Describe and evaluate the cognitive approach

AO1: What do cognitive psychologists believe our behaviour is determined by?

The cognitive approach builds on behaviourism and SLT and it suggests that our behaviour is determined by the way we process information taken in from our environment.

AO1: What are the four main assumptions of the cognitive approach?

• Mental processes - study of internal mental processes

• Computer analogy - use of theoretical model to explain cognitive processes

• Inference - assumptions about what is going on inside the mind & make inferences about unobservable mental processes from observed behaviours

• Schemas

AO1: What is a schema?

They are packages of info and expectations developed through experience

• Schemas act as a mental framework for interpreting incoming info

As we get older our schemas become more detailed, babies are born with simple motor schemas for innate behaviors like grasping + sucking.

AO1: What are inferences?

They are conclusions drawn based on observable behavior regarding how mental processes operate. Mental processes can’t be directly observed so they are studied by making inferences.

AO1: What is the theoretical and computer model?

Theoretical models:

• Used to understand and explain mental processes.

• Abstract representation of internal mental processes

• An example of a theoretical model is the multi store model

Computer models:

• Used to understand and explain mental processes

• Concrete representation of internal mental processes involving actual computer programming

• Test instructions derived from theoretical models to see if they produce human like outputs

• If computer mimics human response then it suggests that similar processes are going on in the human mind

AO1: Emergence of cognitive neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience primarily focuses on studying the biological processes underlying cognition in neurotypical individuals, aiming to map mental processes to specific brain regions and pathways. In essence, it explores the biological basis of cognitive psychology, using advanced technologies to determine where and when these processes occur in the brain.

• Functional neuroimaging: techniques such as fMRI and PET are used to observe which brain regions are active during specific cognitive tasks.

This has allowed for semantic and episodic memories to be linked with the prefrontal cortex in the brain.

AO3: Evaluation of cognitive neuroscience

• Focus on Neurotypical Individuals: Primarily studying individuals without brain injuries or disorders may overlook cognitive variations attributable to atypical brain function.

• Poor Spatial or Temporal Resolution: Some techniques struggle to capture fine details of brain activity or measure changes in real time.

• Limited Behavioural Scope: Imaging techniques may not fully capture complex or nuanced behaviours.

• Participant Discomfort: Scanning methods like fMRI require participants to remain still in enclosed spaces, which can be uncomfortable or unnatural.

Despite its limitations, cognitive neuroscience is a cornerstone of modern psychology, offering a biological lens to understand how neurotypical brains support complex mental processes.

AO3: Real world application (Strength)

When applied to psychopathology, the cognitive approach explains dysfunctional behaviour as a consequence of disruptions within standard information-processing systems. When any of these components malfunction, for example, by focusing attention too narrowly, interpreting neutral events as negative, or retrieving memories in a biased manner, the resulting thought patterns become distorted because the underlying processing has been altered. “Faulty thinking”, therefore, refers to errors within the cognitive system itself, not a separate category of irrationality.

This pattern is clearly demonstrated in conditions such as depression and anxiety, where attentional biases towards threat, a tendency to select negative interpretations, and skewed recall of past events create a self-reinforcing cognitive loop. These distortions arise from the same components that usually support accurate reasoning; what changes is the way the system filters, selects and combines information.

AO3: Research support

Rat man study; Bugelski & Alampay (1962)

Two groups of participants were shown a sequence of pictures, either a number of different faces or a number of different animals. They were then shown the ambiguous figure of a rat man, those who were in the animal group were more likely to see a rat and vice versa.

This is a controlled lab study and provides evidence for schemas.

• Controlled lab study = more reliable (replicable) and scientific in its research.

AO3: Machine reductionism (Limitation)

The approach uses the computer analogy which has been criticised by many.

Such machine reductionism ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system, which may affect our ability to process information.

For example, research has found that human memory may be affected by emotional factors, like the influence of anxiety on eyewitness testimonies.

AO3: Reductionist (Limitation)

The cognitive approach is often criticised for reductionism. By focusing on information-processing mechanisms, it explains behaviour primarily in terms of internal mental operations such as attention, memory, heuristics or theory of mind. In doing so, it inevitably brackets off other determinants of behaviour, including biological, social, developmental and emotional processes. As a result, cognitive explanations, while precise, are rarely complete.

Often forgotten are

• Biological variables such as neurotransmitters, hormones, neural circuitry or brain maturation

• Emotional and motivational states, despite their apparent influence on perception, decision-making and memory

• Social context, including parenting, attachment, culture, and communication practices

• Developmental trajectories, which shape how cognitive systems emerge and change over time

This reductionism is not a flaw in method but a limitation in scope. Cognitive psychology produces valuable insights, but only by isolating cognitive mechanisms from the wider biological and social systems in which they operate. A complete account of behaviour requires integrating these layers rather than treating cognition as the sole driver.