The Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of the Cognitive approach?

Answer 1

• Behaviours occur in the mind.
• The mental processes occurring between stimulus and response are called information processing.
• Information that enters the mind from the environment is changed, manipulated and processed in some way before an output is produced.
  i. e. memory, language comprehension and problem solving.
• Inference is used to reach a logical conclusion based off of evidence.

Question 2

Why are lab experiments used?

Answer 2

-Control measure of input and output and the inferring is what occurs within.
Inference is used to reach a logical conclusion based off of evidence.
Mental processes are studied indirectly.

Question 3

Define “standardisation”.

Answer 3

Measure of dispersion telling us the spread of results and the consistency. i.e. the range

Question 4

What are the “measures of central tendency”.

Answer 4

The median, mode and mean

Question 5

What is a schema?

Answer 5

• They’re mental shortcuts which allow you to take shortcuts when interpreting huge amounts of information you have to deal with on a daily basis.
• This prevents you becoming overwhelmed or burning out.
• Its a basic unit of knowledge

Question 6

What is a negative schema?

Answer 6

-A pattern of difficulties a person has with others that is caused by these negative beliefs.

Question 7

How does the mind organise information?

Answer 7

With schemas.

Question 8

How can negative schemas affect your memory?

Answer 8

-The schema might ‘fill the gaps’. i.e. if we witnessed a mugging the fact we have schema for mugging that includes a knife means that we might remember a knife even though there wasn’t one there.

Question 9

What can a negative-self schema affect?

Answer 9

It could also have an affect on out mental health. i.e if we have negative schemata about ourselves and the world, this could lead to emotional problem

Question 10

What is the Multi Store Model of Memory?

Answer 10

• A theoretical model which demonstrated the stages a person takes in their cognitive processing.
• A model of how information is transferred from our sensory store to short term memory and eventually stored in long term memory.

Question 11

What 3 stores are in the Multi Store Model of Memory?

Answer 11

• Sensory store
• Short term memory
• Long term memory

Question 12

Define “sequential model”.

Answer 12

Humans processing something that happens one step at a time.

Question 13

Define “parallel processing model”.

Answer 13

Humans processing happening with multiple tasks occurring at the same time.

Question 14

What is neglected when the theory of computer models is used?

Answer 14

Emotions and motivation. This makes the theory mechanistic.

Question 15

What so cognitive neuroscience what to determine?

Answer 15

• They want to see which area of the brain need that cognitive process to occur and how the brain contributes to human thought and mental process.
• They seek match patterns of neurological activity within the brain to patterns of human thought.

Question 16

What techniques does cognitive neuroscientists use when watching brain activity?

Answer 16

-They use neuro imaging techniques such as fMRI scans to identify the neural patterns of thought.

Question 17

What therapies are used?

Answer 17

• CBT

- Cognitive interview (i.e. recalling events in a crime)

Question 18

What are fMRI scans?

Answer 18

An imagine/scanning technique which measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow.

Question 19

Name some of the applications used in neuroscience.

Answer 19

• Scanning/imaging techniques used try lancet types of memory in different areas of the brain leading to treatment for memory problems.
• Scanning/imaging techniques to study mental processing patients with depression or OCD; or children
• Imagine techniques to study the effects of normal ageing on the brain to observe the effects of strokes on the brain.
• Brain scans used to investigate cognitive processing in patients with schizophrenia.

Question 20

Define “case study”.

Answer 20

An in-depth research of an individual; gathering of detail and information, on an event.

Question 21

What are the strengths of the Cognitive approach?

Answer 21

• Takes into account the internal, invisible thought processes that affect our behaviour, unlike the behavioural approach.
• Highly controlled and rigorous methods of study in order to enable researchers to infer cognitive processes at work. This has involved the use of lab experiments to produce reliable, objective data.
• Highlights peoples thought process.
• It can be combines with other approaches.
• Valid results can be produced.

Question 22

What are the limitations of the Cognitive approach?

Answer 22

-Depends largely on controlled experiments to observe human behaviour, which may lack ecological validity (being compared to real-life behaviour). Cognitive psychology has a narrow focus on mental processes.
For example, the use of the computer analogy means that information processing researchers focus mostly on the logical aspects of cognitive processing and less on the emotional, creative and social aspects that also affect thinking
-Cognitive psychology has often relied on comparisons with how computers work as a possible way the mind might work. Is this really how the brain works?
-The brain is infinitely more powerful and flexible than the most advanced computer.
-Machine Reductionism