Study Notes: The Cognitive Approach in Psychology

Focus on Internal Processes: Investigates mental processes like memory, perception, and thinking that were previously neglected by behaviorists.
Methodology: Since processes are "private" and cannot be observed directly, cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences based on observable behavior.
Scientific Rigor: Operates on the premise that internal mental processes should be studied scientifically through controlled lab experiments.

Information Processing Approach: Suggests information flows through the cognitive system in stages: input, storage, and retrieval (e.g., the Multi-Store Model of Memory).
Computer Analogy: Compares the human mind to a computer, utilizing concepts such as central processors, storage, and inputs/outputs.

Definition: "Packages" of ideas and information developed through experience that act as a mental framework for interpreting incoming information.
Function: Enable rapid processing of vast amounts of information, acting as mental shortcuts to prevent cognitive overload.
Downside: Can lead to perceptual errors or distorted interpretations of sensory information, as demonstrated by Wallisch regarding the perception of light and color.

Definition: An interdisciplinary field combining cognitive and biological approaches to map brain structures to mental functions.
Historical Context: Roots date back to Paul Broca in the 1860s identifying Broca’s area in the frontal lobe for speech production. The term was coined by George Miller and Michael Gazzaniga in the 1970s.
Brain Imaging: Modern advancements use fMRI and PET scans to observe the neurological basis of thought. Tulving et al. (1972) localized different types of long-term memory in the prefrontal cortex.
Clinical Findings: Research identifies abnormal functioning in the left parahippocampal gyrus in patients with OCD.
Applications: Includes "brain fingerprinting" for eyewitness testimony, neurorehabilitation for stroke patients, and AI development (e.g., the robot Sophia).

Scientific Credibility: Employs highly controlled lab methods to produce reliable, objective data, bringing psychology closer to biology and physics.
Machine Reductionism: A limitation where human behavior is reduced to computer-like operations, ignoring the influence of emotion and motivation (e.g., how anxiety affects eye-witness testimony).
Ecological Validity: Experimental studies often use artificial stimuli (like word lists), making the findings potentially too abstract for everyday memory experiences.
Soft Determinism: Unlike behaviorist hard determinism, this approach recognizes that while the cognitive system has limits, humans are free to think before responding to stimuli.

Investigation of Processes: How have psychologists investigated internal mental processes like memory? (Response: By using indirect inferences and scientific models).
Brain vs. Computer: Is the brain like a computer? (Response: While both have inputs, storage, and processing, the analogy is criticized for machine reductionism and ignoring emotion).
Acquisition of Schema: How do we learn/acquire different schemata? (Response: Through experience, beginning with simple innate motor schemas in infancy like sucking and grasping).
Research Methods: What research methods are used? (Response: Lab experiments, brain scanning techniques like fMRI/PET, and computer simulations).