cognitive approach

The Cognitive Approach

Overview of the Cognitive Approach

  • Definition: The cognitive approach studies internal mental processes, emphasizing the role of schema and the use of theoretical and computer models to explain and infer mental processes.
  • Emergence: Developed in the 1950s as a response to behaviorism's neglect of mental processes. The advent of computers provided metaphors for describing mental functions.

Key Terms

  • Cognitive Approach: Focuses on how mental processes (like thoughts, perceptions, and attention) influence behavior.
  • Internal Mental Processes: Refers to private operations of the mind (e.g., perception, attention) that mediate between stimulus and response.
  • Schema: Mental frameworks that influence cognitive processing, developed through experiences.
  • Inference: Method by which cognitive psychologists deduce mental process operations based on observed behavior.
  • Cognitive Neuroscience: The scientific study of the biological structures underpinning cognitive processes.

Methods in Cognitive Psychology

Problem-Solving Experiment
  • Design: Independent groups design.
  • Conditions:
    • Condition A: 15 children solved 30 problems together in two hours, able to communicate. Total problems solved: 204.
    • Condition B: 15 different children solved the same problems in the same time but remained silent. Total problems solved: 324.
Questions
  1. Percentage Calculation: What percentage of total problems were solved in Condition B? (2 marks)
  2. Mean Calculation: Calculate mean problems solved per child for Conditions A and B. (2 marks)
  3. Graphical Representation: Sketch a display representing the mean number solved in Conditions A and B. (3 marks)
  4. Conclusion from Means: Explain one conclusion about the mean problems solved in Conditions A and B. (2 marks)

Assumptions of the Cognitive Approach

  • Contrasts with behaviorists by asserting that internal mental processes can be scientifically studied. This approach explores areas of behavior previously neglected, like memory, perception, and thinking through indirect study methods.

The Role of Schema

  • Definition: Schema are developed ideas and information that help interpret incoming information.
    • Simple motor schema: Innate behaviors (e.g., sucking, grasping) reflect early cognitive processes.
    • As individuals age, schemas become detailed and sophisticated (e.g., recognizing psychology as a discipline).
  • Function: Schemas facilitate rapid information processing and prevent overwhelming responses to stimuli but can also distort real perceptions leading to errors.

Theoretical and Computer Models

  • Theoretical Models: Abstract representations of internal processes, such as the information processing approach where cognitive function follows a sequence: input → storage → retrieval (related to multi-store model).

  • Computer Models: Concrete implementations that test if programming can replicate human outputs, indicating similar mental processes.

    • Applications: Aid in developing AI technologies and understanding complex cognitive functions.

Emergence of Cognitive Neuroscience

  • Definition: Explores how neurological aspects of the brain influence cognitive functions.
  • Historical Context: Connections made as far back as the 1860s when Paul Broca identified a specific brain area affecting speech.
  • Recent Advancements: Techniques such as fMRI and PET scans allow for observing brain activity systematically.
    • Example: Research by Tulving et al. (1994) found episodic and semantic memories in different areas of the prefrontal cortex.
  • Application in Disorders: Linking brain areas with mental disorders (e.g., parahippocampal gyrus and OCD).

Evaluation of the Cognitive Approach

Strengths
  • Scientific Methods: Uses objective methods and rigorous control producing reliable data through lab studies. Enhances credibility with cognitive neuroscience overlap with biology.
  • Real-World Application: Dominant in practical applications across fields such as AI and therapeutic approaches to psychological issues (e.g., treatment of depression, eyewitness testimony accuracy).
Limitations
  • Abstract Inferences: The reliance on inference rather than direct observation may limit the approach's practical applicability. Lab experiments often employ artificial stimuli, lacking ecological validity in everyday situations.
  • Machine Reductionism: Critics argue the analogy with computers oversimplifies human cognition, ignoring emotional and motivational influences.
Extra Evaluation - Soft Determinism
  • Definition: Human behavior may be determined by internal and external factors, allowing for moments of free will, contrasting with hard determinism where behavior is solely predetermined.
  • Question for Reflection: Why does the cognitive approach offer greater flexibility than behaviorism?

Case Study - Schema Influence on Perception

Misinterpreted Lyrics Example
  • Phenomenon in which schema distorts sensory interpretation leading to errors in perception (e.g., misinterpretation of lyrics).
Role of Schema in Paragraph Understanding
  1. Reading Comprehension Paragraph: Discuss the schema's assistive role in interpreting complex information or cultural references.
  2. Misperception Example: Discuss how schema guides perception of jumbling sentences, leading to incorrect readings.
  3. Bugelski and Alampay (1962) Experiment: Different sequences (faces vs. animals) influenced perception of ambiguous stimuli (the 'rat-man') illustrating dependence on existing schema for interpretation.

Check and Review

  1. Outline on Cognitive Neuroscience Emergence (4 marks).
  2. Explanation of theoretical and computer models in understanding mental processes.
  3. Outline and Evaluation of the cognitive approach (12 marks AS, 16 marks AL).