Cognitive approach

Assumptions

• Focuses on internal mental processes such as memory & attention & argues that these processes cannot be observed directly but can be studied scientifically through inference

• Internal mental processes mediate between stimulus & response eg language, attention, memory

• People are info processors - we don’t passively respond to environmental stimuli, our minds organises & manipulates info

• Human mind operates same way was a computer (computer analogy) as both code, store & output info

• Individuals respond differently to environmental stimuli depending on how they make sense of situation using schemas

Schemas

• Packages of info/knowledge developed through experiences & learning

Schemas advantages

• Helps us make sense of new incoming info & process it quickly

• Prevents us becoming overwhelmed by environmental stimuli

Schemas disadvantages

• Contributes to stereotypes eg elderly’s view of teenagers as “mischievous”

• Difficult to retain new info that doesn’t conform to pre-established ideas

• Cause us to “fill in the blanks” which can affect eyewitness testimonies

Computer models

• Information processing model describes mind like a computer

• Inputs (encodes info from the environment), processes (manipulates eg storage/decision) & outputs (behavioural/emotional response)

• Practical applications of AI

Cognitive neursocience

• Scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes

• Uses brain scanning techniques like fMRIs & PET scans (eg Tulving who showed that different types of LTM reside in different areas of the brain)

• Mapping brain areas to cognitive functions dates back to Paul Broca discovering Broca’s area in let frontal lobe responsible for speech production

• Helped to establish neurological basis for some mental disorders

Strengths AO3

• P - practical applications

• E - the approach’s assumption that humans are information processors has directly inspired developments in AI where algorithms and machine learning systems are designed to mimic human thinking, memory, and decision-making. Also has been applied to develop CBT, which aims to turn fault thinking & irrational thoughts into more positive & rational thoughts in mental illnesses like depression.

• T - AI has the potential to revolutionise how we live in the future & improves efficiency in industries such as finance by automating decision-making, reducing errors, and speeding up data analysis. CBT can reduce the economic burden associated with lost productivity & sick leave & reduce the strain on the NHS as individuals are better able to return to work. Therefore, approach has been applied to benefit society & has positive economic implications

• P - less deterministic than other approaches

• E -  unlike behaviourism, which suggests that behaviour is shaped entirely by reinforcement and conditioning, the cognitive approach recognises that humans are active processors of information rather than passive responders to stimuli. It emphasises the role of mental processes such as attention, memory, and reasoning, which allow individuals to interpret information and make choices.

• T - By acknowledging that people can actively shape their own behaviour, the cognitive approach provides a more nuanced understanding of human thought and learning, enhancing its explanatory power compared to strictly deterministic approaches. Also, it accounts for individual differences in perception & decision making as it explains why 2 individuals may respond differently to the same stimuli

Limitations AO3

• P - research methods lack ecological validity

• E - many cognitive studies use controlled laboratory experiments (eg Baddeley) with artificial tasks, such as memorising lists of words. While these methods allow precise measurement of variables and high control over extraneous factors, the tasks are often simplified and unlike real-world situations, meaning the findings may not reflect how memory, attention, or problem-solving operate in everyday life. Similarly, the cognitive approach often relies on case studies (eg KF & HM) to draw conclusions about mental processes. Although case studies provide rich, detailed insights into cognition, they are highly individualised, making it difficult to generalise findings to the wider population.

• T -  combo of artificial lab tasks and highly specific case studies highlights a methodological limitation as may lack generalisability & ecological validity

• P - machine reductionism 

• E - the computer-mind analogy  is overly simplistic because it reduces complex human mental processes to mechanical operations. Unlike computers, humans are influenced by emotions, social context &individual experience, which affect cognitive processes in ways that cannot be captured by computers. May be seen as overly contrived & forced as human cognition is often unpredictable, multi-faceted and emotional; a computer is not designed in such a way

• T - By treating the mind as a mechanistic system, machine reductionism risks ignoring the holistic and dynamic nature of human cognition, limiting its application to the real world.