THE COGNITIVE APPROACH

ASSUMPTIONS
 That internal mental processes can and should be studied scientifically.
 The goal of cognitive psychology is to learn about mental processes that occur in the
brain and use them to explain behaviour. These internal mental processes are
investigated experimentally under very strict and controlled conditions.
 Humans are information processors. Information is taken in from the environment
via the senses, and the brain encodes, processes, and stores this information. Finally,
a behavioural output is performed.
THE ROLE OF INFERFERENCE
 Inference is to work out what is happening to information in the brain by
investigating the behaviour that people show under experimental conditions.
 Cognitive psychologists must make inferences about cognitive functioning as
mental processes cannot be directly observed.
THE ROLE OF SCHEMA
 Schemas are our internal representation of the world. They are sometimes known as
our cognitive framework that help us organise and interpret information. They are
also used as a ‘reference point’ that tell us how to behave and sometimes what to
think.
 For example. We have schemas for a chair – something with legs you can sit on.
 As we get older our schemas become more detailed and sophisticated.
 Schemas are very useful as they allow us to make cognitive shortcuts when
interpreting large amounts of information on a daily basis.
 However, schemas may cause us to ignore any information that does not ‘fit in’ with
our established ideas of the world.
THEORETICAL MODELS OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES
 Models are used by cognitive psychologists to explain unobservable mental
processes in a concrete, testable way. This is usually in the form of diagrams which
include boxes and arrows that show the stages of a particular mental process.
 For example, the process of memory cannot be observed so the multi store model
of memory is used to show how information passes from STM to LTM.
COMPUTER MODELS OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES
 Computer models are used to explain how the mind processes information. The
human computer analogy states that the human mind works in a similar way that a
computer would process information.
 Both have an input, encode and stores information and both have an output.
 Computer analogies have proved useful in the development of thinking machines
such as artificial intelligence.
 By understanding how humans process information, store information and make
decisions, we can program computers to make which are capable of intelligent
‘human like’ behaviour.
 AI is one of the reasons why video games are so rewarding and enjoyable to play.
Coders write the game, so the computer responds to the way you are playing it in an
intelligent, human way.
THE EMERGENCE OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
 This is the scientific study of the influence of brain structures on mental processes.
  This has a long history in psychology – in the 1860s Dr Paul Broca carried out a case
study that identified that damage to the prefrontal lobe (structure) caused speech
difficulties (mental process).
 This patient was called ‘TAN’ as it was the only word, he was able to produce. He was
studied for many years by Broca, but he couldn’t uncover what was causing
HISspeech difficulties.
 Once TAN passed away Broca was able to conduct an analysis of his brain and found
that the prefrontal lobe was damaged, so he was able to establish that the prefrontal
lobe was responsible for speech production.
 EALANOR MCGUIRE – LONDON TAXI DRIVERS
EVALUATION
 A strength of the cognitive approach is its application of scientific methods.
Researchers use highly controlled studies to make inferences about cognitive
processes, this produces data that is objective and reliable. Especially when studying
cognitive neuroscience which brings together the cognitive approach and biology.
This means that the cognitive approach helps psychology gain more scientific
credibility.
 A limitation of the cognitive approach is that although it is scientifically credible,
cognition can only be inferred from the behaviour that is exhibited. This means that
the cognitive approach suffers from being too abstract and theoretical in nature. In
addition, studies that are carried out usually use artificial stimuli (such as memory
tests involving lists of words) which do not represent everyday life. This suggests that
even though the cognitive approach is scientifically credible, it may be in fact low in
external validity.
 A further limitation of the cognitive approach is the computer analogy. Whilst there
are some similarities between the human mind and computers, it has been criticised
by many and referred to as machine reductionism. This is because the computer
analogy ignores and minimises the role of human emotion on the cognitive system
and how this may affect our ability to process information. This Is a key concern with
the cognitive approach as research has suggested that emotional factors affect
human memory such as anxiety on eyewitnesses. This suggests that machine
reductionism may weaken the validity of the cognitive approach.
 A strength of the cognitive approach is that it is one of the most dominant
approaches in psychology today and has a range of useful practical applications. For
example, cognitive psychology has made important advances in the field of AI and
the development of ‘thinking machines’ (robots). These exciting new advances may
revolutionise how we live in the future. In addition, cognitive behaviour therapy
which aims to alter distorted/negative thinking has been used successfully. Eg March
found that CBT helped 81% of adolescents suffering from depression. Thus means
that the cognitive approach is being utilised to improve the quality of life of human in
a variety of different ways.