4. cognitive approach

what does the cognitive approach focus on

how our mental processes affect behaviour

what are internal mental processes

private operations of the mind such as attention and attention that mediate between stimulus and response

what is the schema

a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing that are developed from experience

assumptions

• internal processes can, and should be, studied scientifically

• processes are private and cannot be observed so are studied indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside peoples minds on the basis of their behaviour

what models are used to infer mental processes

theoretical & computer models

theoretical model

• abstract

• eg information processing approach - suggests info flows through the cognitive system in a series of stages: input, storage and output

• based on the way a computer functions

computer models

• concrete things

• involves actually programming a computer to see if such instructions produce a similar output to humans

• if they do we can suggest similar processes occur in the human mind

• useful in development of ‘thinking machines’ and AI

role of the schema

• packages of ideas and info developed through experience

• act as a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information by the cognitive system

• helps to process lots of info quickly preventing us from becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli

schema through the ages

• babies are born with a simple motor schema for innate behaviours eg sucking and grasping

• as we get older our schema becomes more detailed and sophisticated eg adults have more mental representations for more things

negatives of the schema

they may also distort our interpretations of sensory information leading to perceptual errors

what is cognitive neuroscience

an area of psychology dedicated to the underlying neural basis of cognitive functions

emergence of cognitive neuroscience

• neuroscientists are able to study the brain and collect detailed info about the brain structures involved in different kinds of mental processing

• brain areas can be mapped for specific cognitive functions

• PET, fMRI help to understand how the brain functions by showing what parts of the brain become active in specific situations

evaluation

• scientific methods (& COUNTERPOINT)

• practical applications

• machine reductionism

scientific methods

• grounded in objective, scientific and controlled methods

• employ highly controlled and rigorous studying methods in able to infer from the cognitive processes at work, often including lab studies - ensures reliability and internal validity with control over variables and removing EVs

• emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and cognitive psych to combine and enhance the scientific basis 

counterpoint

• as it relies on inferences, rather than direct observation, it can be too abstract and theoretical in nature 

• lab studies on mental processes often use artificial stimuli (eg memory tests using lists) that it may not represent everyday experience

• thus lacks external validity and generalisability

real world applications

most dominant approach with extensive practical applications

1. important contribution in the world of AI and thinking machines which revolutionise how we live in the future 

2. applied to treatment of depression in therapy

3. improves reliability of eyewitness testimony

   • demonstrates how cognitive theories contribute meaningfully to various psychological and technological advances

machine reductionist

• it is criticised for being machine reductionist

• by comparing the mind to a computer it ignores the influence of human emotions & motivations 

eg research shows anxiety can affect memory processes suggesting that purely computational analgogies are overly simplistic

• limits validity when addressing emotional or subjective aspects of behaviour