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Cognitive Approach - Reliability of Cognitive Processes

The schema theory

  • It's a mental representation/understanding of what something  is

  • We use schema to organize categories of information and the relationships among them.

  • Experience or learn things and then build on those schemas

  • Adaptation is the foundation of the piaget's theory of cognitive development

  • Adaptation is the process of taking in, processing and using new information

  • This process enables us to adjust to changes in our environment

  • Adaptation has 2 process: assimilation and accommodation

  • assimilation - organize that new information so that it fits with and existing schema

  • Accommodation - changing an existing schema or creating a new schema to fit the new information

Reconstructive Memory

  • Human memory is not stable but rather a reconstruction that may be altered over time, through discussions with others.

  • Retrieval of memory - influenced by perception, past experience, cultural factors

Cognitive Biases

  • Systematic errors in thinking - affects decision making and judgments

  • Use heuristics - when we don't have time/resources/desire.

  • Heuristics are mental shortcuts to come to a decision

  • Biases influence our decision making sometimes because of ego depletion - a lack of self control or will-power.

  • Demonstrate cognitive biases when our cognitive load is too high - too many things on our mind (in working memory) and does not allow us the mental resources for a solution

Anchoring Biases

  • Tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions

  • Anchoring occurs when individuals use an initial piece of info to make subsequent judgments

  • Many effects on behaviour - one of them is the effect of anchoring on a judge’s verdict

Cognitive Approach - Reliability of Cognitive Processes

The schema theory

  • It's a mental representation/understanding of what something  is

  • We use schema to organize categories of information and the relationships among them.

  • Experience or learn things and then build on those schemas

  • Adaptation is the foundation of the piaget's theory of cognitive development

  • Adaptation is the process of taking in, processing and using new information

  • This process enables us to adjust to changes in our environment

  • Adaptation has 2 process: assimilation and accommodation

  • assimilation - organize that new information so that it fits with and existing schema

  • Accommodation - changing an existing schema or creating a new schema to fit the new information

Reconstructive Memory

  • Human memory is not stable but rather a reconstruction that may be altered over time, through discussions with others.

  • Retrieval of memory - influenced by perception, past experience, cultural factors

Cognitive Biases

  • Systematic errors in thinking - affects decision making and judgments

  • Use heuristics - when we don't have time/resources/desire.

  • Heuristics are mental shortcuts to come to a decision

  • Biases influence our decision making sometimes because of ego depletion - a lack of self control or will-power.

  • Demonstrate cognitive biases when our cognitive load is too high - too many things on our mind (in working memory) and does not allow us the mental resources for a solution

Anchoring Biases

  • Tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered when making decisions

  • Anchoring occurs when individuals use an initial piece of info to make subsequent judgments

  • Many effects on behaviour - one of them is the effect of anchoring on a judge’s verdict

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