By assuming the mind operates similarity to a computer or follows a logical, fixed sequence of stages, cognitive psychologists are guided in their interpretation of participants’ behaviour in studies. Psychologists are then able to make educated guesses (inferences) about internal mental activities based on observable behaviours.
Theoretical models
Theoretical models provide a scientific means to test ideas and make predictions however these are simplified versions which are based on research evidence to make inferences about mental processes which cannot be directly tested. They provide an illustrative way to display different memory stores, cause an effect and how mental processes occur in a linear way between different stores.
Computer models
Computer programming has allowed us to make inferences on how to human mind may work in a similar way and comparisons have been drawn between how we receive information. A computer model would involve actually programming a computer to see if such instructions produce a similar output to humans. If they do, then we can suggest that similar processes are going on into human mind.
Inferences
The process of whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about the way mental processes operate on the basis of observed behaviour.
Cognitive neuroscience
The scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.
The emergence of cognitive neuroscience
The advancement of technology has led to the emergence of cognitive neuroscience which allow research study the living brain. This has brought together brain scanning tech technologies when studying cognitive processes involved in memory attention giving detail detailed information about which brain structures are involved in different mental processing.
Neuroimaging techniques such as PET scans and FMRI highlight different parts of the brain is active when engaging in cognitive activities which test memory, perception, attention and even emotions.
- Paul Broca had identified how damaged to an area of the frontal lobe could permanently impaired speech production.
- Buckner and Peterson were able to show how these different types of long-term memory maybe located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex.
Strengths
Scientific methods: Cognitive psychologists employ highly controlled and rigorous methods of study so researches are able to infer cognitive processes at work. This has involved the use of lab studies to produce reliable, objective data. In addition, the emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psychology to come together to enhance the scientific basis of study.
This means that the study of the mind has a credible scientific basis.
Real world application: It has practical application. The cognitive approach is probably the dominant approach in psychology today and has been applied to a wide range of practical theoretical contexts. For example, cognitive psychology has made an important contribution in the field of artificial intelligence and the development of ‘thinking machines’ (robots). These are exciting advances that may revolutionise how we live in the future. Cognitive principles have also been applied to a treatment of depression and improved the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
This supports the value of cognitive approach.
Limitation
Machine reductionism: there are similarities between the human mind and the operation of a ‘thinking machine’ such as a computer (inputs and outputs, storage systems, the use of a central processor).
However, the computer analogy has been criticised. Such machine reductionism ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how this may affect our ability to process information for instance, research has found that human memory may be affected by emotional factors, such as the influence of anxiety on eyewitnesses.
This suggests that machine reduction may weaken the validity of the cognitive approach.
