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