Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the cognitive approach?
What is the cognitive approach?
The cognitive approach focuses on how our mental processes (e.g. thoughts, perceptions, attention) affect behavior.
What are internal mental processes?
What are internal mental processes?
'Private' operations of the mind such as perception and attention that mediate between stimulus and response.
What are schema?
What are schema?
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing.
What is inference in cognitive psychology?
What is inference in cognitive psychology?
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What is cognitive neuroscience?
What is cognitive neuroscience?
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What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
What are the assumptions of the cognitive approach?
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What are theoretical models?
What are theoretical models?
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What are computer models in cognitive psychology?
What are computer models in cognitive psychology?
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What is a simple schema like for babies?
What is a simple schema like for babies?
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How does schema change as we get older?
How does schema change as we get older?
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Why is schema useful, and what problems are associated with schema?
Why is schema useful, and what problems are associated with schema?
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How has cognitive neuroscience emerged?
How has cognitive neuroscience emerged?
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What is a strength of the cognitive approach?
What is a strength of the cognitive approach?
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What is a limitation of the cognitive approach?
What is a limitation of the cognitive approach?
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Study Notes
Cognitive Approach Overview
- Focuses on mental processes such as thoughts, perceptions, and attention influencing behavior.
- Internal mental processes like perception and attention are fundamental in mediating between stimuli and responses.
Key Concepts in Cognitive Psychology
- Schemas: Mental frameworks formed from experiences that shape cognitive processing and expectations.
- Inference: Cognitive psychologists deduce mental processes by analyzing observed behaviors.
- Cognitive Neuroscience: Examines biological structures that support cognitive functions, linking mental processes with neural activities.
Assumptions of the Cognitive Approach
- Emphasizes the scientific study of internal mental processes, contrasting with behaviorism's focus on observable behavior only.
- Investigates memory, perception, and thinking, which behaviorism has overlooked.
- Internal processes are inferred indirectly through observing behavior.
Research Methodologies
- Theoretical Models: Use frameworks like the information processing approach to describe the flow of information (input, storage, retrieval).
- Computer Models: Compare human cognition to computer functions, highlighting similarities in processing information through central units, coding, and storage.
Development of Schema
- Infants are born with simple motor schemas (e.g., sucking, grasping) which coordinate with visual input.
- Schemas evolve into complex representations as individuals age, encompassing a wide range of experiences and concepts.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Schema
- Schemas facilitate quick information processing, acting as mental shortcuts to manage environmental stimuli.
- However, they may distort perceptions, leading to errors in interpreting sensory information.
Advances in Cognitive Neuroscience
- Recent brain scanning technologies have enhanced the understanding of the neurological underpinnings of cognitive processes.
- Research links specific memories to distinct areas of the brain, such as episodic and semantic memories to different sides of the prefrontal cortex.
Strengths of the Cognitive Approach
- Utilizes scientific, controlled methodologies (e.g., lab studies) to investigate cognitive processes.
- Establishes a credible scientific foundation by integrating biology with cognitive psychology, contributing to cognitive neuroscience.
Limitations of the Cognitive Approach
- Critiqued for machine reductionism, overly simplifying human cognition by likening it to computer processing.
- Neglects emotional and motivational factors that impact cognitive functions, such as accuracy in eyewitness testimonies, leading to an incomplete understanding of cognitive processes.
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Description
Explore the Cognitive Approach in psychology through these flashcards. Understand how mental processes such as thoughts and perceptions influence behavior. Test your knowledge on key definitions and concepts related to internal mental processes.