The cognitive approach - AO1

Question 1

What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

• The brain is like a computer; information is stored in “packages” known as schema
• Internal mental processes can, and should be scientifically studied
• These processes are “private” and cannot be observed, so cognitive psychologissts study them indirectly by making inferences

Question 2

What is schema?

Answer 2

A collection of ideas about a person or situation formed through experience, which helps the individual understand and predict the world around them

• Acts as a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information
• Babies are born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours
• As we get older, our schema becomes more detailed and sophisticated as we acquire new information

Question 3

What is an advantage of schema?

Answer 3

It enables us to process a lot of information quickly, forming a mental shortcut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli

Question 4

What is a disadvantage of schema?

Answer 4

It may distort our interpretations of sensory informations leading to perpetual errors

This has negative implications for accuracy of eye-witness testimony

Question 5

What is inference?

Answer 5

The process whereby cognitive psychologists draw conclusions about mental processes on the basis of observed behaviour
This is done by testing diffeent models in experiments

Question 6

What are theoretical models?

Answer 6

Diagrammatic representations of the steps involved in internal mental processes
E.g the information-processing models (i.e MSM)

Question 7

What are computer models?

Answer 7

Software simulations that try to mimic human thought processing
We infer that human brain would process information in the same way.
They have mostly been used in the development of artifcial intelligence