The Cognitive Approach

What does the Cognitive approach focus on?

how our mental processes affect behaviour

Assumptions: how should Cognitive psychology be studied?

scientifically - mainly laboratory experiments are used

Why should Cognitive psychology be studied scientifically?

the mind

Assumptions: what is behaviour largely explained through?

internal mental processes - stimulus-response is appropriate, but the thought process behind the behaviour should be acknowledged.​

Assumptions: what is the mind argued to work similarly to?

a computer - inputting, storing and retrieving data

Schema?

a mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing - they’re developed

Schemas: what do they help organise?

information that is already in the brain

Schemas: what do they help maintain?

behaviour in familiar situations,(such as how we should behave in a classroom), and how to behave toward particular objects

Schemas: how do they help us to know how to behave in an unfamiliar situation?

Schemas “fill the gaps” for us

Schemas - positive: how do they save time?

save time because they help you to organise new information and help you to retrieve it

Schemas - negative: what can be an issue when we “fill in the gaps”?

we can do this incorrectly

Schemas - negative: what does it make us likely to ignore?

new information that contradicts an existing schema

The use of models: what has the development of computers and programs have brought about a change in?

the way in which sensory information is coded

The use of models: what is information inputted through?

the senses

The use of models: what is this information then encoded into?

memory

The use of models: what is this information then combined with?

combined with previously stored information to complete a task.

Information Processing Model: the 3 stages?

input, processing, output

Information Processing Model - input: where does input come in from?

the environment

Information Processing Model - input: what does input from the environment come in via?

via out senses

Information Processing Model - processing: how is the input then made sense of?

using a process, such as schemas

Information Processing Model - output: what is it?

the response or behaviour

Inference?

Inference is the process of drawing conclusions about general patterns of behaviour from specific observations

Strength - P: what does the Cognitive Approach have?

useful applications

Strength - Ex: what has it helped to explain in clinical psychology?

the link between faulty thinking and abnormal behaviour.

Strength - Ev: for example, how has it helped to treat individuals suffering from depression and OCD?

through the use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Strength - L: this is a strength of the cognitive approach because what has it been used to treat?

mental disorders

Strength - P: core strength?

The Cognitive Approach is scientific

Strength - Ex1: where is research carried out?

in laboratories - meaning conditions are controlled as much as possible

Strength - Ex2: as there is a high degree of control over extraneous variables what can researchers obtain?

objective evidence about how the mind works

Strength - Ev: an example of research on memory that’s carried out in controlled conditions?

Goodwin et al (1969)

Strength - L: what does the theory have a high level of due to the research for it being scientific?

high level of internal validity

Weakness - P: In contrast, what is there a problem with?

the Cognitive Approach being scientific

Weakness - Ex: what does research often lack as lab experiments are often used?

research lacks ecological validity - as lab experiments involve tasks which don’t mimic real life experiences

Weakness - Ev: for example, what do artificial and controlled word list memory tests tell us little about?

what we can recall naturally

Weakness - L: therefore, what is the weakness of the research supporting the cognitive approach?

it may not be generalisable to the real world.

Weakness - P: what are there limitations of using in the way that the cognitive approach does?

computer models

Weakness - Ex: what are there important differences between?

the sort of information processing that takes place within a computer and the information processing that takes place within the human mind

Weakness - Ev: what don’t computers do that humans do?

computers do not make mistakes like humans do and also don’t ignore available information or forget anything that has been stored on their hard drives. Humans however ignore and forget information every day.​

Weakness - L: therefore, what’s a flawed analogy?

using computer models to explain human thought processes is a flawed analogy